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Leia tweaks her daughter’s nose. “No, you’re not, but I love you no matter what.”
“Love you, Mom.”
Leia gives Isla a quick hug before waving and rushing off.
Isla bounces on her toes. “What should we do first? Play tag? Or maybe statues?” She glances behind me. “Where are Gibson and Jett?”
I grunt.
“They’re not here? No biggie. You’re my favorite.”
My heart warms at her words. I’d give the world for a daughter like Isla. But it wasn’t meant to be. I scowl at the reminder.
Isla marches into the house and scans the room. “Where are your pictures and extra pillows?”
It is pretty bare in here.
“Rental.”
“Oh yeah. Mom said you’re leaving as soon as your record is finished.”
The record is finished and we haven’t left yet. I don’t know why Gibson and Jett are still here. As for me? I have nowhere to go. Correction. Nowhere I want to go.
My stomach rumbles to remind me I was in the middle of figuring out dinner when Leia arrived with Isla in tow.
“Dinner.”
“You don’t talk much,” Isla says as she follows me to the kitchen. “I don’t mind. I can be quiet too. When I want to. I just don’t want to very much.”
I chuckle. This kid is a hoot.
“Toasted cheese sandwich?”
“I love toasted cheese sandwiches!” She claps. “I can help. I can butter the bread. Mom doesn’t let me use the stove, though.”
I place the bread on the kitchen counter along with a knife and the butter.
Isla grabs the knife and begins to butter the bread. “We came to Winter Falls from San Diego. Are you from San Diego, too?” She doesn’t wait for an answer before continuing to prattle on. “I didn’t like San Diego very much. At least, not after my grandparents died. When they were alive, we lived with them.”
In other words, Leia relied on her parents to raise her child.
“But they died when I was little. Before I started school. They were old.” She shrugs. “It makes sense I guess since they were Mom’s grandparents, my big-grandparents.”
“I think you mean great-grandparents.”
Her nose wrinkles as she thinks about it. “Yeah. I guess. Great-grandparents. I don’t know my grandparents. My mom’s parents.”
“What about your dad’s parents?”
“What about them?”
“They’re your grandparents, too.”
“I guess.”
“Where’s your dad?” I ask when she doesn’t elaborate and because I’m curious. What happened to the man Leia made this child with? Where is he? Why isn’t he here tending to their child while Leia works herself to death?
“I don’t know.”
