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Her eyes flew to mine. “What?”
I enjoyed keeping her off balance a little too much. “Well,” I explained, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck to hold her still. “Don’t you think she should grow up with Brayleigh?”
“Mm-hm,” she mewled.
I smiled into her eyes. I’d smiled more in the past 24 hours than I had in my entire life. “So, it’s decided?”
“Mm-hm.” She pressed her lips together.
I laughed and pulled her into a hug, Sia happily sandwiched between us.
Fisting my hand in her hair, I tugged her head back and pressed my mouth to hers. “I love you, Hope.”
She sighed into my mouth and smiled. “I love you, too.”
“I do have something I need to do today. Want to come downstairs and makecoffeewhile I tell you about it?” I teased.
She smacked me and snorted.
I rubbed my chest. “I didn’t realize you were so violent.”
“I’ll show you violence if you try to leave me again,” she grumbled.
“That’s what I need to hear, beautiful girl. That’s exactly what I need to hear.”
In the kitchen, we performed the domestic dance as if we’d spent countless mornings practicing the choreography.
“I saw my father yesterday. Before I called you.”
“Really?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Yeah. I had questions.”
“Did he answer them?” she asked softly.
So sweet to me.
“He did. He also told me Viola wants to see me.”
Hope froze in her tracks, then slowly turned to face me. Her eyes darted back and forth between mine. She looked hopeful. “Are you going to see her?”
My mouth twisted. “My father texted me late last night. Apparently, he called and told her I wanted to see her.” I looked away, my turn to take a moment. “She left immediately and showed up at his place last night.” I cleared my throat. “She wants to come over this afternoon.”
“Are you good with that?”
I hazarded a glance up at her but found only concern.
For me.
“I’m nervous. I, uh, abandoned her.”
Hope’s brow furrowed. “How?”
“I should have looked her up once she turned 18.”
“Yes. You should have. But she could have looked you up as well.” She crossed to me, leaned her forehead against my chest. “Want me to look after Sia while you see them?”
Her first thought was to help.
