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Sloane gentled her voice until it was one notch above a whisper. “Can I ask why not?”
“Because,” Bree said, but then jerked to a halt. “Just because.”
“He would understand, Bree. And he really wants to help you.” Despite her efforts to stay calm, tears pricked Sloane’s eyes, threatening to spill. Bree looked up at her, and the girl’s stony façade crumbled.
“I know, but he’s sad too. And it’s not…fair. He quit his job to take me, and he works a lot so we can have the stuff we need. I used to hate him for that, before, because I felt like he left me and my mom behind. But now I don’t want to tell him because I know he misses her, too. And he’s already sad about giving up his life.”
For a second, Sloane was so stunned, she couldn’t breathe. “Oh, Bree. Don’t you see? Honey, youarehis life.” She moved to take the bowl from Bree’s shaking hands and set it on the counter. “Yes, he loves his career, but he loves you so much more. And even though he misses your mom, he wants to help you when you do, too. If you two talk about it, it might make it easier on both of you.”
“I never thought about it like that,” Bree whispered, tears streaking her freckled cheeks. “I mean, he said I could talk to him if I felt like it. But I didn’t think maybehe’dwant to.”
Sloane’s words spilled right from her very center. “I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t the truth. You can still talk to your mom or write her letters when you’re feeling sad, but don’t shut Gavin out. He needs you, too.”
Bree wiped her face with the back of one hand. “Thanks. For understanding, and…well, everything.”
“Anytime.” Sloane reached out to capture the tears on Bree’s other cheek with her thumb, surprised at how natural the comforting movement felt. She folded her into a quick embrace, which Bree readily returned. “I’ve got your back, kid.”
“Promise?”
Sloane pulled back, but only so she could look Bree right in the eye. “I promise.”
“Okay.” Bree nodded.
Sloane broke into a slow smile, one that migrated all the way down to her heart and filled her completely. “Now what do you say we get back to it? These eggs aren’t going to smash themselves.”
They spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon puttering around the cottage, painting their toenails outrageous colors and watching various shows on TV. When Bree settled in to start on her weekend homework, Sloane took advantage of the break and finally powered up her laptop.
Dear Belinda,
I got your message,and I’m glad everyone’s so enthusiastic about my writing. I’d like to talk to you about the direction of the project, but I think it would be best if we discussed it by phone. Can you call me at your earliest convenience? I’ll have a proposal for you ASAP.
Thanks,
Sloane
Hittingsendwas shockingly easier than she’d expected, and relief filled Sloane’s chest as she stared at the flashing message telling her it had been delivered. The book she’d tried so hard to fight was fresh and dynamic, and it was time to put her faith in it.
It was time to put her faith in herself.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, forming the proposal she’d promised Belinda with ease. She described the story with rich details, losing herself in every layer until it burst with emotion, both in her mind and on the page. For the first time ever, what was around her didn’t matter nearly as much as what was inside of her, and as she laid the story out, word by word, Sloane believed in it.
The sound of a voice being cleared snagged her from her thoughts, and although Sloane had been certain she’d only been on the couch for a few minutes, she was startled to see that the graying shadows of evening had been replaced by nightfall.
“Oh, jeez! I didn’t realize it was so late.” She blinked up at Bree, her eyes slowly adjusting from the glare of the computer screen to the soft lamplight of the cottage. “How did your homework go?”
“Fine.” Bree shrugged, shifting her weight on the floorboards, and a pang of remorse worked through Sloane’s belly.
“Sorry I didn’t check on you sooner. I guess this book thing kind of got away from me. But I can read thatMacbethassignment over if you want.” Damn it, she should’ve kept a better eye on the time. Bree had been struggling a little with the latest round of essays, and her bone-deep desire for independence could make asking for help a little dicey, even on their good days. “Here, I’ll just take a quick look.”
“No! I don’t need any help. I just wanted to tell you I’m going to my room. You don’t need to check on me.”
Whoa. Speaking of preteen pride. Sloane tucked her surprise into a bittersweet smile. She might be an old geezer as far as Bree was concerned, but it hadn’t beenthatlong since Sloane’s teen years. And if anyone understood the need for independence, it was certainly her. Still, the guilt kicking up in her chest refused to back all the way down.
“Tell you what,” she said, sliding her laptop to the coffee table. “MyMacbethis pretty rusty. Maybe if you let me read it, I’ll learn something new. Then when we’re done, we can see what looks good in the Netflix queue. What do you say?”
For a second, Bree went wide-eyed and completely still. But then she threaded her arms into a tight knot over the chest of her thermal pajama top, and Sloane knew she’d lost this round of homework wars squarely to Team Hormones.
“I already printed the essay, so no big deal. I’m going to go work on the final write-up for my biology lab.”
