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“And they live in it,” she says, “because they were afraid to stay with their grandfather after their parents died.”
Bo’s dark brown brows pull together. “Why were they afraid of him?”
“They think he’s cruel.” Her gaze returns to the book.
“Like my dad.” He frowns.
What the hell?My eyes widen. Bryan isn’t cruel.
Peace glances at him sharply. Apparently, she’s shocked by his statement too. “I think your dad is nice.”
“He is if he likes you,” Bo mutters, and that crease between his eyes deepens.
“You’re his son.” She places her hand in the book to hold her place. “He more than likes you. He loves you.”
“I can’t read,” Bo says. “I mix up words and numbers like Aunt Miriam. The kids at my school act like shit about it. My dad thinks I’m not trying hard enough, and he gets mad at me a lot. He hates me.”
Peace sucks in a breath.
“Well, he does. The word fits.” Bo’s chin juts out to a stubborn angle.
“My dad doesn’t like me either,” Peace says softly.
I stagger backward, stunned by her words.That’s not true.
“Why not?” Bo asks.
Righting myself, I lean forward, very interested in her answer.
“I’m not like my dad or my mom.” Her gaze turns unfocused. “Harmony is. She speaks her mind like my dad, and she’s into acting like my mom. My parents like her better than me. But that’s okay with me.” Her eyes get shiny. “I like Harmony too, but mostly I just like to be alone so I can read.”
“I like listening to you reading.” Bo takes her hand and points with his other one at her book. “Can you read some more?”
“Sure.” She reopens the book. Her gaze moves as she searches for her place.
Bo continues to stare at her. “You’re really pretty.”
He’s right. Both my daughters are pretty like their mom.
“Harmony is the pretty one.” Peace shakes her head. “Not me.”
The girls are identical, so they are both pretty. It bothers me that Peace seems to think her sister outshines her. She is wrong about her mother and me; we don’t love Harmony more. We love both our daughters. I just understand Harmony better.
“Youarepretty,” Bo says. “Like that princess in the fairy tale, the one with the long blond hair.”
Peace blushes. “Rapunzel, you mean.”
“Yeah.” Bo tilts his head, studying her. “Your skin is a little lighter than your sister’s.”
“Because I stay inside.” Peace rolls her lips together. “Harmony likes being outside. She swam in the lake a lot this past summer.”
“I like you.” Bo returns his head to her shoulder. “I liked you right away. Thanks for sitting between me and my dad at dinner. And for offering to share your story with me. We’re going to be friends. You don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to. We can stay inside, and you can read to me.”
Peace smiles. Her joy lights up her entire face. “Okay,” she says and starts reading again.
I slip away. I’m not going to get onto Peace for being downstairs past her bedtime. I might not understand her as well as I would like to, but I know her better than she thinks.
I see how sad she is whenever I pick her up at school. That’s why I get onto her about always having her nose in a book. I don’t want my daughter to be alone at school like I was until Bryan came along.
