Chapter 39

Gretchen

I was in the kitchen helping Anna out with this week's grocery list. I was in the pantry writing down everything we needed to replace so Anna could go to the box store in the next town. As I add fruit snacks and juice boxes to the list I can’t stop the smiles that came across my face. I have been at the club for four years now and when I first got here I would have never thought we would have sippy cups in the kitchen cabinets. Or ten-pound bags of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets in the freezer. Or a special shelf in the fridge just for the kids. We even have children’s ibuprofen and cartoon band-aids in the med room now. Electrical sockets now have safety covers. Last year they even took down the stripper pole we kept in the corner when little Kadance fell and smacked her head on it, giving her a little cut and a goose egg on her forehead. Poor thing cried and Ace lost his shit.