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Her fear eases, her smile growing brighter, stronger.
She hasn’t let me or Grant out of her sight since that nightmare happened.
For a couple days after, we kept her home from school, spending whole days snuggled in bed, Nell tucked between us while we let her watch anything she wanted on TV in Grant’s bedroom. We also let her talk to us and ask us questions about what happened, about what scared her most.
I see so much of myself in her at that age. A little bit of Ros, too.
Whip-smart, strong, but she still needs those little moments to be a kid.
I get it.
I see how she struggles, the pain making her grow up faster until she’s under pressure to be the big girl, to show she’s too smart and mature for this, too brave.
But big feelings aren’t that easy.
Neither is trauma.
Mrs. Graves—Delilah—at school has been a big help with that. She says Lucas used to call her a human cactus because she was so prickly and dead set on her independence. Shegetsa little girl like Nell, and Nell idolizes her to kingdom come, so Delilah’s been a help to us teaching Nell that she doesn’t need to be the strongest kid in the room all the time.
It’s okay to cry.
And it’s okay to reach for a helping hand when you’re scared, instead of doing what Ros did and falling down a deep, dark hole.
Not that I’m blaming my sister.
We all do awful things when we’re afraid. Some of us turn to bad habits.
Some of us run.
For me, those days are over.
Not unless it’s running right down to the station to drag Grant out by his scruff, but we’ll try the easy way first. I give Nell another smile and grab my phone off its charger.
Just as I pull up Grant’s contact, though, the latch on the front door turns.
He’s pushing his way inside when I look up, bundled up in his wool-lined coat—and he’s brought company, too.
His parents come bustling inside behind him while Grant grins.
“Look who’s here to fetch their favorite granddaughter for cake and hot chocolate!” Jensen Faircross announces.
“Grandpa! Gammy!”Nell shrieks as she flings herself around the coffee table and into her grandmother’s arms.
Margaret Faircross laughs, lifting her up and swirling her around.
“How’s my favorite girl?”
“Tired! Too much homework,” Nell pouts, latching her arms around her gram’s neck with a sly look. “I get to stay with you tonight? Does that mean no more homework?”
“It means you get to finish your homework at our house, sweet girl.Butyou also get to have Gammy’s special hot chocolate with cinnamon and those extra-big marshmallows while you do it. Trust me, it’ll be over in no time.” Mrs. Faircross winks while her hubby chuckles indulgently and pats Nell’s head before Margaret sets Nell down. “Grant already said it’s okay. Go run, pack your overnight bag, sweetie.”
I look at Mrs. Faircross and we share a nod.
“I’m sorry to steal her away on such short notice,” she says.
“Oh, no. When there’s special hot chocolate involved, no need to even ask,” I say.
Nell brightens, then pelts toward the stairs, not even waving to Grant. He looks after her with a snort.
