“Yes.”
“That’s so cool! Mrs. Martinez said we were like twins.”
She did? That flicker of betrayal lashes at me that everyone who has seen the two of them together sees the resemblance while my own daughter was hidden from me.
“Not twins but sisters, yeah.”
She stands, and I reach to grab her in case she loses her balance.
“Can we get matching pajamas when she sleeps over?”
“Wren…”
I want to stress the importance of how people might say things in town or at school, and how she needs to be prepared. That some people might think I had an affair because telling the truth that Kristie cheated on me would tarnish what people believed about us in town—that we were happily married, and she was the love of my life. But the real reason I don’t want anyone else to know that is because I don’t want Wren’s opinion of her mother to change.
“I can’t wait to talk to her at school tomorrow.” She runs down the dock and back to the path.
I follow, making up the distance between us. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? It changes a lot, and if you want to ask me anything, you can.”
She stops and shakes her head. “No, I’m happy. It’s going to be so much fun. Can we get bunkbeds?”
For the rest of the walk back to our house, she fires off questions about her room and how we can separate it to fit Leia. Wants to know if they can share clothes. In the ways I imagined this could go, her being ecstatic wasn’t one of them.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Delaney
Bennett and I decide a public restaurant where the girls can play games is our best option.
Now that I’m parked in the lot, waiting for Bennett and Wren to show up, driving far away seems like it would have been a much better plan.
Leia’s been quiet, staring out the window.
“How are you doing?” I ask, turning around in the driver’s seat.
“Good. They’re late.” Her voice shakes with worry, a result of Sean ditching our plans a lot because of work obligations. That kind of thing started with telling us he’d meet us there, then he’d be an hour late, and ended in him saying he couldn’t make it. I should have demanded more answers.
“They’ll be here. We’re just a little early.” I pat her leg.
Her gaze remains out the window, and I pick up my phone to text him. Just as I’m debating what to say, his truck pulls in next to me.
“They’re here!” Leia says, surprise in her voice.
Please, please, Bennett, do not hurt her.
He quickly climbs out of the truck and holds his hands up as an apology. It’s so rare that he’s ever late.
Leia unbuckles herself, and her hand goes to the door handle.
I climb out of my car while Bennett helps Wren out.
Then it’s all four of us in the parking lot of a pizza place, staring at each other.
“Hey, sis!” Wren wraps her arm tightly around Leia.
It takes Leia a moment, but then she clings just as tightly to Wren, and they’re both smiling as though we’re in the Disneyland parking lot, getting ready to spend our entire day there.
Bennett’s gaze lands on me over their heads.
