The topic gives my stomach more twists than a balloon animal. I know that Brooke intended to change her will to make me the primary guardian when Lily turned four and Margaret turned eighty, but she hadn’t lived that long, and Margaret is adamant that her guardianship is in Lily’s best interests. The elderly woman loves the child, there’s no question of that, and she’s still physically capable of caring for her, so I don’t feel like I have the right to legally challenge her. The only thing I can do is stay close to Lily and let her know that I’m there for her.
“She’s providing Lily with a loving home, and that’s what really matters.” I look around the table, eager to get out of the hot seat. “So, Sarah—what’s going on with you?”
She gives a gentle smile. She knows I’m deliberately changing the topic, and she’s kind enough to go along with it. “Well, the twins are growing like crazy. In fact, ‘crazy’ seems to be the operative word in my life right now.” She shakes her head. “Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking, having kids. There’s no peace or quiet at my house. They need constant supervision from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. There’s no reasoning with two-year-olds! The sense of home being a place to relax and recharge is completely gone.”
“It’ll get easier,” Annie says.
“Do you promise?” Sarah asks.
Annie nods. “But it might not settle down for another year or two.”
“You all are scaring me.” Lauren makes a terrified face.
“Oh, you’ll be just fine.” Sarah gives her a reassuring smile. “You’re at least a decade younger than me, and you’ll probably just have one child at a time.”
“It’s all totally worth it,” says Annie.
“Absolutely.” Sarah’s head bobs. “I complain, but when I look at them sleeping, my heart feels so full I think it might burst.”
Annie smiles, her eyes soft. “That never changes.”
“Do you still watch your son sleep?” Lauren asks.
“Oh, yeah. And he still looks like an angel when he’s sacked out,” Annie says. “Really, motherhood is the most amazing adventure. It’s incredible how fast they learn and how much enthusiasm they have about the world. I took Sean to the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium the other day, and it was like I was seeing bugs through entirely new eyes.”
“You were.” Lauren props her chin on her hands. “His.”
Annie grins. “You’re right. Whenever you introduce them to new things, it changes your outlook on them, too. Right now Sean and I are in a really good place.”
“Oh, that’s so great to hear!” Sarah says.
“Yeah. I’m trying to really enjoy it, because in another couple of years, here comes puberty.”
“You’ll be in for it then,” Mac says.
Sarah turns to him. “So, Mac—what’s going on with Kylie?”
He runs a hand through his short graying hair, which reminds me of the bristle on a schnauzer’s head. “I wish I knew. She hardly talks to me, and she refuses to visit either of her parents. I make her write them once a week. Her last letters to each of them said, ‘Uncle Mac says I have to write you, so I am.’ That was the whole letter.”
Sarah laughs. He shoots a worried look in her direction, as if he’s afraid he’s done something wrong.
“I think it’s great you’re making her send letters,” Sarah reassures him. “I just had to laugh at what she wrote. It’s such a classic teenage move.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty funny.” He gives a hesitant grin.
“Is she still seeing that therapist for kids with parents in prison?” Annie asks.
He nods. “She’s even talking in the session now. The first three times she just sat there and refused to say a word.”
“And you had to pay for that?” Lauren asks.
“Yeah.” Mac chuckles. “Kylie thought I’d give up.”
“Good for you for sticking with it,” Sarah says. “Have you gotten any helpful insights?”
Mac nods. “The therapist says Kylie identifies with her parents, but she’s ashamed of them. That means she feels a deep sense of shame about herself.” He stares at his coffee cup for a long moment. “Sometimes I’m so angry at the two of them that I can hardly stand it.”
“That’s understandable.” Sarah pats his hand, just as she had mine. Mac’s neck and ears instantly flame—it’s amazing how fast they redden—and his whole body stiffens.
