Chapter 276: Carly
*Trust me. I’ve seen the absolute worst and best of people. – Carly*
Carly was a licensed therapist and used various types of animal therapy. She was good at handling injured animals and people. Both physical and emotional. She was also good at reading people and making quick judgements that were usually right.
She had a long pink and purple pixie cut and a few visible tattoos. Her work boots had been left on the front porch and she wore thick black socks. The bottoms of her jeans were rolled up concealing the mud and other things from the barns. Her thick khaki jacket hung in the foyer and the long sleeves of her red flannel shirt were rolled above her elbows.
Carly smiled at the group in the living room. “Unless you live here, sit down and shut up. Miss Lynch, show me your home, please.”
The three lawyers sat at the dining table and went back to work, reviewing the notes and other information that they had been able to pull on such short notice. Karan made Chance sit in one of the chairs by the fireplace.
Rye nodded nervously and began to guide Carly through the house. She pointed out everything that she had to Mrs. Nguyen and was expecting the same judgmental comments and sounds. She rambled nervously about whatever came to her mind. Her dad. School. Japan. Tampa. The daycare. Michael. Her sister.
Chance.
“Just relax.” Carly suggested. “Have you ever been horseback riding?”
“No.” Rye admitted as they walked out of the nursery and went back down the hall to the kitchen. “I would like to. Someday.”
They walked into the kitchen and Rye opened the pantry. “When Mrs. Nguyen was here, I hadn’t been to the store yet.”
“That was my fault!” Karan called out from the dining room. “We gave her a surprise housewarming and baby shower.”
Carly ignored Karan and looked at Rye. “Obviously, you’ve remedied that.”
“Yes. I went after she left and before I went to the hospital.”
“Let’s all go to the living room to talk.” Carly suggested and everyone moved to the couch and chairs.
Chance sat next to Rye, and she grabbed his hand.
“The biggest problem that I see is the lack of permanence.” Carly said as she stood looking at the group with her hands in her back pocket. “There’s nothing keeping you here. Nothing to keep you from running. Your bug out bag sits by the front door.”
“I’m sorry.” Rye mumbled.
“For what?” Carly asked and made a motion to Chance for him not to comfort her.
“The bag.” She said quietly.
“Nothing wrong with having one.” Carly said, not softening her tone. “Use a diaper bag, put your schoolbooks in it, put a spare work shirt in it. Make it less like you’re ready to run. I get it. It’s a comfort for you. But they are going to look at your history, and how many times you moved.”
“Family pictures. Knick knacks. A lot of my foster kids don’t have anything. I tell them to find things that remind them of happy moments. You said that your dad was stationed in Japan?” Rye nodded at her question.
“Find a pagoda, a Buddha. Call your cousin in Florida and see if he has any pictures. And you.” She looked at Chance. “Quit sleeping on the couch. In fact, unless you’re going to make it more permanent, quit sleeping here.”
“What if I want to make it more permanent?” Chance asked Carly but was looking at Rye.
“It would be good. Give her a support system that the courts will recognize. But if you run to the courthouse, they might not believe it.” Phineas said.
“Ummm….” Karan said causing the room to look at her. “Cookie knows that at this point, I would so much rather go to Vegas, get married by Elvis and then we both go fuck the bridesmaid. You want my wedding?”
Rye blushed. “I don’t want to…. The bridesmaid?” Her voice squeaked at the end with her embarrassment.
“She’s so cute.” Mary Kate gushed. “How the hell did you get her?”
“She gave me a reality check.” Chance smiled at Rye’s profile and reached out to tuck her gray hair behind her ear. “It bounced really fucking bad and made me realize that I didn’t want to be that guy anymore.”
She turned and looked at him with surprise. “Really?”
“Really. Nothing about our relationship has been normal. Why start now? Marry me?”
“You can’t mean that. You have all your…” She made a general hand motion to encompass everything.
“I don’t know if you know this, but I haven’t been with a woman since I moved you out of Tuscan Place. Pretty sure that means that my tom cat days are over. It also means that the first time we are together, you’re going to be highly disappointed.”
Rye paled at the thought of having sex. It was not something that she had ever considered.
“Hey,” Chance took her hands in his. “I’m not going to throw you over my shoulder and go all caveman on you.”
“I think that I’m going to consider this your intake interview, and I will email you paperwork to fill out.” Carly said. “I want to see both of you Friday, if not sooner. And I’ve got to get back, kids will be getting home soon.”
She stopped in front of Karan on her way to the door. Looking at Rye but pointing at Karan she advised, “You don’t have to be as freaky as this one. But at least consider sex as a normal aspect of life. I don’t think anyone ever told you, but sex is normal. It’s how we all got here.”
