“I would have, if asking nicely had failed.”
Her small fingers dig into my side as she grips me tighter, Duggan and his moral support squashed between us.
“You shouldn’t have had to be here alone.”
“Annabelle had to work. Nyx dropped me off, but I didn’t really wanna ask him to come in and wait with me while I panic over a breast lump.”
“A breast lump?” I barely voice the words, my throat drying. I stop there. My hand comforts her when words fail me.
“There’s a chance I’ll be okay, right? Or maybe this is karma.”
“No,” I manage, and press a kiss into her hair. “You’ll be fine.”
“Maybe.”
“Definitely. Birthday wish privileges.”
“Your birthday was yesterday, and you don’t have a candle.”
“I don’t need a candle. I’m praying to the Goddesses.”
“You trying to comfort me with witchy stuff?”
“Is it working?” I ask, looking down at the big blue eyes staring at me.
“A little. Before you got here, I kinda wanted to run. I feel really overwhelmed, like everything is too loud, like the seat is touching me wrong. I feel like pushing it over and stomping on it. ‘Dollie dramatics,’ as Mom would say.”
“Mom and Dad just didn’t know how to deal with you.”
“You mean when I had tantrums that would swallow up the space.”
“Meltdowns, because your senses work a little overtime. That’s okay. There are ways to handle it.”
“Do you remember the time she took us to the supermarket around Valentine’s Day?”
“And the cashier asked if those stuffed animals?—”
“That I insisted on having?—”
“Were for your boyfriend. Yeah, I remember.”
“Do you remember me throwing them at her and screaming?”
“I remember how red Mom’s cheeks turned, and all fifty of the apologies she started blabbing out.” The shame was so extreme that it overpowered her blush.
“I guess there was always something wrong with me. Similar things to that happened before we were taken.”
“You process things differently. Maybe you’re neurodivergent, like me.”
“You don’t act like that.”
“It’s a big spectrum, and you’ve kept things in line today.”
“Yeah, I feel like I’m pretending to be normal while worrying my ass off.”
“It’ll be fine. How about we do something later? Keep you occupied for a little while.”
“Do you feel well enough?”
