“Dad, check out my village.” Luke smiled at me, then sat next to Dylan on the floor. Gram’s phone rang, and I jumped in my seat. Luckily, Calla didn’t wake up.

“Hello?” No one answered me—again. I was sick of this. It freaked me out, and I was tired of all the weirdness going on. I hung it up with a slam. A soft slam. I did have a sleeping baby on me, it was very unsatisfying. Not as unsatisfying as trying to end a call on a smartphone when you’re pissed though. “No one there.” Luke looked back at me with concern. I held up a finger hoping he wouldn’t voice his worry in front of Dylan. “Thirty more minutes, then it’s bedtime, Dylan,” I reminded. He grumbled.

“But Luke is here, and Rocky.” He turned to Luke. “You should spend the night. Can Luke spend the night?” He shut down the Xbox and sat next to me. Luke sat in a wing chair by the fireplace. Rocky sat at my feet and stared up at me with the same puppy dog eyes Dylan was giving me.

Luke laughed and said, “I’m staying. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll get donuts in the morning.”

Dylan was doing his fist-pumping happy dance, shaking his butt and wiggling hips as he danced around the coffee table with Rocky bopping around at his side. Luke reached over and ruffled Dylan’s hair with a grin.

“Text Violet. You’ll be late tomorrow.” He looked at me with that stony face, the one that said he was going to push, and I was going to let him. I fully intended to let him push. I didn’t want to be alone tonight. Too many things were freaking me out, and Gram’s baseball bat was not enough to make me feel safe. I nodded. Luke raised an eyebrow in surprise. I guess he was expecting an argument. I wasn’t stupid. I wanted safety for my kids. If he hadn’t offered to stay here, I would have called one of my brothers to stay with me. Or Rose. She could get hostile sometimes. I wouldn’t cross her.

Luke relaxed and smiled. “So, what do we do around here for bedtime? Read stories? Check the basement for zombies? Meditate?”

Dylan laughed. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

“Stories! I have all my favorites by my bed. Mommy, can Luke read to me tonight?”

I nodded. I used to dream of having nights like this with Luke, and now that it was real, I could hardly believe it.

Dylan raced for the stairs with Rocky right behind him.