Page 54

“Told you.” Lyla huffs, so full of attitude I have to resist the urge to laugh.

“I think she’s doing beautifully,” I disagree.

“She won’t stay within the lines.”

“That’s okay.” I shrug, turning my attention to my mom as she reenters the room, sliding her purse onto her shoulder.

“The girls’ cups are in the fridge. No drinks without lids. They’ve already had a snack, but if they get hungry before Avery and Dalton get here, there is a package of goldfish crackers in the pantry they can have. If Lacy has an accident, there is a change of clothes in the diaper bag on the kitchen table. Make sure you put her on the potty every thirty minutes, otherwise shewillhave an accident.”

“Every thirty minutes, got it.”

“And, River, under no circumstances are you to give them candy.”

“No candy, understood. Anything else?”

“Call me if you have any questions about anything at all.”

“I’ve got this. You can go.”

I’m starting to think they find me as incapable at this job as Lyric does.

“Okay.” My mom moves farther into the room and drops kisses to the top of both girls’ heads. “Memaw will see you babies later. Love you.”

“Love you.”

“Wove woo.”

“Say bye, Memaw.” I take Lacy’s hand, waving it for her.

“Bye. Bye.” Lacy bounces in my lap.

My dad appears moments later, following my mom out the front door with nothing more than a backward wave. A man of many words, that one.

“Finally,” I murmur under my breath.

“Finally,” Lyla mirrors my word, giving me a toothy grin.

“What do you girls want to do this afternoon?”

“Trampoline!” Lyla stands abruptly, forgetting all about her coloring page as she bounds toward the back door.

“Well, Wacy. What do you say? You wanna go jump on the trampoline?”

She nods enthusiastically, climbing out of my lap to chase after her sister.

I’ve just stood to follow them when my phone rings.

“Seriously, you just left,” I grumble, expecting it to be my mom, only when I look at the screen, I see that I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Charlotte O’Malley,” I answer, grinning when her face appears on the screen.

It’s only recently that we started to FaceTime, and I have to say, I rather like being able to hear herandsee her. Certainly gives a whole new meaning to phone sex. Makes me wonder why we waited so long to do it.

“River Parker.” She graces me with that beautiful smile of hers. “What are you doing?”

“At the moment, I’m getting ready to take the girls outside to jump on the trampoline.”

“You’re at your parents’?”