Mom coos in her ear. “Honey, calm down. I’m only going for a month or two. I’ll be back soon.”
“But wha-wha-what if you don’t come back? Wha-wha-what if you stay away like Mommy? What if you don’t want us anymore?”
I close my eyes, my daughter’s words a cattle brand on my heart.
Does this ever get easier?
“Sweetie, I’m always,alwaysgonna want you and your brother, and your momma wants you guys too.” Her voice is thick with emotion. “She’s just going through a rough time is all.” Smoothing down my daughter’s hair, my mom whispers, “I’m only a phone call away. Call me any time, night or day.” She pulls out of my daughter’s hug and holds her shoulders. “Hey, look at me.” Mila’s tear-stricken face cuts me to the core. “I need you to be a big girl and take care of your daddy and brother. Two men in a house by themselves need a good woman to look after them.”
Mila nods and wipes away snot. “I can make Daddy Pop Tarts for breakfast so he’s not hungry.”
“Thatta girl. And you remember how he likes his coffee, right? Two sugars and a good helping of milk. Don’t use half-and half even though he likes it because he should watch those trans fats now while he’s young.”
Hearing the two most important girls in my life worry about me makes my chest ache.
I’m wondering how I’m gonna get Mila out of my mom’s arms when Tori approaches them and whispers in Mila’s ear. Not sure what she says, but Mila starts laughing, and Tori picks her up and swings her around so she’s on her back, clinging to her neck.
“Have a great trip, Beverly,” Tori says cheerfully, like my whole family isn’t on the brink of an apocalypse. “Mila and I are going to have a big surprise for you when you get back, aren’t we, Mila?”
My daughter wipes her eyes and nods and smiles at my mom. “Big, big, big surprise!”
I stand there, a little dumbfounded that this train wreck has turned around, until Tori mouths, “It’s okay. Go.” She turns her back so she and Mila are facing the other way.
As I’m walking my mom out, I pause in the doorway to look at my kids, who are playing with Tori like nothing happened.
Only one thought comes to mind—thank God she’s here.
* * *
It’sdark when I get back, much later than I thought I’d be. Austin traffic sucked, as always, and Mom’s flight was delayed. That was when I realized I didn’t have Tori’s cell number, and she didn’t have mine. I was thinking I was the worst parent ever when I remembered my mom had shown Tori the emergency numbers.
My brother’s sprawled on a couch, flipping through baseball channels, when I stride into the house.
“Thanks for coming over.”
When I realized I couldn’t call Tori’s cell and she wasn’t picking up the office phone—why would she?—I called Logan and asked him to check on the kids and let Tori know I was running late.
“No problemo. Wasn’t like I had plans.” His brow lifts meaningfully.
“On a Monday night?”
“Yeah, with this hot-as-fuck waitress I met last week. Thanks for cockblocking, by the way.”
I roll my eyes. God forbid my brother doesn’t get laid regularly.
He waves the remote in my direction without taking his eyes off the TV. “Do you need Joey to babysit for you this weekend? She says to call or text if you do.”
“Yeah, I might need an extra pair of hands.” I told Tori she could have the weekends off, and I don’t want to break that promise.
Joey is my brother’s best friend. She’s a couple of years younger than Logan and has helped my mom with the kids once or twice, but the girl has her hands full at home. Even though I thought to ask her about babysitting full-time, I know she’d never be able to.
“Where is everyone?” The house is quiet. Too quiet.
“Asleep, I guess.”
“Tori got Mila and Cody to bed?”
“Yuuuuup.” He keeps clicking channels. “No thanks required, bro. Don’t even mention how I found a Disney princess to be your nanny. I don’t need a pat on the back or anything.”
