Page 52 of Before Eve

Mr. Wolf grabs Maria, and Vianca does some crazy spins inher chair. West dips Gramma, and she curtsies to Mr. Wolf, and on it goes.

I don’t know what to do, so I sort of hover near the wall, smiling, watching all of them, trying to act like I belong but not quite fitting in. I wonder if this is what an animal feels like in a zoo. Looking out through the bars at all the people having fun, wondering what it would be like to be out there.

West slides over to me, crooking his finger.

My cheeks warm.

West pulls me up tight against him. “Hey, Blue Eyes.”

He moves with me across the floor, making it so easy to follow. I’m reminded of that time he hummed and slow danced with me on the rooftop.

“No mushy stuff.” Maria pushes between us.

West grabs her hand and the three of us dance together. Gramma joins in, and Vianca, then Mr. Wolf, and we all do some sort of goofy thing in a circle.

Soon, I’m laughing so hard I can’t breathe. It’s just plain fun being silly, and I find myself hoping and wishing for more of these moments with West and his family. The companionship. The friendliness. The warmth. I’ve never known anything like it.

Finally, the music stops and everyone crashes onto the couch and chairs. Vianca opens her birthday presents next, and then we have banana splits—her pick over traditional birthday cake. Soon the sun is setting. I wish I could do this day all over again.

Maria comes out of the bathroom from her bath, grabs a book, and climbs right up into West’s lap. In the overstuffed leather chair, he snuggles her in right beside him, opens the book, and Maria begins reading.

I listen to their rhythm, her first, then him, then backto her. They’ve obviously done this several times. He raises his voice at one particular point, and she giggles and snuggles into his side.

I take in her wet hair, her cloud-patterned pajamas, and his tattooed arm cradling her. What a lucky girl to have so much love. Her eyelids start to droop, and he continues reading, lowering his voice to accommodate lulling her to sleep. I continue watching them, warmed to the core by their special moment.

“Okay, sleepyhead, time to put you to bed,” Gramma calls from the kitchen.

“Nooo,” Maria whines. “I’m not tired.”

“I know. I know. Let’s go.”

West picks her up and sits her on her feet. He straightens her pajamas. “I’ll see you tomorrow, cutie.”

Maria hugs him and kisses him on the cheek. “Night, West.” With a yawn, she pads over to hug me too. “Night, Eve.”

I return her embrace, loving the cuddle of it.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes to tuck you in,” Gramma tells her.

“Want some coffee, Eve?” Mr. Wolf asks from the kitchen.

“Sure. Anything I can do to help?”

“Yes, come keep me company.”

West grabs my hand and leads me into the kitchen. We both take seats at the island while Mr. Wolf grinds beans. Vianca’s already here, flipping through a magazine and sipping hot chocolate.

“What’s going on with Maria?” West asks.

His dad looks up from the coffee pot. “Your Aunt Ty did another disappearing act and this time she didn’t come back.” Mr. Wolf turns to me. “My sister would rather party than be a mother.”

“There’s more,” Vianca whispers.

West looks up at his dad who lets out a long sigh. “We found bruises on her.”

Everything in me stills.

West drops his head into his hands.