AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So, I don’t fight it, don’t point out that she’s already been to brunch today and played video games with Dan all afternoon. I don’t remind her that Tiff is making her cookies while on her study break (and also, because she’s trying to avoid the terror known as her mother).
I just ruffle her hair again and straighten, say, “Yeah, baby girl. We can go right now.”
“Yes!” She fist-pumps.
I tilt my head toward the stairs. “Go get your shoes on, and we’ll head out.”
“Okay, Dad!” she says and starts running from the room, and, God, if I could bottle her powers of recovery, I’d be unstoppable.
I start stacking papers, setting them to the side.
“Dad?”
I pause, look up, see that she’s hesitating in the doorway. “Yeah, baby girl?”
“Does this mean I don’t get two Christmases?”
My mouth drops open.
But I don’t get a chance to answer.
Because laughter has me jerking, my gaze shooting toward the hall.
And everything in me goes absolutely still as I see Brit standing there.
Forty
Brit
“Mom!”
My heart melts as Rox sprints toward me, throwing her arms around my waist, hugging me tight.
“Hey, baby girl.” I hug her back then ruffle her hair when she pulls away, starts to hustle from the kitchen.
“Dad says he messed up,” she calls over her shoulder. “He’s really sorry.”
I still.
But she doesn’t, just sprints from the room.
“Rox?” Stefan calls. “You’ll only be getting one Christmas.”
She pauses, wrinkles her nose. “But will I still get Tiff?”
He opens his mouth to reply, but I beat him to it. “Tiff is family,” I say.
And that has Rox’s expression relaxing, her lips curving, and then she’s running back over to me, squeezing me tight. “Good.” She looks over her shoulder at Stefan. “Can Mom come with us to Target too?”
His eyes warm. “Absolutely.”
“And Tiff?”
“If she wants to.”
“Yes!” A fist pump before Rox is running out of the room and tearing off down the hall. I listen to her footsteps on the stairs and then I turn to Stefan, moving to him, taking his hands in mine. “I am so fucking pissed off at you,” I whisper.
His expression sobers. “I know.”
