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“Emmy has something similar to it. She’s Tyler’s age.”
“Oh, well, does she go to normal school? Beth didn’t for a while. She went to a special school, but now she goes with us, and there are five of us that help her. Each day one of us is her buddy to help her with work and projects.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah, she’s funny. She likes to say that she’s odd or strange, but we told her she isn’t. She’s quirky. That’s what we tell her.”
“Quirky? Hmm, I guess that would describe Emmy too.”
“When will they move here?”
“This summer. I might bring them down Memorial Day weekend to see the house.”
“You should bring them to Grandma's for the picnic.”
“I might. Kayley was telling me how much fun you all have.”
“Do they like horses?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think the girls have ever seen a horse up close.”
“That’s cool! They can meet Buttercup and Fellow.”
“I bet they would like that.”
She thought for a moment. “You said that it was complicated with my dad, but I didn’t hear anything that was that hard.”
I laughed softly. I was amazed at how easily Tonya had accepted what I had told her. Had I made more out of all of it than there was? Would his kids be able to accept mine?
I guess it didn’t matter because I had already blown up that bridge.
“Maybe when you are older, you’ll understand. I do like your father very much, but we are just friends.”
She dropped her chin to her chest. “Oh, okay.”
“Hey, why so sad?” She shrugged. “Tonya, what’s wrong?”
She didn’t look at me as she replied, “I liked him when he was happy. I was hoping he would stay like that, and—” She stopped talking.
“And what?”
“You’ll think it’s stupid.”
“Never.”
She peered at me from under her brown bangs. “I was kind of hoping you might marry him, and then I’d kind of have a mom again.”
Oh, my god! I wanted to bawl my eyes out. Brad and I had barely been together, and here I was, breaking her heart already. I put my arm around her. “Oh, Tonya, that’s not stupid at all. I bet you miss having a mom.”
“I do, but I don’t remember too much about her.”
“It’s hard to lose someone when you are that young. I get it.”
I lifted her chin and wiped the tear that was on her cheek. “I might not be your mom or your stepmom, I should say, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be your friend and love you.”
“You could be? I mean, you could be my friend too?”
“Absolutely!” I hugged her tightly, and then one of the girls on my soccer team, Michelle, came running up to us.
