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“I could do without knowing that.”
He snorts. “That girl could drinkyouunder the table. Believe me, she was fine. You’d be proud. I drew the line at her wanting to take shots though.” I glare at him but he continues. “It did get her to open up. Just give her some time. It’s an adjustment and she’s sixteen. This is really your first experience being around a girl this age since we don’t have sisters, but as someone who deals with hundreds of them every day, they’re a little moody,” he whispers. “And we always thought she took Bianca’s death the hardest. There are so many layers here. All that being said, she knows she has to work on her attitude.”
I’m not surprised that River was able to get her to open up. He has this way of always making people feel comfortable. Even strangers. He’s personable and likable in ways I never felt I was.
I hear footsteps on the stairs and then I see Isla in one of her Princess costumes. I get the feeling she was just about to rope River into something when we got home.
“Hi, Daddy!” she runs toward me and I scoop her up in my arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“Hi, Princess. Did you have fun with Uncle River?” I ask, doing my best to sound cheerful.
“Uh-huh! He let me stay up until eleven!”
“Didn’t I say that was a secret?!” River points at her when he sees the look I’m giving him and then waves me off. “We were watching a movie and I let her finish.”
“What movie?” I ask, wondering what my younger brother has subjected my youngest to now.
“Relax, some cartoon shit.”
Isla giggles and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Where’s Ellie?”
“In her room. Listen, angel—”
“Ellie!!!” she calls, kicking herself against me so I’ll put her down before she takes off for her room. I was planning to tell her myself so Ellie wouldn’t have to and I can only hope it doesn’t make her more upset to have to tell Isla that she’s leaving. I follow behind her and when I make it to her room, I see Isla already in Ellie’s arms.
“I missed you!” she squeezes her and Ellie holds her tight against her chest.
“I missed you too! What did you do while we were gone?” she asks while she continues to pack some clothes into a small suitcase.
“Watched a movie and played Candy Land four times and I won six dollars and had pizza!”
I glare down the hall toward my brother at the thought that he’s teaching my six-year-old about gambling and Ellie chuckles.
“Wow. Stakes have gone up since I was a kid.” She looks at me in the doorway. “Your kids know how to gamble? I wish I would have known. My last job was with children of professional poker players and those eight-year-olds weregood.”She sighs and puts a hand over her face like she’d briefly forgotten what she was doing and now remembers that she’s leaving.
“Honey, I’m leaving for a few days.” She moves to Isla and kneels in front of her so she’s at eye level.
“When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure. I have to go home.”
“But you live here.” A smile ghosts over Ellie’s face and she brushes some hair out of Isla’s eyes.
“I mean home to where my daddy lives.”
“Oh. That’s far, right?” Ellie nods and I can see the tears in her eyes before she blinks them away. “Why are you sad?”
She sniffles and puts on a smile. “I…I’m just going to miss you so much, that’s all.”
Isla’s eyes well up too and I wonder if seeing Ellie upset is triggering her. “You’ll come back, right?”
“Of course.”
Her bottom lip trembles a little and I think it’s hitting her that she’s leaving for longer than the length of a school day. “Can we talk on the phone?”
“Yes, your dad has my number.”
She presses a kiss to Ellie’s nose before giving her a hug, and I feel the emotions building within because that was something Bianca always did and I’d never seen Isla do it to anyone.