Of course, it’s different. She’s a person, but I didn’t think I’d like her so much. I thought I’d help this nice woman and her daughter, then my obsession would settle down. So far, nope. But maybe I will settle once she’s got a job and is living in the apartment. That must be why I’m so wired.
“So, where exactly are we going?” Evie asks from Mia’s other side. We’re in the backseat of another black SUV, on our way home.
“There,” I say, pointing out the window to the forty-story lakefront high rise a few blocks away.
“Whoa,” she mutters. “You live there?”
“Yep. We all do. We built it, and we live on the top floors.”
“Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you build a high rise,” she says, in a baby voice, making faces at Mia. She’s been a little fussy since we got off the plane.
Mia has been too.
They’re both clearly exhausted. I text Holly again with our ETA, then put away my phone, hoping she’s done as she promised and kept things calm and low-key. No way can I bring my — the — girls into a big group right now.
“Holly’s eager to see you. She’ll have a bit of food ready for you guys, then we’ll let you get settled.”
Mia’s little hand reaches for me. “What you name?” she asks, eyes so wide her eyebrows are trying to crawl up her face.
“Colt,” I say, poking her in the nose.
I didn’t think it was physically possible, but her eyes widen even more. “Horsey,” she breathes. “Mama. Colt Horsey.”
“Yea baby, a Colt is a baby horse,” Evie says with a snicker.
Mia pats my arm again. “You horsey. You make da noise. Do it.”
This girl wants me to make horse noises? Seriously?
Ok.
I’ve never seen a horse in real life, but I give it a shot, delivering a noise that would be more likely to come out of a horse ridden by one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, than a colt. Mia seems to think it’s hilarious.
“Your turn.” I challenge her. She delivers a high-pitched sound that could have come out of a horse, I suppose, or a dying pig. But the face full of spit I get as a reward does it. I lose my shit, laughing and making increasingly wet horse noises with Mia. She’s really fucking fun.
When Marco pulls into the secured area of the garage, the area reserved for our floors only, I pull Mia out of her seat and into my arms. Both our faces are more than a little wet. Marco opens Evie’s door, and she comes around to meet us.
“Thanks, Marco. Deliver her stuff to thirty-four, then you guys can head home.”
We exchange a nod then, placing a hand on Evie’s back, I guide her to our private elevator, the one programmed to run only to our floors…and now hers too.
I dangle a giggling Mia upside down and let her push the button for Micah’s floor, then flip her up again and rest her on my arm. Evie’s watching us with a small smile, so I guess I’m doing ok.
“You’re going to need to brace yourself,” I warn Evie. “Holly’s been hoping you’d come, and might be a bit emotional.”
“Ok,” she says quietly. “Will Micah be there too?”
I snort. “When he’s not working, he’s attached to Holly’s hip. Doesn’t let her go anywhere without him.”
She frowns, and I suddenly realize how that sounds. I would slap myself in the face, but then Mia would think it’s a new game, and I really don’t want to show up at Micah’s with spitandbaby-sized handprints on my face. I have a rep to maintain after all.
“Um, I don’t know how much you know about Micah? He had a brain injury when he was a kid. He uses Sign, and he speaks when he’s able. Sometimes signing is easier. Anyway, it can sometimes take him a little to finish a sentence. Or sometimes he’ll start speaking then finish in sign. Any of my brothers, or Holly, of course, can translate.”
The elevator opens and I guide Evie to Micah’s open door. Holly, in light gray sweatpants and a white sweater, her blonde hair in a bun, is waiting right there for us.
“Evie,” she breathes. Her eyes bounce to the little monster in my arms, and she sobs. “Mia.”
Evie’s face twists and they’re suddenly hugging and crying. I ease in, closing the door behind me, and walk with Mia around the women. Micah’s in the kitchen watching the scene, a soft smile on his face. His eyes drop to Mia, who’s looking at her crying mom with worry, and his smile widens.
