Chapter 71: Thoughts

Odis

The door opens with a creak and I mentally curse at the noise. I freeze and listen to see if there’s any noise in the house that would alert me to a waking child. Ethel, the sitter I’ve had working double time since Liv disappeared, has been putting Paul to sleep for me.

I don’t like to leave him all day with her but on occasion when I’ve needed to work late she handles it. She has been amazing and I need to remember to give her a pay raise.

I grab the towel by the door and dry my body off quietly. Despite the fact that Paul is still young, his ears are sharper than a few wolves I know. I grab a pair of black shorts from the top of my ‘for naked’ bin and swipe at the water dripping down the back of my neck.

Looking up the stairway, the light in the hallway is on and I decide to make my way upstairs. The need to see Paul and make sure he’s okay pulls me to his room. His doorway has a bright red and blue Superman emblem and it’s cracked just an inch.