Nev ignored the hint. “Did you get her sorted? I bet she’s scared.”
Ronnie considered the possibility. Imagined ice cream sitting in a bowl in front of her. “Not visibly.”
“She’s your daughter.”
Ronnie wondered what Nev meant by that.
Nev scooped two bowls of mango ice cream. “Bring these to her. While she’s eating you can spend quality time. It doesn’t have to be deep. Five minutes of sitting together.”
Nev carried the bowls. Ronnie shuffled down the passage again, leaning on the wall with every other step. The pain in her lower back radiated down into her right leg and up into her shoulder and neck.
Outside the closed bedroom door she stopped to close her eyes for a moment, focusing on breathing slowly and evenly. When she opened her eyes she saw Nev twitch, holding bowls of ice cream and frowning. “Don’t faint, for the love of… I don’t have any hands.”
Ronnie laughed.
“Seriously, Dain’y. If you faint, no ice cream. Ice cream goes boom.”
Ronnie cackled. She forced herself to balance on her legs without the support of the wall. She could do this. Nev handed her the bowls and knocked on the door of the bedroom Rainbow had locked herself in.
“Go away,” Rainbow said.
On second thought, Ronnie couldn’t do this. “Ice cream?”
“Come in.”
She sat on the bed beside Rainbow. They ate the ice cream.
When the bowl was empty she set it on her lap. “What was your favorite part of last weekend?”
“Talking at night.”
It took her a minute to remember. “To me?”
Rainbow nodded. Ronnie was confused. “Why?” Their nighttime conversation had been the low point of the weekend for her.
“I like talking to you at night. It reminds me of when I was a kid.”
“You are a kid.”
“Not technically. I could be a mum now.”
What a terrifying thought. Ronnie snorted. “You won’t be for a long time. Do you know what sex is?”
“Ew, gross.”
“I’m serious.”
“Stop.”
“I take it you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Rainbow scowled and handed her the empty ice cream bowl. Ronnie set it inside her own.
“Good talk,” Rainbow said.
“Do you feel better?” Ronnie asked.
To her surprise, the girl nodded. Rainbow surprised her again by leaning over and hugging her. Ronnie carefully wrapped her arms around her daughter. Rainbow’s hair smelled nice, like conditioner and kid dandruff.
