Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) by Meaghan Rauscher Read Free Book Online Page B

Justin walked around and waited for me to move my legs. I did and he climbed onto my lap. “What do you want to watch?”
         “Cartoons,” he declared immediately and I searched for the channel I had seen earlier. Once I found Bugs Bunny, I put the remote down. We watched the cartoons and my mind shut down slowly. I was relaxed and nodded off for a few minutes more than once.
         The rest of the house woke up slowly, it was Saturday and my parents slept in as late as possible. They were still in bed when Derek and Sean came over for breakfast and as a special treat, all the kids began to make pancakes and bacon to surprise them when they woke up. When Dad and Jillian finally stumbled out of their room, they were surprised even though I was sure they had been listening to our commotion for the past hour.
         The breakfast table was crazy, but it was wonderful at the same time. If I couldn’t have my earlier life, then this is what I would choose.
         “Are you ready for work today?” Dad asked while he tried to pry Kaleb’s sticky fingers off a baby spoon.
         “Definitely,” I bobbed my head. “It’ll be nice to see everyone again.”
         “And you can tell them all about your school in Norway!” Sara yelled from down the table. She was the most enthusiastic about school due to being in first grade, somehow after that first year it just went downhill; at least that’s what I thought.
         “Yes, she can tell them all about that,” Jillian was holding Emly who kept squealing randomly to get attention.
         “Well, I’m going to get ready. I have to be there in about an hour.” I rose from the table, ruffled Justin’s curls and walked to my room.
     
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         About an hour later, I trudged down the familiar path to the restaurant in my snow boots. They were fuzzy and warm, but I knew I’d rather go barefoot and be just as comfortable. I looked more like a normal citizen of Maine in the middle of winter, with layers of clothing, a warm jacket, and hat and gloves on. This was all for appearance of course. Although, if someone had looked under my clothes and seen the hunting knife I still carried, strapped against my waist in and partially tucked into my jeans, they would have thought I was very odd.
         I reached the restaurant in record time due to the anxiety I felt about working today. It wasn’t the customers I was worried about, but had more to do with my cousins and the questions I was sure they would ask. As I walked up the steps that led to the kitchen, I braced myself for what was to come. It seemed like ages since I had passed through the doorway.
         Swinging the door open and stepping inside, I welcomed the warm embrace of the kitchen and the familiar smells of ready-made meals. I had missed this place more than I thought.
         “Lissie!” Laura and her sister, Chelsea, came running from the dining area and I was tackled in hugs. Jessie and Hannah followed right behind them and gave me friendly hugs too.
         “We thought you weren’t ever going to come back.” Jessie said while Hannah took some of my many layers, hat, and gloves, over to the coat rack.
         “It seemed like I wasn’t going to,” I agreed. I knew this meeting with the girls was going to be awkward and I was going to have to lie repeatedly to them, but I had to. “But I’m back now and can’t wait to get all this started.” I rubbed my hands together, showing them it was time to move and quit talking. More than anything it was to cut off their questions, especially the ones I could see Laura had on the tip of her tongue.    
         Our first customers arrived not long after I had, and then it was a continuous flow of taking orders and delivering trays that went on and on. I was assigned tables with only tourists and visitors, this way I didn’t back up any of the work with questions from family friends. Of course this