Sweet Soul (Sweet Home #5)(6)

Lexi moved to the Moses basket in the center of the room, and with a kiss to his chubby cheeks, she laid him down. I watched, arms folded over my chest. All I felt was warmth.

I loved Lexi. She was an amazing mother. And even though she was only seven years older than me, she was kind of a mother to me too.

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring at the floor until I saw Lexi’s tiny bare feet in my line of sight. Looking up, her green eyes were watching me in concern.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked, her black eyebrows pulled down in worry.

Sighing, I shook my head. “Nothing, Lex. Just got off practice early. And I’m kinda tired. Thought I’d come home and get started on my assignments.”

Lexi’s eyes narrowed, but I turned and picked up my bag. “I’ll be in my pool house,” I called back over my shoulder, and walked out of the kitchen door into the backyard. I didn’t hear anything else as I cut through the wide garden and passed the pool. The rain was pouring now, from a gray and overcast sky.

I entered the pool house and threw my bag down beside the door. I headed straight for my closet to change into some dry clothes, when my eyes landed on the picture on my dresser. It was my mamma; my mamma smiling and holding me in her arms. I was about three. We both looked happy. Then my eyes drifted to my mamma’s hand, and there, clutched in her palm were the brown rosary beads she’d treasured so much. That I now treasured so much.

The ones that had now gone.

My hands ran through my still-wet hair, my eyes glued to the picture, when I heard the pool house door click open behind me. I turned to see Lexi slipping through, her black hair now damp from the downpour.

I sighed as she entered, and she said, “I know you, Lev. You didn’t think I’d leave you here alone, when I knew you were upset, did you?” My shoulders sagged as she walked toward me. “You may not say much, sweetie, but I can tell when you’re hurting.”

Dipping my head, feeling my chest ache, I said, “What about Dante?”

Lexi glanced over her shoulder through the glass door of the pool house. “Austin just got home.” I saw Austin standing at the kitchen window of the main house. When I caught his eye, he lifted his hand. I threw him a wave back, then sat down on the end of the bed.

Lexi sat down beside me. I could feel her attention concentrating on me. With a deep breath, I explained, “My wallet got stolen from the locker room this afternoon.”

I could feel the confusion coming from Lexi, confusion as to why I was so upset. “Okay,” she drew out the word, “well that sucks. But it’s okay, we’ll cancel your cards and get everything replaced. It’s annoying but it’s an easy fix.”

I nodded, and looked up at my sister-in-law. Lexi’s green eyes narrowed as she read my face. “But that’s not what’s bothering you though.” Her head tilted to the side. “What’s really wrong, Lev? All this isn’t over a few stolen credit cards.”

Lexi’s hand squeezed my arm and I exhaled a long breath. “My mamma’s rosary beads were inside the wallet. I always keep them in it when I train, to keep them safe.” I huffed a sardonic laugh.

Lexi’s face immediately fell at the mention of my mamma. “Oh, Levi. I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

For some reason my throat clogged with emotion at the pureness of understanding in Lexi’s voice. This was why I loved her. She’d been with me and Austin through thick and thin. But more than that, I didn’t have to explain to her why the rosary getting stolen destroyed me inside. She knew my mamma. She knew what losing her did to us all. She knew me, period.

“Did you see who took it? Have you told the coach? Maybe they caught the person responsible after you left?”

I pictured the hooded young girl in my mind and nodded my head. “It was a girl. I’d never seen her before. She was real dirty and her clothes were all faded and old. She looked like a homeless person, Lex. She looked like some of the kids we get in at Kind.”

Lexi’s eyebrows pulled down again—this time it was in concern, concern for the girl. “Did she speak to you?”

I shook my head. “I was just coming out of the shower when I saw her going through my things. I called out a couple of times before she even heard me. When she did, she bolted out of the door. By the time I was dressed, she’d vanished.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and said quietly, “I don’t give a damn about the wallet. But the beads…” I trailed off, staring at the floor again.

Suddenly, Lexi pulled me into her arms. “I know, Lev. I know why they’re so important.”

Feeling stupid that, at age twenty, I was so cut up about those damn old beads I held Lexi back, and fought to control my breathing. In fact, I squeezed Lexi for a couple of long minutes. I never really showed emotion to anyone. Hell, I barely spoke unless I was forced to, but I could tell Lexi anything. She was the strongest, kindest person I knew.

Eventually, I pulled back. Keeping my head down, I stood up, completely embarrassed.

“Lev—”

“It’s alright, Lex. I’ll get over it. They were just a bit of old wood.”

Lexi stood and made her way to the pool house door. Before she left, she countered, “They weren’t, Lev. To you, they are your mamma. You don’t need to feel foolish about hurting over losing them. Not to me.”