AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let me get her. She’s playing in the living room,” Mom says, and I wait while I hear her call for Ivy. “How is Seattle?”
“Good, I guess. We just got here, and it’s raining, so we are just getting settled into the room.”
“Hmm,” Mom says.
I press my lips together. “What?”
“I didn’t say anything,” she protests, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes like a petulant teenager.
“Yes, we are sharing a room, Mom. It’s for the show. I’ve explained all of this to you.”
“Sure, sure,” she says cheerily. “Here’s Ivy.”
I can hear shuffling as she hands the phone to my daughter, and then her little voice comes through the speaker.
“Hey, Daddy. When are you coming home?” Ivy asks, and I’m happy, knowing she wants me to be there with her.
I think she’s getting more used to me being there since I’ve been there half of the time, filming for the last few weeks. Part of me even dreads going back to work full-time, and that catches me off guard. I’ve never felt like that before.
“Hey, pumpkin. I’ll be home on Sunday. Just two more days.”
“Okay. Where is Alice?”
I notice she didn’t correct my use of pumpkin this time.
“It’s Miss Alice to you,” I say, keeping my voice light.
“She said I can call her Alice,” Ivy says, and I raise one eyebrow at Alice, who is coming out of the bathroom.
“What?” she whispers, and I grin at her.
“Have you been good for Nana?”
“Yes. We are going to the aquarium tomorrow,” she says with a squeal, and I send up a prayer in thanks for how amazing my mom is with her.
“That sounds like fun, pumpkin. Do you want to talk to Miss Alice?”
“Sure, Daddy, I’ll talk to Alice,” Ivy says back quickly, and I can’t help the chuckle that sneaks out of me. She’s quick on the draw, and her sassiness keeps me on my toes.
I hand the phone over and step away, walking to unpack my bag a little while they talk. I don’t listen in since I feel like it would be rude, but strangely, I’m dying to know everything they are talking about. I’m saved from thinking about it anymore, as there’s a knock on the door, and I answer it to find the camera crew waiting to set up. I get lost in the flurry of filming and putting on an act, but it’s starting to feel like it’s not an act anymore.
