Van by Melanie Moreland

Author:Melanie Moreland [Moreland, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B07PMXSMD1
Publisher: Moreland Books Inc
Published: 2019-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

Liv’s mom was an older version of her. In fact, watching the three of them across the table was like seeing the same person at three stages of their life. They shared the same body type, hair color, mannerisms, and smiles. And although the shape of their eyes was the same, the main difference between them was the color. Liv’s mom had hazel-colored eyes, Liv had the gorgeous golden-brown, and Mouse’s eyes were a deep chocolate. I had to assume both Liv and Mouse had inherited their father’s eye color. I enjoyed watching them together. It was easy to see their closeness.

Liv’s mom, Eleanor, or Elly, as she insisted I call her, was intelligent, direct, and blunt. I liked her. She refused the hand I held out to shake, instead enveloping me in the kind of hug only a mom could bestow. I had a feeling she and my mom were going to get along well.

Dinner was a loud affair, Mouse excited to have a captive audience at her disposal. She was lively and chatty, often making me laugh with her drollness. She watched me eat, her eyes wide with amazement.

“Are you sure you’re not a giant, Mr. Van? You eat like one.”

Liv groaned and Elly chuckled.

“Nope. But your mom’s cooking is awesome and a big treat.”

Mouse stared at her plate, mystified. “Treat? It’s meatloaf.” She poked at the meat, pursing her lips. “A treat is a chocolate bar.”

I laughed and helped myself to more of the meatloaf from the platter on the table. “Not for me, Mouse. I live alone, so meatloaf is a huge treat.”

Her eyes grew even bigger. “You should eat here all the time, then. Mom makes stuff like this every night.” She sighed. “My best friend Sharon’s mom doesn’t cook. They order in every night.” She whined. “It’s so cool.”

Liv grimaced. “And unhealthy. Not to mention expensive.”

I leaned toward Sammy. “You know what, Mouse? I bet if I asked Sharon, she’d think having a mom who cooks is better than ordering out all the time. I know I do.”

“Really?”

I wiped my mouth. “Yep. Cooking is a talent. One of your mom’s many talents.” I winked at Liv. “I’d be happy to eat here anytime.”

She stared at her plate, then broke off a piece of meatloaf with her fork. “Yeah, Mom is pretty cool. And I like meatloaf.”

I locked my eyes on Liv. “Yeah, she is.”

Elly watched us, clearly amused. After dinner, she kept Mouse busy giving her a bath, while Liv came downstairs and helped me carry up the bookcase I’d made for Mouse. We got it into her room, and I stood back, brushing my hands on my pants.

“Damn glitter. Even sealed, it attaches itself to me.”

Liv agreed. “It goes everywhere. I live in a state of perpetual glitter.” She ran her hand over the bookcase, inspecting it. I plugged in the lighting I had added, making the glitter sparkle.

“This is beyond anything she ever dreamed of, Van. She’s going to go crazy.” She stepped back and placed her hand on my chest.

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