dog when he stops wetting the bed. Why should I have to wait for him to stop acting like a baby? He’s such a pain.”
“He’d be easier to hate if he wasn’t so darned cute and nice, wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
Elle was pretty sure six-year-old Trevor was going to need therapy after Brunhilde was finished with him. “Hey, Lauren? Could I talk to Daddy?”
Elle heard a voice in the background. And then Lauren said, “I’m talking to Elle, Mama.”
There was a series of clunks, followed by static, and then the voice in Elle’s ear changed. “How are you, Elle?”
Great. Brunhilde was all Elle needed. “I’m okay.”
“What do you need?”
Now there was a question. Obviously, the woman thought Elle had called, not vice versa. Far be it from Elle to set the record straight, for doing so would gain poor Lauren a lecture. “Is Dad home, Roberta?”
“As a matter of fact, he isn’t. May I take a message?”
Elle had known her stepmother to behave more cordially to telemarketers. Of course, telemarketers weren’t the enemy. “Tell him I said hello, okay?”
“I’ll see that he gets the message.”
The line was disconnected.
Elle lowered the phone, lost in thought. It looked as if she was going to have to make her decision on her own.
Millie was rocking Kaylie in the living room when Elle ventured from the spare room. Whispering, the eldest Donahue said, “I’m hungry for pizza. If you order, I’ll pay.”
“Where are Dean and Mya?”
Millicent motioned to the porch.
Elle went outside just as Dean and Mya were coming in. All three paused. Cutting off their entrance, Elle closed the door and said, “Millie wants me to order a pizza. What do you want on it?”
“Anything except anchovies.” Mya reached into her pocket.
Dean reached into his. “I’ll get it,” he said.
“It’s my home, Dean.”
“Yeah, well, she’s my kid, too.”
Elle looked up, one finger over the send button on Mya’s cell phone. “Millie said she’ll spring for it. It’s just pizza. I’m starting to see why you two didn’t get married.”
Both adults looked stricken. Mya was the first to look away. And Elle knew she’d scraped a nerve. It made her curious about why they hadn’t married.
“Is Kaylie sleeping?” Dean finally asked.
“Almost. Millie’s rocking her.”
“I should be going. The last ferry leaves at eight-thirty, and it’s a long swim if I miss it.”
Mya’s smile looked forced, causing Elle to wonder what she’d interrupted. She figured her own expression was more in the oh brother category. More awkwardness followed, and Elle wondered if she should forget it, forget everything, just let it all go. But then she thought of Kaylie, and the conversation she’d had with her doctor earlier.
Dean said, “I really have to go, Elle.”
She knew he wanted to touch her, maybe give her ahug. She was too numb inside for that, so she said, “Yeah. It’s a little cold for that swim. Thanks for the gifts. Kaylie likes her doll.”
Looking at her long and hard, he took the hint and went down the steps without touching her. He was on the bottom step when she called, “When?”
Dean and Mya looked at her. Both were strangers to Elle in many ways. Hell, in most ways. And yet there was something about each of them that felt strangely familiar. It was the way they looked at her as if she was something precious. It put a lump in her throat, but it also made her feel weird, as if she was being disloyal to her family. She hated to admit it, but she was scared. She wished…
What did she wish? That her mom wouldn’t have died? And her dad wouldn’t have remarried? That Cody still loved her? That she didn’t have cancer?
Yes! She wished all those things. Every one of them was a waste of time and energy, and she had little of either to spare. She had Kaylie. She had today. And she was here. Those were her givens. Everything else was a maybe. She’d always hated maybes .
Regardless of
“He’d be easier to hate if he wasn’t so darned cute and nice, wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
Elle was pretty sure six-year-old Trevor was going to need therapy after Brunhilde was finished with him. “Hey, Lauren? Could I talk to Daddy?”
Elle heard a voice in the background. And then Lauren said, “I’m talking to Elle, Mama.”
There was a series of clunks, followed by static, and then the voice in Elle’s ear changed. “How are you, Elle?”
Great. Brunhilde was all Elle needed. “I’m okay.”
“What do you need?”
Now there was a question. Obviously, the woman thought Elle had called, not vice versa. Far be it from Elle to set the record straight, for doing so would gain poor Lauren a lecture. “Is Dad home, Roberta?”
“As a matter of fact, he isn’t. May I take a message?”
Elle had known her stepmother to behave more cordially to telemarketers. Of course, telemarketers weren’t the enemy. “Tell him I said hello, okay?”
“I’ll see that he gets the message.”
The line was disconnected.
Elle lowered the phone, lost in thought. It looked as if she was going to have to make her decision on her own.
Millie was rocking Kaylie in the living room when Elle ventured from the spare room. Whispering, the eldest Donahue said, “I’m hungry for pizza. If you order, I’ll pay.”
“Where are Dean and Mya?”
Millicent motioned to the porch.
Elle went outside just as Dean and Mya were coming in. All three paused. Cutting off their entrance, Elle closed the door and said, “Millie wants me to order a pizza. What do you want on it?”
“Anything except anchovies.” Mya reached into her pocket.
Dean reached into his. “I’ll get it,” he said.
“It’s my home, Dean.”
“Yeah, well, she’s my kid, too.”
Elle looked up, one finger over the send button on Mya’s cell phone. “Millie said she’ll spring for it. It’s just pizza. I’m starting to see why you two didn’t get married.”
Both adults looked stricken. Mya was the first to look away. And Elle knew she’d scraped a nerve. It made her curious about why they hadn’t married.
“Is Kaylie sleeping?” Dean finally asked.
“Almost. Millie’s rocking her.”
“I should be going. The last ferry leaves at eight-thirty, and it’s a long swim if I miss it.”
Mya’s smile looked forced, causing Elle to wonder what she’d interrupted. She figured her own expression was more in the oh brother category. More awkwardness followed, and Elle wondered if she should forget it, forget everything, just let it all go. But then she thought of Kaylie, and the conversation she’d had with her doctor earlier.
Dean said, “I really have to go, Elle.”
She knew he wanted to touch her, maybe give her ahug. She was too numb inside for that, so she said, “Yeah. It’s a little cold for that swim. Thanks for the gifts. Kaylie likes her doll.”
Looking at her long and hard, he took the hint and went down the steps without touching her. He was on the bottom step when she called, “When?”
Dean and Mya looked at her. Both were strangers to Elle in many ways. Hell, in most ways. And yet there was something about each of them that felt strangely familiar. It was the way they looked at her as if she was something precious. It put a lump in her throat, but it also made her feel weird, as if she was being disloyal to her family. She hated to admit it, but she was scared. She wished…
What did she wish? That her mom wouldn’t have died? And her dad wouldn’t have remarried? That Cody still loved her? That she didn’t have cancer?
Yes! She wished all those things. Every one of them was a waste of time and energy, and she had little of either to spare. She had Kaylie. She had today. And she was here. Those were her givens. Everything else was a maybe. She’d always hated maybes .
Regardless of
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