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“All right, Libs,” Grace comes over and puts a hand on her shoulder.
Olivia looks up at her. “What?”
“Maybe we can do your dance lesson a little later? I didn’t realize Sarah and Liam were coming, so—”
“They can watch me,” she says, starting up a routine that has so many spins it’s giving me motion sickness just watching.
“We can leave and come back later,” Sarah offers, but Grace is shaking her head and Olivia’s mom is doing the same.
“Libs, let’s give them some peace and quiet. We’ll go to the store and grab some ice cream for Dad, ok? He’s opening the pool up later on, remember?”
“Liam and…What’s your name again?”
“Sarah,” she answers, laughing.
“You can also call her Tiny. That’s her nickname.”
“It is not!” Sarah looks offended but I know she’s not. Pointing her thumb my way, she says to Olivia, “He just calls me that because he’s a freaky tall giant.”
“You’ve got two names? SarahandTiny? That’s weird.”
I side-eye her, teasing. “C’mon, we’ve been here for five minutes, and so far I’ve heard you called three different names. What’s that about?”
This kid full-on flutters her eyelashes when she smiles back at me and says, “You’re right! I’m Libs, Libby and Olivia.”
“So you have three names, you win.”
“Nope,” Sarah tosses out. “We’re tied. My parents call me Bug sometimes because I used to love ladybugs.”
“I love ladybugs, too!”
“Libs, Libby, Olivia Hale…Time to go.” Her mother gives her a look that leaves no wiggle room when she tells her, “Say goodbye to Liam and Sarah.”
“Bye,” she says, sulking, but then turns back as they get to the door. “Wait! You wanna come over to my pool later on? My dad is opening it up and it’s really nice, and I can swim backstroke and front stroke, and—”
“Bye,” her mother calls out right before the door closes shut.
I laugh when I can still hear her pleading with her mom outside. “She’s a cutie.”
Grace looks towards where they just exited. “Olivia is such a good kid, but my Lord, once she gets going she’s like a top that can’t stop spinning. Thank goodness she does so well in school, or else her teachers would probably be calling her a problem child instead of spirited and precocious.”
“You were her mother’s teacher?” In response to her surprised look, I add, “Sienna and Garth told us.”
Now she gets it. “Yes, I taught Sienna, Garth and Skylar. Were you freaking out when Skylar walked in? Sorry I didn’t prepare you for that.”
“Mono—” Sarah stops herself, amends what she’s going to say. “Identical twins, I’m assuming?”
Grace nods, studying Sarah. “Yes, monozygotic, as you were about to say.”
“Grace, can I use your bathroom?”
“Sure, it’s right off the kitchen,” she points the way, “in there.”
When I come out, they’re still making small talk, so I take that as a good sign. “Maybe I’ll take a walk around the neighborhood for a little while, give you two a chance to talk?”
And I breathe out a sigh of relief when Sarah nods, looking relaxed.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
