that Piper works odd and late hours, but deep down we all know he adores her more for working her ass off to look after those kids. It’s something the Kings never had as children, someone looking out for them.
Slater and Piper pull back at the same time, but they don’t part straight away, they lean their foreheads together and just breathe together for a moment. It’s beautiful. They’re so in-tune, in love.
Piper straightens her head and speaks to Slater, “I want Quint, Connor, and Bridge to come with me today. They’ve been asking to see Jimmy, and I want them to see that there are good foster homes out there.”
Slater nods. “Done. Send them out to the car when you want to talk to the parents alone and they can sleep here tonight.”
Suddenly, Della jumps up quickly and says, “I saw Quint walk down to the garage earlier. I’ll go let him know he’s seeing Jimmy today and tell him to fetch Connor and Bridge.” Della’s hand is on the back screen door when Slater calls out to her. “Della, what are your plans today?”
She looks anywhere but at Slater when she says, “I’m going to the library this morning, get some study done and then I’ll come home and catch a ride with you guys to the race.”
Mack’s laughter comes from behind me. “Since when do you go to the library to study? Have you ever even been? Would you know where to find it?”
Della hardens her stare at her brother and places a hand on her hip. “Since when is it a big deal if I go somewhere else to study?”
Mack throws up his hands. “Hey, no problem here with you going to the library, but how defensive you’re being has my alarm bells going off.”
Slater narrows his eyes on Della. “Spit it out. What aren’t you telling us?”
Kelso stands from the table with his dishes and pushes the chair out with a loud squeak. “Told you not to say library.”
“Shut up, Kel,” Della hisses at her brother.
Slater slams his hands down on the dining table and the entire room goes silent and still. “Someone better tell me something in the next three seconds or I’m going to lose my shit.”
“I’m looking for my real family.” Della’s voice is timid and shaky.
Slater’s eyes widen for a brief second before they relax and soften. “Why didn’t you just say that then? Why the lie?”
“She thinks because none of us want to find our families that we wouldn’t want her to either,” Kel informs us all. “I told her that’s bullshit, but you guys know how stubborn she is.”
Della drops her shoulders and purses her lips at Kel. “I don’t want to find them to meet them. I just want to know where they are. See a picture maybe.” She shrugs trying to feign indifference.
“I think that’s perfectly normal, Della,” I say, interjecting myself in their family discussion.
“Lana’s right,” Piper agrees. “And if you find them and want to meet them, then we’ll be behind you one hundred percent. Won’t we, Slater?”
“Of course,” Slater replies instantly. “Always together, in everything. I only ask Dell, that you think carefully about it. We’re not the average family. We’re not a safe place for people to be, association with us can be deadly. I’ll always do whatever I can to make you happy, Della, you know we all will, and we’ll protect anyone who means something to you, but if something happens to them, you need to ask yourself if you can live with that?”
Della nods and smiles. “I know. I’ve thought about it. I only want to know where they are… who they are. That’s it.”
“That might not be as easy as you think it will be, Dell,” Pacer interjects. “Just knowing and letting them go.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it,” Slater states standing and taking his dishes to the sink.
Everyone seems to take that as an end to the discussion because Della turns and walks out through the screen door. Piper and Pacer go back to finishing their breakfast and Kelso begins filling the sink with water to wash the dirty dishes. Mack starts taking the sauces and salt off the table and placing them away in the cupboard.
“Pace, Kel, what’re your plans before the race today?”
“Mickey brought in a priority last night. Chrysler Charger, he needs the paint and VIN numbers changed as soon as possible,” Pacer replies.