Billie leaned across the counter until their faces were inches apart.“You’re still staring at me.”
He kissed her forehead.“I’m done.”
“Good.”She grabbed a piece of watermelon and bit into it.Juice ran down her chin.She caught it with the back of her hand.
“Billie, we have to talk,” Jane said.
Instantly Billie set the fruit down.Her smile faded and she looked at Adam.
“Am I in trouble?”
“No.”He took the seat on the other side of her.He sat on the end of the island, at a right angle to her.He could see Jane over her head.Their eyes met for a brief moment.He saw Jane’s uncertainty.He wanted to promise her that it was going to be okay, but he didn’t knowhowthe situation would end up.
Jane angled herself toward her daughter and rested one arm on the counter.“Adam and I—”
“I slid down the banister,” Billie said, staring at her plate.
“What?”he asked.
“Last week, when you got that phone call from the bank, I sneaked out of the kitchen and slid down the banister.”
Adam frowned.“I told you not to do that.It’s very high and you could get hurt.”
She thrust out her lower lip.“I didn’t fall.”
“That’s not the point.The point is—”
“Adam.”Jane shook her head.“Billie, you know better, but that’s not what we want to talk about.”
She nodded and pushed her half-eaten piece of watermelon across her plate.“I know.I didn’tmeanto.It just happened.I was going to say something.”She looked up at Jane.“Honest.”She turned back to Adam.“You weren’t home, so I couldn’t tell you.Then when I came to breakfast, I didn’t want you to get mad at me.I’m sorry.”
He stared horrified as a fat tear trickled down her cheek.“What the hell are you talking about?”he said loudly.
Billie jumped.
“Adam, don’t swear,” Jane said.
“Mom, he said a bad word.”Billie sniffed.“Adam, you shouldn’t sayhell.”
He’d lost control, he thought as he struggled to stay sane.He wasn’t sure he’d ever had it, but it was gone now.He slid off the stool and grabbed the coffeepot.After filling two mugs, he handed one to Jane, then resumed his seat.“Okay, let’s try this again.Billie, you’re right.I shouldn’t say—”
Jane raised her eyebrows.
“I shouldn’t swear.I apologize.What were you talking about before?The thing you didn’t want to tell me.”
Another tear rolled down her cheek.“I broke a window in the shed.”
“You what?”
“There’s no need to raise your voice,” Jane said, putting an arm around her daughter.His daughter.
“I’m not raising my voice.”He spoke through clenched teeth.“I’m calmly asking Billie to tell me what happened with the shed.”
She sighed and sat up straight.Jane kept her arm around the girl’s shoulders.“I was playing ball in the back.It was kinda windy, you know?”
“Go on.”He sipped his coffee.
“Well, I was working on my curve ball and—”
