says. “In the end the good king wins.”
“The king of all kings, right?” Triplet Two says, socking one of his brothers in the head just because he was standing there.
“That’s right!” Gloria says.
“This is what I would’ve done to him,” Triplet One says, punching Triplet Three in the stomach. Triplet Three bends over, pretending to be in pain and grabs Triplet Two around the waist, knocking him to the floor.
“Oh, for the love of…” Miriam says, waving her arms. “Take it into the hallway!” She turns, spotting Jen and Avery, and pretends to pull out her hair.
“Sofia is sick?” Jen asks.
“Poor lamb,” Gloria says. “She was so sick. They operated yesterday morning and took her appendix out. She got home this afternoon.”
“She’s okay?” Jen asks.
“A bit of pain,” Miriam says. “You know how it is following surgery. But now that the problem is gone, she will be on the mend.”
“How’s Ryan?” She feels Avery watching her.
“Very well. Making her laugh. And Gloria made her a chocolate chess pie, which the child cannot even eat yet, so it feels more like torture to me. Or maybe it’s that Gloria feels like torture to me. Sometimes I just don’t know.”
Avery tugs on Jen’s coat sleeve. “We have to go see her, Mom.”
“I’m not sure if we’d be allowed to do—”
Gloria holds the loose music sheets together and taps them on top of the piano. “She would be over-the-moon excited to see you, Miss Avery!”
They haven’t crossed the room before Avery says, “We need to go home first. I need to get something for Sofia.”
Once they’re home, Jen waits at the edge of the sofa as Avery runs to her room. “Okay, I’m ready,” she says, running back down the hall. The angel doll is tucked under her arm. “Let’s go.”
“Is that what you’re giving her?”
Avery is hurrying to the door. “Yeah. Come on.”
“Wait!” Jennifer walks to her and touches the doll. “But you love this doll. You’ve had it since the acci—” She stops. “Why would you want to give it away?”
“Mom, let’s go!” It’s the only thing she says and she stands, looking at her mother.
Nodding, Jen turns Avery to the door and closes it behind them.
* * *
Ryan opens the door and smiles.
“Is this a good time?” Jen says.
He stands aside. “Sure! Come on in.”
Jen feels that odd catch in her chest again as she moves past Ryan to the couch where Sofia is propped up watching America’s Funniest Home Videos . An empty cup of Jell-O sits on the coffee table. “We’re so sorry you were sick. Are you feeling better now?”
“Bleh,” Sofia says, giving her a thumbs-down.
Jen rubs Sofia’s arm. “Did it go well?” she says, looking at Ryan.
He’s wearing camouflage pants with a black T-shirt and black zip-up sweatshirt. His gaze settles on her and she twists the wedding band on her finger before crossing her arms. “It went very well. She was in and out in no time and the doctor doesn’t expect a long recovery. Hopefully, she’ll be feeling better tomorrow.”
Avery sits on the end of the sofa and holds out the angel doll. “I brought this for you.”
Sofia reaches for it. “Cool! She’s so pretty! Thanks!”
Ryan turns his head, looking at the doll. “Huh.” He sticks his hand out. “Can I see her for a second?” He makes a low, rumbling sound in the back of his throat and shakes his head.
“What are you looking at, Dad?” Sofia says, taking the doll from him.
“Nothing. It just reminds me of a doll your mom and I gave you a few years ago.”
Sofia plays with the angel’s wings, spreading them with her fingers. “No you didn’t.”
“I’m pretty sure we did.”
She rolls her eyes, looking at Jen and Avery. “Dad, I remember every toy you and Mom ever gave me. Trust me, you never gave me an angel.”
He shrugs, smiling at Avery. “Maybe that’s because only angels can give angels.”
“We would have come earlier if
“The king of all kings, right?” Triplet Two says, socking one of his brothers in the head just because he was standing there.
“That’s right!” Gloria says.
“This is what I would’ve done to him,” Triplet One says, punching Triplet Three in the stomach. Triplet Three bends over, pretending to be in pain and grabs Triplet Two around the waist, knocking him to the floor.
“Oh, for the love of…” Miriam says, waving her arms. “Take it into the hallway!” She turns, spotting Jen and Avery, and pretends to pull out her hair.
“Sofia is sick?” Jen asks.
“Poor lamb,” Gloria says. “She was so sick. They operated yesterday morning and took her appendix out. She got home this afternoon.”
“She’s okay?” Jen asks.
“A bit of pain,” Miriam says. “You know how it is following surgery. But now that the problem is gone, she will be on the mend.”
“How’s Ryan?” She feels Avery watching her.
“Very well. Making her laugh. And Gloria made her a chocolate chess pie, which the child cannot even eat yet, so it feels more like torture to me. Or maybe it’s that Gloria feels like torture to me. Sometimes I just don’t know.”
Avery tugs on Jen’s coat sleeve. “We have to go see her, Mom.”
“I’m not sure if we’d be allowed to do—”
Gloria holds the loose music sheets together and taps them on top of the piano. “She would be over-the-moon excited to see you, Miss Avery!”
They haven’t crossed the room before Avery says, “We need to go home first. I need to get something for Sofia.”
Once they’re home, Jen waits at the edge of the sofa as Avery runs to her room. “Okay, I’m ready,” she says, running back down the hall. The angel doll is tucked under her arm. “Let’s go.”
“Is that what you’re giving her?”
Avery is hurrying to the door. “Yeah. Come on.”
“Wait!” Jennifer walks to her and touches the doll. “But you love this doll. You’ve had it since the acci—” She stops. “Why would you want to give it away?”
“Mom, let’s go!” It’s the only thing she says and she stands, looking at her mother.
Nodding, Jen turns Avery to the door and closes it behind them.
* * *
Ryan opens the door and smiles.
“Is this a good time?” Jen says.
He stands aside. “Sure! Come on in.”
Jen feels that odd catch in her chest again as she moves past Ryan to the couch where Sofia is propped up watching America’s Funniest Home Videos . An empty cup of Jell-O sits on the coffee table. “We’re so sorry you were sick. Are you feeling better now?”
“Bleh,” Sofia says, giving her a thumbs-down.
Jen rubs Sofia’s arm. “Did it go well?” she says, looking at Ryan.
He’s wearing camouflage pants with a black T-shirt and black zip-up sweatshirt. His gaze settles on her and she twists the wedding band on her finger before crossing her arms. “It went very well. She was in and out in no time and the doctor doesn’t expect a long recovery. Hopefully, she’ll be feeling better tomorrow.”
Avery sits on the end of the sofa and holds out the angel doll. “I brought this for you.”
Sofia reaches for it. “Cool! She’s so pretty! Thanks!”
Ryan turns his head, looking at the doll. “Huh.” He sticks his hand out. “Can I see her for a second?” He makes a low, rumbling sound in the back of his throat and shakes his head.
“What are you looking at, Dad?” Sofia says, taking the doll from him.
“Nothing. It just reminds me of a doll your mom and I gave you a few years ago.”
Sofia plays with the angel’s wings, spreading them with her fingers. “No you didn’t.”
“I’m pretty sure we did.”
She rolls her eyes, looking at Jen and Avery. “Dad, I remember every toy you and Mom ever gave me. Trust me, you never gave me an angel.”
He shrugs, smiling at Avery. “Maybe that’s because only angels can give angels.”
“We would have come earlier if
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