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“Unfortunately, no.”
I kneel down and turn her toward me so I can really look at her.
After I lightly rub at her arms, I tell her, “Rae, I want you to know I’m very proud of you for being patient with her. As you saw today, being grouchyisn’tall that can go wrong with her—she forgets a lot of things, even really important things, and it isn’t easy to deal with.” I swallow hard. “It’s really,reallydifficult for Landon to deal with. It upsets him and makes him very sad. So, yes, that’s somethingIwant to complimentyouon: being patient and not saying anything impolite when she got confused today.”
Her eyes are sweet as she nods. “I did think he didn’t look happy about that.”
Remembering exactly how he looked, I shake my head. “Not at all.” I tuck her hair behind her ears. “But you and I both do a good job of making him feel better.”
“Oh, yes,” she says seriously. “He’s happy with us.”
That gets a chortle out of me.
She yawns again, and I tell her, “Bedtime, girlfriend.”
Nodding, she turns and leaves the bathroom.
I’ve just finished tucking her in when she asks, “Is it okay to love Landon?”
The question digs into me in a weird way.
I’m asking back, “What?” before I can stop myself.
“I mean, is it okay to love him like I love you?” She giggles. “I don’t love him like I want tomarryhim.Ew.”
“Oh, of course you don’t,” I say quickly. “I didn’t think you did. Sorry. I just—”
Blowing out a breath, I wonderwhatI was‘just.’
I don’t have time to dwell on it because she’s going on in a smaller, softer voice. “I know he’s not my daddy, but I think I love him.”
Hearing her voice what she’s always said in action melts my heart. “Yeah, Rae, that’s okay.”
“Okay.” She fidgets with one of Hugs’ floppy ears. “But he’s not my brother, either.”
“Yeah.” I look at her adorable, pensive face and decide that even though what I’m about to say is something I neverthoughtI’d say, it most definitely fits. “I think he’s like your uncle.”
A small frown appears between her eyebrows before she looks up at me. “Like aunts and uncles?”
I nod.
She studies me like she’s thinking hard about that. Then her frown eases up and she says downright serenely, “You’re my aunt and he’s my uncle.”
I don’t really know how much she understands about how relatives work, so I’m not sure how to explain that he and I aren’ttogetherthe way aunts and uncles usually are. I just tell her, “Yep, pretty much.” Then I add, “We should probably tell him you think of him that way.”
A new frown snaps onto her face, this one worried rather than thoughtful. “Do you think he won’t want me to?”
Oh, if only she’d seen the look that was on his face when I brought up the dance to him—there wouldn’t be a doubt in her head.
Or maybe there would, because she’s a kid.
“No, babe, don’t worry about that,” I murmur. “I think it’ll make his heart happy. It’d just be nice of us to tell him about it. Polite, you know.”
Once again, she relaxes. “Oh. Okay.” After a beat, “Can I tell him the next time I see him?”
I bend forward and kiss her forehead. “Whenever you want to.”
She closes her eyes and cuddles Hugs. “Next time,” she resolves.
