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It also meant returning to San Francisco temporarily, which wouldn’t be easy with Agnes and Beatrice in tow. My body was tense as I made my way back to Jade.
“Wow,” she said as she bumped her shoulder with mine. “Must have been some bad emails.”
“Yeah, they were.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“It’s boring city stuff. I doubt you’ll want to hear it.”
“Contrary to popular belief, I can give good advice. Even if it’s not something I’m too interested in.”
She was offering more than she used to. The Jade I knew would have hidden away or tried to change the subject.
But we’d both changed. And I didn’t want to keep it all in this time.
“I got an email from the girls’ private school.”
“Really?”
“My apartment isn’t going to be ready by the time school starts. I need them to join in later, but the school is against that. They only want kids to come at the beginning of the school year because of their high standards.”
“Wow, sounds pretentious.”
“It’ll be good for them,” I said. “They need a lot of care.”
“I guess I can’t disagree there. So, you’re going back soon?”
“I need to visit, yes. But the girls didn’t handle the flight well last time, and I’m not eager to repeat that again.”
Jade nodded and twisted her lips.
“I could watch them.”
Her words nearly knocked me over.
“What did you say?”
“I said I could watch them.”
So, I hadn’t imagined it. “That’s too much, even for you. Atticus only makes it a few hours.”
“I’m not like anyone else. They like me, so why wouldn’t I do it?”
“Why would you, is the better question.”
“I like them.” She said it as if it were simple.
“But—”
“Gabriel,” she said flatly. “I know how they work better than anyone else in town. It’s not a problem.”
“It very much could be.”
“Do you trust me?” she asked.
“With my life.”
“Then let me watch them.”
