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“I probably should have discussed it with you first, but it literally just came to me.”
“Uh-huh,” Everly said as if she didn’t believe me.
“You’re getting a new little brother or sister at Lola’s, and you need something to take care of here, too,” I said to Wren.
“I think that would be good,” Wren said, picking up on my cue that we needed to convince Everly.
“It would be good to teach you responsibility.”
“Yeah, I’ll feed her and walk her.”
“How do you know it will be a girl?” Everly asked her.
“Well, duh. Girls are the best.”
“That’s true,” Everly said with a smile directed at me.
“Come on. We’ll discuss it next week. I need to get you home.” I ushered Wren into the backseat and pulled away from the curb. I hated only seeing her for a few hours.
“Do you think if you’re my basketball coach, I could stay at your house more often?”
“Maybe. It’s up to your mom, though.”
“Why is everything up to her?” Wren asked.
“That was the original agreement when you were a baby. We thought it would be best if you were with your mother.” Lola was breastfeeding, so it was easier for Wren to stay with her, but she was older now.
“I want to see you more, though.”
“I’m working on it, but these things take time.” I tried to explain things to her in a way she could easily understand them. I didn’t want to get into attorneys, judges, and courts. That was something she didn’t need to worry about.
“Yeah, okay.” Wren turned to look out the window.
Determined to bring her out of her funk, I said, “I need your help with something.”
She met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “What is it?”
“Do you remember how Everly gets sad when anyone brings up her dad?”
“Yeah,” Wren said impatiently like she wanted me to get to the point.
Everyone knew to avoid the topic, even my family. “I think she doesn’t believe that people stick around. She’s always worried they’re going to leave.”
Wren pursed her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Neither am I, but it’s not that simple. I want to show her that fairy tales really do exist.”
Wren’s eyes brightened as she gushed, “Oh, I love fairy tales.”
“That’s why I need your help. How can we prove to Everly that nice people do exist, and they don’t always leave?” I asked.
“I think she liked the twinkle lights. We could make her a special dinner with candles and flowers. Maybe take her somewhere cool. Like on an adventure.”
“Hmm. Where could we take her?” I asked as I signaled for the turn onto Lola’s street.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.” Wren was quiet for a few seconds and then said as we pulled up to her mother’s house, “I think the most important thing to do is show her she’s loved.”
“Yeah?” I asked, looking at her in the rearview mirror.
