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“I don’t know if I want to be a celebrity,” she says, looking out the window. “Guess there won’t be too many girls-only shopping sprees in the future.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. If we need to, maybe we can get a cool female bodyguard, like our own personal Wonder Woman,” Elise says thoughtfully, giving Carsen a comforting smile. She turns the stove on, pouring milk in a pot to warm it. “Come on. Hot cocoa with marshmallows always make everything seem better.” I appreciate the calm and sweet way Elise is handling this with Carsen, helping her find a moment of lightness even as we’re all freaked out.
Carsen smiles back, but it’s weak and I know she’s pretty shaken up by what happened. There’s a big piece of me that wants to just gather her in my arms and run away where no one would be the wiser, keep her safe and secret forever. But that ship has sailed and now, we adapt, grow stronger. It’s going to be tough, but looking around the kitchen, I know that Carsen has the best support system a little girl could ask for. Still, I go over and hug her tight.
“You did great today, honey. Did you know the first time I had to go on live TV for an interview, I got so nervous I puked all over the green room?”
“No way!” Carsen exclaims. “But you did it?”
“I did. And you were a pro today in comparison. You’ve already got me beat.”
She laughs a bit more fully at that, which soothes the anger still coursing through my veins like a salve. We look up as Sarah sets a cup of coffee in front of me and hot chocolate in front of Carsen.
The four of us sip at our cups, sitting quietly on each side of the table as our minds replay the morning’s events in a comfortable few minutes of silence. We’re all just taking the day in.
Always the planner, Sarah finally jumps in, setting her mug down and breaking the silence.
“So, now what? We can’t just hide out here forever. We got as far as the morning show interview, but we haven’t really made a plan for what happens now. Keith, what are you thinking?”
I hum, still wishing I could wake up and this all be a nightmare. For it to not be real. I drain the rest of my coffee, promising myself that after yesterday’s overload, I’m not going to have another cup, and think for a moment before answering.
“Well, I need to check in with Todd. I told him I’d do that the second we got back here. Just taking a moment. I’m sure he was watching, but he needs to know about every detail and the ride home after.” I intentionally don’t say the word paparazzi, not wanting to bring it up any more than I have to in front of Carsen.
“After that, I do think we’ll need to be a bit scarce for a bit. No coffee runs or errands for me. And Carsen, you’re going to have to take a few days off school. I’ll call the school. I’m sure they understand and can have your homework sent here.”
“Aww, Da-ad,” Carsen says, then stops when she sees my face. “How long, though? I wanna talk to my friends.”
“You can, honey. We’ll just be a little more reserved until all of this dies down. It won’t be long. There will be something else they’ll be buzzing over soon enough. Maybe after a few days, we can see if any of your friends want to come over.”
Carsen’s eyes twinkle. She’s never had her friends here. She always has to go to them. “Really?”
“Really . . . but let’s not rush things. First, we need to see what we can do. Elise . . .”
I look at her as I say her name, and I see that she’d been staring at Carsen with a sad look on her face as I told her no school.
“I’m sorry, Carsen,” she whispers. “Really, I am.”
Carsen, who’s probably already in her head planning a sleepover with her best friend, smiles at Elise. “No apology needed. This isn’t because of you. It’s that jerk boss’s fault.”
Carsen gets up from her spot at the table, hugging Elise around the neck. I can see the shock on Elise’s face as she pats Carsen’s back. Elise’s eyes are bright with unshed tears as she whispers into Carsen’s hair. “Thank you, honey.”
It’s a heart-warming sight, and even though the situation sucks ass, I’m glad that Elise and Carsen are bonding so much. It eases the knot in my gut about bringing a woman into my life while my little girl is still so young.
As Carsen sits back down, she ducks into her hot cocoa, obviously not wanting any more attention right now. I smile, knowing she’s going to be okay. She’s a tough cookie, that girl of mine.
