Chapter Forty-One
Little Girl All Grown Up
***Lucinda***
“Hey, kiddo, do you need anything else?” Steven called whimsically from the other room. “I’m cooking up a mega-storm in here…”
Steven’s fatherly voice soothed away any day’s horrors and had from the moment he adopted me. He could make me laugh and smile—even on the days when we argued. Those days were rare, but arguments happened because I had officially gone through my early teen years a few years ago.
“Geez, Dad, what are you trying to do to me…?” I replied. My words were followed by a well-deserved belch that echoed around the room. Giggling, I pushed aside the empty plate of bacon grease and leaned back against the chair. “Seriously, if I eat anything else, I will explode!”
“After that belch, I’m sure you have extra room
