“Like Rosie has Aunt Claire and Uncle Andy,” I said. “And they both live in the same house.”
She nodded again.
“Right,” I said. “Well. Dad’s been on his own for a while. Just me and you.”
“And Gerald,” Nell said.
“And Gerald,” I confirmed. “But I’ve been thinking that maybe—maybe it would be nice if there was someone else. Someone who loves us both.”
Nell looked at me.
She looked at Gerald.
She looked back at me.
Then she said it almost reverently: “Maggie?”
I smiled. “Yeah. Maggie—she’s not just my friend. I wanted to be careful how I told you about her, but she’s actually my special friend, like Uncle Andy is with Aunt Claire.”
“Like you sleep in the same bed?”
I blinked, trying to keep my face from turning so red she would notice. “Uh…yeah. Like that.”
Nell looked at me.
Then her chin wobbled.
Then her eyes filled up.
I took the plate before she dropped it, putting it on the coffee table so I could catch her when she inevitably flung herself into my arms…which she did about half a second later. Her shoulders heaved as she bawled, tears wetting my shirt—so loud that Claire actually poked her head into the living room and asked if we were okay.
I nodded and mouthedyeah, we’re good.
Nell cried for a solid two minutes…but Nell was a cryer. I’d expected this; she cried when she was happy, when she was sad, when she learned something new, sometimes just because. I held her and rubbed her back in circles like I had when she was a baby, when I’d been learning on the go.
She was winding down when she said, muffled into my shoulder: “I’m so happy, Daddy.”
“Me too,” I said.
She pulled back, face streaked red, chin still wobbling. “I wanted her to be my mom so bad.”
“I know.”
“And now she’s going to?—”
“She’s still Maggie, okay?” I said. “But…yeah, she’s going to come live with us, I think. Or at least spend a lot more time having breakfast with us.”
Nell nodded—then her breath caught. “Is she at home now?”
I smiled. “Yeah. She’s waiting for us.”
She brightened instantly. “Can we go see her?”
“I think she would love that.”
TWENTY-ONE
maggie
