"What do you think?" I asked her.
She made a noncommittal noise. "I think I like talking to him, and it's nice to get out of the house. I wish Mom wasn't marrying him."
"Does your momma love him?" I asked.
Again, she made the noise. "She says she does, but I think you love Violet more."
I just chuckled. "You're jumping the gun there a bit, kid. Violet and I are just getting to know each other."
"But it's been, like, weeks and weeks!"
A little longer than that, but she didn't need to know all my business. "Well, at my age, I move a little slower. But I called because I have a question for you."
"Ok?" she asked.
"What do you think of Brody? Real talk, cupcake. I'm being a jealous dad and want the... what do you call it?"
"Tea," she said. "I dunno. I wish I could live with you."
"Why's that?"
"Because you're fun," she said. "Because you talk to me, and listen to me."
"Yeah, but you're in that nice house now, and you know my place is kinda bad." I looked around, realizing there was no "kinda" to it. "So what is it really?"
"I dunno," she mumbled.
"Faith, you can talk to me, sweetie. Is there something about Brody that bothers you? Maybe something you aren't sure of? Your mom? What's going on?"
"It's like Mom never notices me anymore," she said. "She's always busy with one thing or another. The wedding, youth group, or she has these friends who do a wine club. Brody introduced her to them. She's home all day, mad because she has to clean up after him, and it's like, as soon as he gets home, she's out the door."
"But he's ok, right?" I asked.
"I guess," she drawled. "He's always willing to watch me - but I'm too old to be watched! You know that Amy Miller has been allowed to stay home alone since she was ten. I'm almost thirteen, and Brody says I'm too young to be alone. He's all worried about me getting in trouble and no one being here, but he just sends me to my room!"
"Alone, right?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah. Who else would be in my room?"
Well, at least there was that. "Oh, I just was wondering if you two played games in there or something. I know he's into those things, and you keep asking about them. Wondered if maybe you're sneaking a little screen time on the sly."
"I wish," she said. "And Flawed says I can play it when I'm thirteen."
"Fourteen," I corrected. "I checked, so don't fudge the numbers."
"You're no fun," she teased.
"So, he doesn't let you play with him?" I asked again. "Because, if you're playing with a parent, then it's ok. If I was around, I'd let you play some games, but I can't be, and I know there are creeps online."
"No, he says his games are only for adults." She sighed. "No, Brody's ok. He kinda isn't even here most of the time. Like, you know, here but not? That's him. It's Mom."
"What about your mom?" I asked. "Is she giving you a hard time about something?"
"She says I have a tummy and I should lose it by the wedding. She wants me to do thirty sit-ups every day. I tell her I do, but I don't. Violet says that it won't work anyway. She said that those things are just fads to make someone feel good about trying and justified about failing. And Cy says that I'm exactly right for my age. I told Mom that and she said I'd look better in my dress if I was slimmer."
"For the wedding?" I asked, making sure I was keeping up.
"Yeah, Dad. What other dress am I going to wear?" She made a noise under her breath, then changed the subject. "Hey, what are you getting me for my birthday?"
