I feel like my niece is a puzzle with hidden pieces, and I'll never figure her out. And while I'm trying to view Madi's presence as practice for Dani, I am not prepared for a teenager.
And at this rate, I'm not sure I ever will be.
"Is that it?" Mads asks. "I'm not hungry."
I glance at Lindsey but find her as quiet as my girls. "Anything else we need to go over?"
Lindsey looks uncomfortable that I've asked her directly in front of them, but now's not the time to be shy.
"Not that I can think of. Oh, other than schedules due to driving everyone where they need to be."
"I have dance class," Dani says.
I pick up a slice of pizza from my plate and nod. "I'll put it on the calendar. Just remember what I said. Okay, girls? Things are going to be weird for a while until I'm back on my feet, but we'll do the best we can to sort out a schedule that works for everyone." Silence follows, and I focus on Mads. "Madi, can you get a schedule for work? It'll help me and Lindsey keep up."
"Keep track, you mean," the girl mutters.
"Hey. You're my responsibility. So, yeah, we will be keeping track. I realize your mom probably gave you a lot more leeway, but you're new to the area, and things are different here, especially with it being summer at the beach. Not to mention the fact that you're only sixteen."
"Almost seventeen."
Ah, dang it. That's right. Mads has a birthday coming up soon. I remember her being a summer birth because Dani's turning seven soon, and they were born within a few days of each other, but for the life of me, I don't remember when Madi's birthday is. And now is not a good time to ask or admit I don't remember. "That's right. We'll have to plan something special. Be thinking about what you'd like to do and maybe we can add it to the calendar."
Too obvious? I hope not.
"I wanna go on the long ferry ride," Dani says. "And get ice cream and ride the golf carts."
Dani loves all things adventure and recently saw an ad for Bald Head Island. She's been wanting to go ever since because she discovered the island has rules on vehicles, and visitors and residents are restricted to bike and golf-cart travel only. "Sounds like a fun day," I tell her.
And while I'm not up for anything like that yet, I have a few weeks to go. And thankfully the trip involves a car, a ferry, and then golf carts. If I'm in a regular cast by then, it's doable. "Mads?"
"Whatever," she grumbles, staring at her barely touched plate.
I bite back my frustration and nod. "Okay then. Well, think about it and let us know, okay?"
"Are we done?"
I exchange a glance with Lindsey and see her wince in response. "Yeah, Mads, we're done. You can?—"
Madison shoots to her feet and is halfway down the hallway before I can finish the sentence. I watch her go and then hear the door shut. Not a slam but…not soft, either. "Dani, baby, do you know why Mads is upset?"
"Maybe she's mad because I lost my bike?"
A low huff leaves me at the not-so-innocent eyes staring back at me, and I shove the pizza into my mouth.
Three females under one roof, and every one of them upset with me. This is where a smart man rethinks his strategy.
And I'm out of ideas…
Chapter
Seventeen
Lindsey
Three weeks after our "family meeting," I decide it's time to die. For real. I don't understand women who get pregnant and have so many kids. I mean, more power to them, but—if this is the norm, why would anyone do it?
All I seem to do is hurl. All I do is think about hurling. See something funny? I laugh. Then feel sick. Feel sick? Oh, that's cute. Let's make me sicker. And now even though it's not quite midnight, morning sickness is kicking my?—
