Chapter 11

Britney turned around and smiled warmly. "I was home anyway, so I thought I'd make something nice for you all. It was no big deal." Calvin walked in and took in the spread on the table. Seeing Noah and Simon eat happily while Britney smiled gently beside them, Calvin felt genuinely happy and content for a moment. He wrapped an arm around Britney's waist and pulled her close. "Thank you for everything, Britney." Britney brushed his hair off his forehead and said softly, "It's nothing, Calvin. I promised I'd take care of you. This is exactly what I should do. Now, hurry and eat." "Yeah, okay," he replied, nodding as he slipped off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, "Hasn't Avery come down yet?" Noah was quick to answer, "Mom's not here anymore, Dad! Did you forget?" Simon piped up, "It's just Britney now!" Only then did Calvin remember that Avery was already gone. He still wasn't used to it. Every time someone menti