“Ow.”
Doug watched her. “Well?”
“Well what?” she asked. “I went to brunch with Emily. We went so she could see the dog. It wasn’t a date.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“It wasn’t. And there was no action whatsoever.”
“Pity.” Benny shook his head.
“Yes, well, if Sherry’s mom would call me back about a sleepover, I might be able to remedy that.”
Her friends perked up.
“You don’t have to wait for Sherry’s mom. We can watch her,” Benny offered.
“Yeah,” Doug said. “She can sleep over at our place. We always love having her.”
“Thanks, but I feel bad always relying on you two. Besides, Dina owes me.”
Her phone pinged. Great timing. She looked down to see Dina’s message confirming a sleepover at her house for Tuesday night. “Perfect. Tuesday night.” She smiled wide. “Now I just need to get Studly to agree to come over.”
“Oh, I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Text him now.” Doug motioned to her phone.
She felt like a teenager gossiping about boys with her friends, but she texted him anyway with a promise to call tomorrow, since he had asked her to.
Her phone chimed immediately. Reggie had sent her a thumbs-up.
“Did you get an eggplant?” Doug asked. “Because that’s a little forward.”
“Doug.” She blushed. “Stop it. He said yes, is all.”
“Nice. You’re cooking dinner, hmm? What are you going to make?”
“I don’t know. Maybe my famous chicken masala.”
Benny gasped. “Oh, my favorite. Can we come over?”
“No.”
The guys laughed. They spent the remainder of the evening playing cards, and Emily joined them for a game of Jenga.
After her friends left, Maggie waited for Emily to brush her teeth and wash her face. She joined Emily in her room, pleased with her daughter’s cleanup effort. Emily had a tendency toward being disorganized and claimed she “needed the mess to stir her creative side.” Benny had taught her that, for which Maggie had thoroughly chastised him. But the damage was done.
For Emily to have cleaned with such thoroughness meant the little imp wanted something.
“Wow. I’m so impressed with your room.” Clothes in the hamper, dusted shelves, toys all put away, and even a few clothes messily folded and sitting on her chair in the corner. The plush mini armchair Maggie had reupholstered with a synthetic purple velvet had become Emily’s favorite item next to Brownie. Emily liked to sit in and dictate orders from “her throne.”
Emily got in bed and let Maggie tuck her in. Maggie kissed Emily and Brownie, the stuffed bear snuggled next to her daughter under the covers. She sat on the bed and stroked her daughter’s hair. Sometimes it amazed her that she’d given birth to someone so wonderful. Love filled her to the brim, the feeling so visceral, it brought tears to her eyes. She’d been so lucky despite so many setbacks in her past. And she knew it.
“I love you, Ninja Princess.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
Ah, back to Mommy. Maggie swallowed a sigh of relief. “That’s Queen Mommy, isn’t it?”
Emily giggled. She clutched Brownie, and Maggie wished she’d brought in her phone to snap a quick picture. Before she could get up to leave, Emily grabbed her good hand.
