The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen Page A

syrup. “That doesn’t seem
    significant enough for the list.”

    Seth stabs his fork into his pancakes as he shakes his head.
    “No way. Everyone in the world should sit down and stuff
    themselves with pancakes at least one time in their life.” He shoves
    a bite into his mouth and then closes his eyes and inhales deeply.
    “Especially ones this damn good. I swear I’m having a foodgasm.”

    A laugh flees from my mouth and he opens his eyes looking
    happy. It’s the first time I’ve shown a sign of life since I left the facility. “Foodgasm?” I ask.

    He nods his head and swallows his food with a forceful gulp.
    “The gasms of champions.”

    “Champions of what?”

    “Life.”

    I can’t stop smiling as I shovel up a forkful of pancakes and
    stuff them into my mouth. “All right, we can add it to the list and
    then cross it off because we’re doing it right now.”

    He grins from ear to ear, then grabs a napkin from the tin
    case and dabs the syrup off his lips. His fingers circle the glass of milk in front of him and he wraps his lips around the straw and
    takes a sip. He sets the glass down, wipes his mouth off with the
    sleeve of his shirt, and then leans back in the booth and drapes his
    arms over the back of the seat. He watches me eat with an anxious
    expression on his face.

    I cram my mouth with pancakes and then look up at him.
    “What?”

    His shoulders move up and down as he shrugs. “I was just
    wondering if you wanted to talk about what happened.”

    I extend my hand toward the butter in the middle of the
    table beside a plate full of toast and a bowl full of jam packets.
    “With Kayden?” I ask and he nods. I grab the knife and slide it
    through the butter, getting a thin slice on the blade. “Nothing. I
    just messed up. That’s all.”

    “You looked like you were going to cry,” he says. “And
    Kayden, well, he looked upset when he walked out. I mean, he
    practically ran away from me when I said hi.”

    I smear the butter all over the pancakes and it makes a mess
    with the syrup. “I just didn’t approach him like a skittish cat. I threw the road trip idea out there way too quickly and he freaked out. At
    least I think that’s what happened.”

    “So he just decided to go home to his mother and father.”
    Seth lowers his hands down from the back of the booth and rests
    his elbows on top of the table. “Why would he do that?”

    I divide the half-eaten stack of pancakes as I prop my elbow
    onto the table and rest my chin in my hand. “Maybe he’s not ready
    to admit the truth aloud yet.”

    “Are we speaking about you or him now?”

    “I’m not sure.”

    I continue to demolish my pancakes with my fork, trying to
    figure out what could be going through Kayden’s head. If his dad
    did it to him then maybe fear, but why would that make him afraid
    of me? I think about the bandage on his wrist and the rubber
    bands.

    I drop the knife onto the table. “Seth, why would someone
    have rubber bands on their wrist?”

    He shrugs as the waitress walks up to the table with the bill.
    He takes it from her and she smiles at him.

    “Thanks for coming in.” She coils a strand of her blonde hair
    around her finger as she chomps on her gum and tries to dazzle
    him. “I hope you’ll come back.”

    Seth shakes his head as he reaches his hand into his pocket
    to get his wallet. “As much as I loved the pancakes, I probably
    won’t be coming back.” It’s his attempt to politely turn the waitress down.

    She pouts out her lip and takes the bill and Seth’s credit card
    when he offers it to her. “Well, okay then.” She pierces me with a
    death glare, and then stomps off in her bubblegum-pink pumps
    and matching waitress uniform.

    “You know, I’m starting to wonder about the female sex,”
    Seth remarks as he sets his wallet down on the table. “Always
    looking for love in the wrong places.”

    “Am I included on that list?” I sip my orange juice and