Chapter 4

The social worker stared at me, obviously waiting for an answer. But my heart was pounding in my ears. Now that Shane agreed, I wasn't sure what to do. I could have spun it as a story because everyone knew Kai told stories and had a wild imagination. But now, not only had the oldest, most responsible one confirmed it, but so had my mother.

What was she thinking? I couldn't get her attention because she was suddenly very interested in her phone. I gritted my teeth.

Sure, this looked bad, but it would look even worse if I called them all liars.

I just needed to change the subject. And confirm I didn't break any rules. Buy myself some time to figure out how to explain this disaster away.

"Finn's not moving in, so no paperwork is needed yet." I could feel Finn's gaze on me even as I said the words, but I couldn't look at him. "He's renting the house next door cause of course he can't live here."

Paige kept staring, and I finally glanced at Finn, hoping he could see the desperate plea in my eyes.

"Right?"

He blinked rapidly as he stared down at me. "Right, what?"

"That you're living next door." That was true, so why was he being obtuse? I needed him to work with me. I moved toward him, debating if I needed to subtly pinch him or step on his toe or something. He looked dazed.

"Yeah…" He trailed off as he nodded. "That's right. I live next door."

"And when are you filing the paperwork for this?" Paige crossed her arms, that pursed lips, disapproving sneer she sent my way too often putting me on edge.

I wasn't her typical foster parent. In her opinion, I was too young, too fly by the seat of my pants, and too cutesy to be on her fostering list. Luckily for me, the state thought I was a great parent. Mostly because I was. I might not have charts, or to-do lists for the kids, but they all thrived after moving in with me. We were a perfectly imperfect family.

I just needed Paige to get off my back.

"I would totally fill out all the paperwork before I got married. You know me. I'm a dot my Is, cross my Ts kinda girl." I forced a smile, hoping she didn't call me out for being the opposite of that. "Today was moving day, so we've been busy. You know how that is. Plus I thought you were coming out tomorrow."

Her eyes narrowed. "No, you were supposed to move in yesterday and I was always coming today."

I chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, yeah, but you know how it is…best-laid plans and all."

Jesus. This was not going well.

"Yeah, Maia had plans pop up yesterday and we all agreed to wait for her," Shane added, which thankfully wasn't a lie.

Paige frowned as she looked from Shane back at me.

"Let me give you the tour and you can see the other kids and their rooms. That's why you're here, right?" I waved toward the stairs, and she reluctantly followed Shane and Maia.

"I'll come, too," my mom chirped. "You will love the setup for the kids. It's perfect. And it will be so nice to have Finn in the house, eventually. Having a man around when you live out in the woods is nice."

How very progressive of my mom.

"I do have to admit that," Paige begrudgingly agreed. "So, this wedding is when, exactly?"

"Oh—"

"Next weekend," my mother cut me off, and I almost choked on my spit.

I tried to subtly give my mother my best what the fuck look, but she continued on.

"Our minister is so excited about finally getting to marry Ivy. We weren't sure we'd see the day." My mom laughed. "Come and see how cute Kai and Jayden's room turned out."

My mother bulldozed through the conversation and the rest of the tour. I even caught Paige smiling with Mom. Twice. That was something she never did with me.

As I stood next to my mother on the porch and watched Paige get in her car and drive away, I was half ready to kill her and half ready to cry. Instead of letting me have time to figure out the best plan to walk this entire thing back, my mother kept doubling down on it. I think the only way I could explain this away was to tell Paige my mom had dementia, and we were playing along with it.

"How could you do this?" My mother hissed at me when Paige's car was finally out of sight.

"Me?" I squeaked.

"Yes, you. Do you not know how serious this could be? We can't lose the grandkids." She huffed and walked back into the house.

"Exactly. So why are we saying I'm getting married?" I snapped, following her inside.

"Good news, hun." My dad beamed at my mom from the sofa where he sat with Finn, who was still frowning. "Turns out they aren't married."

My mother's face lost its color as she finally looked at me. "Then why did you say you got married in Vegas?"

"I didn't." I gaped at her. Was dementia a real possibility, or was I the one losing my damn mind?

"But why did Maia?" My mother spun, looking around the room, but only Shane was downstairs.

"Because she's a shit stirrer," he interjected.

"Language," my father chided.

"Come on, Grandad, tell me a better term for her," Shane smirked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

My dad chuckled.

"You really didn't get married in Vegas?" My mother still seemed stunned as she moved toward Dad.

"Mom, when on earth would I have had time to fly to Vegas?" I had five kids, for goodness' sake. I barely had time to shower without interruption. A cross-country trip would be impossible.

My mother's brow crutched up, and she dropped slowly onto the sofa next to my father. "This is going to be awkward." Hesitantly she glanced over at Finn who was rapidly texting on his phone.

"Yes. Because now I have to explain why you told Paige we were getting married." I shook my head. "I think I'm going to have to go with dementia."

My mother's eyes shot to me. "Then they will never let me be alone with my grandbabies."

"Well, what else am I going to say?" I crossed my arms. "Because I can explain away Maia and Kai, but somehow you got Shane to help."

"Sorry, Ivy." Shane scratched the back of his neck. "She said help me. I thought she knew something."

"I already told the Lowery's and set up a time on Saturday with the minister so you could at least renew your vows."

"You what?" My eyes widened at my mother.

"Well, I thought we needed to be quick if you were already married." My mom shrugged.

I ran my hands over my face as I sank into the chair.

"I don't get why Maia started this," Shane's lips pulled in a tight line. "I get she's a miserable human, but did she not realize?—"

I cut him off. "Shane?—"

"It's like she's purposely trying to get us all removed and thrown back into the system."

"What?" Maia appeared wide eyed at the top of the stairs. She'd probably been hiding just out of view. "They wouldn't do that…" She turned to me, for the first time since she'd come into my life she looked like a scared little kid. "Would they?"

Three little heads popped up behind her. All looking just as terrified.

"No," I promised them all. "There is no reason to worry. I'll figure something out."

"Not that I have dementia," my mother pouted.

I sighed.

But Finn cleared his throat. "Or we could just get married."

My head whipped around, spinning from my kids on the stairs to the man sitting in my living room.

What did he just say?