There’s a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Warren pops his head inside. “Hey, boss. The mechanic for the snow machine is here.” When his eyes land on my sister, his smile builds. “Hey, Dilynne.”
My sister salutes him. “Warren.”
“Staying out of trouble these days?” he asks her.
“Never. Trouble is too much fun.”
Warren laughs. “Sounds about right.” Turning back to me, he says, “Should I tell the guy to give you a few minutes?”
“Yeah, I’ll be out in five.”
Warren nods and then shuts the door behind him.
“So, what are you gonna do?” Dilynne asks, bringing me back to my predicament.
“I don’t know, Dil. But please, for the love of God, don’t tell her anything.”
She mimics zipping her lips. “My lips are sealed.”
“I fucking hope so. I am not in the position to promise a girl anything, and besides, I don’t even know if that’s what I want.”
“Well, at least stop acting like a dick to her, Henley. Gorilla man needs to stay locked up in his cage.”
“When the fuck did you start calling me gorilla man?”
She stares up at the ceiling in thought. “Honestly, I think it just came to me today.”
“Then can we erase it from your memory, please?”
She cackles before growing serious. “Absolutely not.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t even know why I asked.”
***
“Are you eating popcorn with a spoon?”
The moment I enter the living room to find Elodie sitting crisscross on the floor next to Remy lying on her playmat, the first thing I notice is what and how my nanny is eating her favorite snack.
Elodie finishes chewing before answering me. “Um, yes. Did I not mention that that’s how I normally eat it?”
My mind is still trying to process what I’m seeing. “Uh, no. You did not.”
Shrugging, she empties another spoonful into her mouth. “Well, I do.”
Sighing, I leave my wallet and my keys on the end table by the door and head toward the living room, taking a seat on the couch before greeting my daughter on the floor. “Hey, little bear cub. How was your day?”
Remy’s response is a toothless smile and coos that I’m sure means something, but no one can decipher. I lift my eyes to Elodie. “You know that’s serial killer behavior, right?”
Elodie laughs as she finishes chewing. “I think it’s actually quite genius.”
“Really? How?”
“Well, when I eat it with my hands—which I’m not opposed to, just don’t prefer—the grease and flavoring gets all over my fingers. Napkins are essential. But with a spoon, no messy fingers.” She wiggles her fingers in the air on her free hand. “If you think about it, it’s kind of like eating cereal.”
