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“Daddy says straw-ber-ry.” She sounded it out carefully and then her chin started to quiver.
Ivy and I exchanged a look. Uh oh.
“I love strawberries. Do you?” Luna grinned. “I have an idea. Your uncle needs to decorate his classroom because he has new kids just a bit bigger than you starting soon. But we need more decorations. Can you draw?”
Rhiannon’s eyes grew wide. “Yes.”
“Can you draw strawberries?”
She nodded vigorously as Luna grinned.
“Okay, let’s go draw. We have some crayons right over here.” She shifted Rhiannon onto her hip to carry her to the table where I’d started placing some bins with extra supplies for kids who didn’t have them or for when we ran out.
Ivy stepped closer to me. “Man, she’s a lifesaver, isn’t she?”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Luna where she’d crouched beside Rhiannon to help select crayon colors from the big box. Rhiannon was smiling so broadly now as she chattered about colors that other than her still red cheeks, it was impossible to tell she’d even been crying. “She is. I had no clue she was good with kids.”
My sister hip-checked me. “Giving you ideas, mate?”
“You aren’t from Ireland, so don’t pull that mate crap on me. Rory is a bad influence on you.”
“Well, sorry, but he is my husband. And don’t try to stall.” But before I could drum up an answer for her crazy question, she leaned her head against my arm until I wrapped mine around her shoulders. “She’s so beautiful. Already growing so fast.”
When she sniffed, I glanced down at her with incredulity and made sure my voice was pitched underneath Rhiannon’s question if she should use red-red or pink-red for Ariel’s hair. “She was just howling like a wolf in mating season. Now you’re sad she’s getting older? That’s when the crying stops.”
“No, it doesn’t. That’s when we start crying because she’s starting to date. Her father isn’t going to deal well with that. He’s already discussing sending her to an all girls’ school.”
“Right. That causes chicks to end up in ‘girls gone wild’ shows. Doesn’t he know anything?” I tapped my chin. “Then again, probably not. He didn’t date much before you. Too much work makes Fergie a dull boy.”
Ivy poked me in the gut and circled her fingers. “So, tell me about…this.”
“About why you always have such jabby nails? I don’t know, but you always wear those press-on ones and—” I laughed at her disgusted expression. “It’s new.” I made sure to keep my voice low.
Handily, Luna was on her knees next to Rhiannon, coloring and giggling while they worked on their joint masterpiece.
I would have to hang it in a place of honor. Maybe right on the door until my students’ artwork filled the space.
“How new?”
“We’re having fun.”
My sister sighed. “I love you, but you’re a dumbass.”
I pulled on one of her long braids. “People today don’t respect the lack of labels. Lu and I are cool with that. She’s amazing, and I love spending time with her.” This last part I said loudly enough for her to hear.
Luna tossed a look over her shoulder. “Lu? New nick. And um, yes. He’s right. Labels are for nutritional info and jeans, not relationships.”
Ivy smiled tightly and said under her breath, “Oh, God, you’ve met a female you.”
I had to chuckle. “No, she’s definitely not that. But we have an understanding.”
Luna was about to chime in again when someone knocked on the doorjamb.
Mike London, third grade teacher extraordinaire, flashed us a grin. “Hey there, Beck. Back on the grind, huh?”
“Soon enough,” I agreed, stepping around my sister to bump knuckles with Mike. His T-shirt showed the dust streaks that were common on classroom clean-up day. “Have a good summer?”
“Definitely. Lots of brews and bonfires and camping. It was freaking awesome. How about you? That break beard is intense.” He ran his fingertips over his own neat scruff.
