Sylvie sniffed, and another tremor went through her. “I looked into the rumors about Dad, about him being a dirty lawyer.”
Amy squared her shoulders and drew back to look at Sylvie’s tear-stained face, her heart breaking a little. “Why don’t we go inside to talk about this? I’ll make you something hot to drink.”
Sylvie lowered her gaze and drew her bottom lip between her teeth.
In silence, Amy draped her arm over her daughter’s shoulders and steered her inside. Ashley didn’t miss a beat when they stepped in, letting the door click shut behind them. With a quick smile in Sylvie’s direction, Ashley slid the door to the backyard open and stepped outside. Amy led Sylvie to the couch, a surge of relief bursting through her when Sylvie sank onto the couch and tucked her legs underneath her.
Her poor baby.
Sylvie had never been one to take bad news well; even when she was little, she’d end up working herself up into a state while wringing her fingers together and pacing. Amy’s heart cracked a little more as she sat down next to Sylvie and twisted to face her.
“I don’t know why I did it,” Sylvie murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “Daddy isn’t the man I thought he was.”
Amy’s heart missed a beat. “Oh, sweetheart. He’s still your dad, and he loves you.”
Sylvie exhaled and ran a hand over her face. “I’ve had this pit in my stomach since Lily left, and when I found out the two of them had a falling out, but…I didn’t want it to be true.”
Amy cleared her throat and ignored the uneasy thumping of her heart. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
Sylvie’s expression was crestfallen as a sob fell from her lips. “I don’t know how.”
Amy covered the distance between them and took Sylvie into her arms. It wasn’t long before Sylvie rested her head in Amy’s lap while Amy played with her hair. Eventually, she tugged on the blanket draped over the back of the couch and unfolded it. After tucking it around Sylvie, her daughter gave one last shudder and drifted off to sleep.
Amy’s legs were numb and tingling when she shifted, her eyes darting around. Quietly, Ashley handed her a pillow to place underneath Sylvie’s head. Carefully, and with bated breath, Amy stood and stretched her arms over her head. On the tips of her toes, she crept into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards till she found an empty mug.
“I’ll take out some fresh sheets for the guest room,” Ashley whispered with a quick look over her shoulder. “Poor thing doesn’t look like she’s in any condition to drive.”
Amy threw the tea bag into the mug and gave Ashley a grateful smile. “I really appreciate this. I’m sorry about the short notice.”
Ashley waved her comment away, a smile hovering on the edge of her lips. “I’m happy to help. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but it does seem like things are getting better between the two of you.”
Amy filled up the kettle, a small kernel of hope blossoming in the center of her stomach. “I hope so too.”
But she wasn’t sure how much of it was wishful thinking and how much of it was real.
On the one hand, it had been too long since Sylvie showed up at her doorstep, needing Amy’s comfort and solace. On the other hand, she didn’t like that Sylvie was looking into her father and worried it was her fault her daughter had gone down that rabbit hole.
If she hadn’t walked away, Sylvie would be safe and sound in her little bubble.
Ashley stepped into the kitchen and bent down to rummage through the fridge. “It feels good to still be needed, especially at their age.”
Amy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter. “Yes, but you seem like you’ve got a pretty good handle on things.”
Ashley snorted and came back up with a few containers in her hands. “Not really. When Jude retired, things weren’t easy around here. New dynamics can be difficult, but we eventually found our footing. It’ll be the same for you and your kids. It just takes some getting used to.”
Amy frowned. “Did you ever regret not pursuing a career?”
Ashley pried a container open, and her eyebrows drew together. “Sometimes, I did wonder what it would be like, but I knew I wanted to be here with my children. And Jude didn’t mind, so it worked out well for us. I’m proud of my husband, and I don’t begrudge him a successful career.”
“You should be proud of yourself too. You have good kids and a beautiful home.”
Ashley pushed herself up on the tips of her toes and pulled out a few plates. “Thank you. You’re going to get there too, Amy. It might not seem like it now because everything is confusing,but just be patient with yourself. Starting over from scratch can’t possibly be easy.”
Amy’s chest unfurled, sadness, hope, and resignation all pumping through her. “Yeah, it isn’t.”
Ashley patted her shoulder. “You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”
Amy desperately wanted Ashley to be right; otherwise, she had no idea what she was going to do next.
