Page 357 of Safe With You

“I don’t know.”

“Being on TV,” Ellis said.

I looked at him. “That’s not necessarily true.”

“I’m trying to get through dinner.”

I laughed.

By the time dinner was over, the magazine had become the least interesting thing in the room. Mila wanted to know whether fish slept, and when Ellis told her they did, she immediately wanted to know how.

“With their eyes open.”

She stared at him. “No, they don’t.”

“They don’t have eyelids.”

Mila looked at me.

I lifted my hands. “Don’t bring me into this. I don’t know enough about fish.”

“See?” she told Ellis.

“She didn’t agree with you.”

“She didn’t agree with you either.”

I took a sip of my drink. “And I plan to keep it that way.”

Eventually, Ellis glanced at the clock.

“All right. Go brush your teeth.”

Mila groaned. “Daddy.”

“You know what time it is.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Nobody asked.”

She slid off the stool. “Can Miss Luna put me to bed?”

I looked at Ellis.

He looked at me, then back at her. “Go brush your teeth first.”

Mila took off toward the hallway.

“Walk.”

Her footsteps slowed.

I looked at him. “You didn’t answer her.”

“I know.”

“Why?”