“What are you working on?”
She spun her chair around to face me. “Gina asked me to draw a portrait of her with her favorite character from this manga she likes. It’s kind of weird, but it’s for her birthday, so I couldn’t say no.”
I took a step into her room, then hesitated. Since I’d never been a teenage girl, I wasn’t well versed in the protocol, but with Scarlet, I always leaned on the side of caution. It was important she always felt like her space was her own.
She sighed. “You don’t have to be invited in, you know. You’re not a vampire.”
“Thank you. I don’t want to assume.” I crossed her plush carpet, perching beside her on the end of her bed. She handed me the tablet, showing me what she was working on.
“Wow. The details are outstanding.” I wasn’t familiar with the character, but I recognized Gina, her friend from school. “How long have you been working on this?”
“Um…a while.” She took the tablet from me, poking at the screen several times. “Looks like—just about seven hours.”
I jerked my head back. “Seven hours? That’s quite a birthday gift.”
She shrugged. “Gina’s turning sixteen. It’s a pretty big deal.”
“Is it?”
Again, she sighed. “Yeah, it is. I know you were in college when you were sixteen, but fornormalpeople, it’s a milestone. Gina’s getting a car for her birthday. She’ll be able to drive me places, so Grandpa—”
“Drive you places?” I grimaced. “Gina is a child. How can that be legal?”
Scarlet put her iPad down and spoke to me likeIwas a child. “Here’s the thing, Uncle Sally, most people get their license whenthey’re sixteen. Andmostpeople can’t wait to be independent and drive themselves around.”
“Ihavemy license.”
“But you hate driving.”
That was true. I always had. I preferred being driven most places so I could optimize my time by doing work during my commutes. But even when I was younger, I’d had no desire to control a moving vehicle.
“I also hate the idea of you being driven by a child,” I repeated. “Your grandpa or Igor can take you wherever you need to go.”
“Right, but I’d be with Grandpa or your driver. Igor’s nice and all, but if I had a choice, that would be a big fat no.”
I held up one hand. “Let’s table this for now.”Until I come up with a long list of all the reasons riding in a car with Gina is a terrible idea.“How was your first day at work?”
She brightened. “It was literally perfect. Bea’s the coolest boss. She didn’t even get annoyed when I asked a million questions, plus she said I’m a really fast learner. I think she’s going to keep me.”
When Scarlet told me she’d gotten a job working for Bea, I’d thought I was hallucinating. How could that have happened under my nose? It hadn’t been part of the plan in any way. Then Lacey and Talon mentioned they’d fallen in love with her dog, and my father thought she looked like an old-time movie star, and I’d realized I had lost control over this piece of the puzzle.
So I’d let it go.
It was happening whether I approved or not—and maybe that was for the best.If I inserted myself, I might tilt the precarious balance before it even existed. It made more sense to let their relationships unfold naturally, without any interference from me.Theyweren’t biased. They had no trouble being honest with me. They’d come to their own conclusions. So I stayed back and let them move forward. I couldn’t move them like chess pieces. Only time would tell how it would all play out.
“She’ll keep you. Just remember, if it becomes too much, you don’t have to work.”
“How could I forget? You and Grandpa remind me all the time.”
She propped her chin on her fist, her eyes sliding toward her window. “Did you know the guy who lives right next door to Bea is a professional rugby player? His name is Ben Wells. I looked him up. He’s kind of famous. I mean, in the rugby world. None of my friends follow rugby, but I sent them his picture, and now they’re all fans.”
I was well aware of who all our neighbors were. I wouldn’t have moved my family into a house without researching everyone in the immediate vicinity. That was common sense.
“Did you meet him?”
She nodded with enthusiasm. “He has a key to Bea’s place and lets himself in. She pretended to be annoyed, but I don’t think it really bothered her. They’re really good friends. He took Benjamin for a walk then helped us carry all the catering supplies to her SUV. I ship them.”
“Ship them?”
