Forevermore
FOREVERMORE
Lynn Galli
Penikila Press
FOREVERMORE. Copyright © 2014 by Lynn Galli. All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions of the publisher.
Cover photo © 2014 Wongwean/Shutterstock.com. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the publisher’s permission. For information address Penikila Press, LLC at [email protected]. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Published in the United States of America.
Also by Lynn Galli
VIRGINIA CLAN
Finally
Blessed Twice
Imagining Reality
Wasted Heart
ASPEN FRIENDS
Life Rewired
Something So Grand
Mending Defects
ROMANCES
Full Court Pressure
Uncommon Emotions
SYNOPSIS
For M Desiderius, finding someone to love who loves her back was all she could have asked for in life. After marrying Briony and settling in, she begins to hope for even more. Her secret wish is to provide a home for an orphaned girl like she’d been at the age of nine. She owes it to the woman who took her in to pass along that kind act. With Briony’s strength and love, she can finally open her home to a foster child.
All would be perfect if not for the fact that Olivia isn’t truly theirs. When something happens to put M’s dream in jeopardy, will Briony and M find a way to move forward or will the devastating turn punch a hole in their life together that may never be filled?
Table of Contents
1 / OLIVIA
THE ELEVATOR RIDE LASTED
a whole year. Seasons passed every time another floor went by. I bounced in place, excitement vibrating through me. Two floors to go before my first official job, but I felt like I was aging as we went up and up and up. I’d probably be a teenager by the time we finally got off this thing.
“You have the cellphone, right?” M smiled down at me, her brown eyes glinting in the elevator lights. She liked checking and double checking things. No one had ever been like that with me. Her stepson, Caleb, rolls his eyes about it, but I liked that she was always making sure things were right.
“Yeah.” I tapped my coat pocket and felt the slight bulge of her phone.
“Do you have money if you get snacky?” She’d already given me five dollars for the vending machines. She knew she’d already given me the money, but she seemed nervous for some reason.
“Yeah.” I couldn’t figure out her mood. This wasn’t the first time she’d brought me to her friend’s office, but she was biting her lip and asking me the same questions she’d already asked on the car ride over from school. “I’ll be fine, M.”
Her hand came up to adjust the drape of my hair. She’d trimmed it last night to fall two inches past my shoulders. I almost asked her to cut it short like hers, but my round face and plain light brown hair wouldn’t look as good short as M’s triangular face and rich red-gold highlighted brown hair did. Plus long hair was easier to hide behind. She eyed the ends like she was checking that it was an even cut, but she probably just wanted something to do to keep her mind off whatever was bothering her. When our eyes met, she smiled again. I liked when she smiled. She made everyone feel good when she smiled.
The elevator doors opened—finally. We stepped into a surprisingly cluttered reception area. Normally the game stations were spread out on two walls and the guest chairs spaced around a coffee table in the middle of the area. Today, everything had been pushed aside to make room for two long tables being set up. I didn’t have time to wonder if we’d be working out here before the receptionist waved us through as she always did whenever M visited Willa.
Noise blared from every direction once we hit the hallway. Willa’s office was always noisy, but today seemed much louder. Up ahead, two guys raced out of a doorway shooting at each other with Ping-Pong guns. M pulled up, putting her arm out and stepping in front of me in case they came our way.
“I swear I will pull this whole office over if you idiots don’t stop screwing around!” Willa’s voice shouted from inside her office.
I stiffened at the angry tone. Some of my excitement deflated. Willa didn’t get angry, even when her friends annoyed her on purpose. I glanced up at M thinking she’d be about ready to turn us around to leave because she was overprotective like that. Instead she was grinning.
It didn’t take long to figure out what had made Willa so mad. She was sitting in a cocoon of silly string with Ping-Pong balls cluttering her desk. M burst out laughing. I was more surprised that M was laughing at her friend than I was at seeing Willa trying to get out of the tangle of silly string.
“Nice. Laugh at my misfortune,” Willa grumbled. “Olivia, be my best friend and help me out of this mess, will you?”
I rushed over and started pulling away the webbing from her arms and back. I couldn’t believe anyone could get away with silly stringing their boss and still keep the job, but Willa’s office was weird.
“I take it the Redmond crew is here this week?” M asked her friend.
“Most of them,” Willa confirmed, finally free of the string. She stood and started collecting the Ping-Pong balls into her top drawer. “The unfortunate part of finishing up a new game is that everyone has to be together for a few weeks. My people are ready to revolt.”
“It is usually more civilized around here,” M commented then turned worried eyes toward Willa. “Are you sure the kids are going to be—”
“I’m sure. Really,” Willa somehow knew what she meant even when M didn’t finish what she was saying. I wish I had a friend like that, but it probably wouldn’t happen until I was a grownup. It must take a lot of practice to be a friend like that.
“Where is everyone sitting?” M tilted her head back to glance down the hallway to the main cubicle area.
They kept talking about stuff I didn’t quite follow. I knew it wouldn’t last long. Unlike most adults, M never did that when kids were around. I tuned out, antsy to get started. For the next two and a half weeks, I’d get to test Willa’s newest video game for glitches before it went on sale. She shocked me when she asked if Caleb and I would be interested. I couldn’t see how kids would know better than her employees, but she said it was her first kids’ game and needed kids’ help. She’s really smart, so I guess she knows what she’s talking about.
“You ready?” Willa gave me an expectant look.
I nodded, happy to get to work. She was paying us a lot to do this. M and Briony objected to the amount at first, but they worked out a deal where half the money would go into a college fund and the rest would go into a savings account as long as we had a savings goal. Caleb and his buddy Hank were saving for new bikes. I made up something but knew I’d only use the money when they kicked me out of their house. Money makes life a lot easier in the group foster homes. Find the alpha girl, pay her, and avoid being bruised “accidentally” when you’re five inches shorter than the next shortest girl there.
“Want to stick around, M?” Willa asked.
M’s eyes shot to me. She wanted to say yes, but she had another class to teach at college later. My school let out early today. Caleb’s middle school wouldn’t get out for another two hours. M was probably worried I’d get lost in the activity around here without Caleb looking out for me.
“I’ve still got one more class.”
Willa’s lips twitched. She knew what M was thinking. “We’ll be here working our fingers to the bone, right, Liv?” She usually called me Liv. Almost everyone else that M and Briony knew called me Livy. Not my favorite, but I didn’t want to be rude to their friends. “See?” Willa looked at M after I nodded. “We’ve got it handled. You head back to campus. I’ll drop the kids off around six tonight.”
“Sounds good,” M said then turned to me. “Have a good time, but pay attention to whoever Willa assigns as your boss.”
“I will.” I assured her and got an arm squeeze in return before she waved and headed out.
“I think she’s afraid one of these idiots might kill you with a Ping-Pong bullet.” Willa winked at me.
“Probably.” I smiled at her joke, but it felt pretty good to have someone worry about me. Some of my other foster parents didn’t realize I was living with them most days. They were overworked, had too many kids, and I was the quiet one. They’d never worry if I was having fun or was completely safe or well fed or had a way to get in touch with them if I needed to. M and Briony were so much like real parents I could forget sometimes that they weren’t mine.
“Let’s get you set up.” Willa gestured toward the door to get us moving. “A couple other kids should be here pretty soon.”
I swallowed, trying to keep her from seeing that I wasn’t looking forward to any other kids but Caleb and Hank being here. It didn’t really matter which kids would be coming. I didn’t make friends easily, but I needed this money.
“Olivia, meet Kevin,” Willa introduced me to a guy who was setting up the monitors on the tables.
“Hey, Olivia, we’re glad to have your help,” he said. “You’re early, too, we like that, don’t we, Will?”
“Sure do. She’s going to be your star. Treat her right.” She turned to me. “All set?”
I nodded and took a seat. Kevin came over to stand behind me and reached forward to grab a controller and get the game loaded. I tilted to the side to give him more room and make sure he knew that I knew he was there—lesson number one for a foster kid.
“These are the main controls here.” He pressed against the two thumbsticks on each side of the controller. “Are you good at video games?”