I head back to my laptop, sure I’ll be able to get some work done now, and make a mental note to keep an eye on her. She might have agreed, but something tells me this is a lesson we’re going to have to keep coming back to for a while.
We need to teach her it’s okay for her to be soft; strong independence is usually born out of necessity, and it won’t be needed anymore, not if we can help it.
I’ve developed a bit of an addiction in the days since I thought Kat went missing, checking on her through the cameras. At first, I told myself I was simply keeping an eye on her to ensure she didn’t do something silly, like try to shovel or whatever else she thought she needed to do.
She hasn’t yet, but I still find myself watching.
Which is how I discovered her trying to break her damn neck, up on a ladder hanging… paper snowflakes.
“Jesus fuck.” I fumble to pull my phone from my pocket and call Vince as I watch her sway twenty feet in the air. Addy continues to color and cut projects at the table on the other side of the room.
“Pick up the damn phone,” I hiss as it rings for the third time, and I feel the panic choking me.
Where the hell is Vince that she was able to do this in the first place?
“What?” he sounds out of breath and more than a little irritable—well, more irritable than usual for Vince, at least. His attitude is annoying, considering he’s the one fucking up right now, but I ignore it because I have more important things to worry about right now.
“Want to explain how Kat got her ass on a twenty-foot ladder?” I ask, eyes still glued to my monitor as I watch her climb down and grab another snowflake. I groan in frustration as I watch her move back up it again, even as her hips swing to a song she sings along to that I can’t hear.
All in all, she’s painting a beautiful picture right now, but that ladder.
God, all I can think about is her clumsiness coming out and…
No.
“What!” Vince seethes, and I hear him stomping through the house, no doubt off to find her.
“What in the fucking hell do you think you’re doing, Katherine!” he shouts as he bursts into the room, and I watch her jump on the video as Addy laughs and tells Vince he owes the swear jar.
“Jeez, Vince,” Kat scolds him as she grips the side of the ladder with white knuckles. “You scared me!”
“Iscaredyou?”
“Yes, why are you shouting?”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he grumbles to himself as he moves toward the ladder, and I would have missed it had we not still been on a call.
“Get down.” He stands at the bottom of the ladder, glaring up at her as he points at the ground.
Kat doesn’t move, and I swear Vince’s eye twitches as he holds her gaze. It takes too long before she finally moves, stomping down the ladder, huffing and puffing, before her feet finally hit the ground in front of him, leaving them nearly chest to chest.
“I was putting up decorations, Vince, nothing crazy. You’re being ridiculous.”
“You were twenty feet in the air. Next time you need something with a ladder, get one of us.”
“I don’t need a man for every single little thing. I’m not helpless.” She turns and walks away, but she doesn’t make it far.
Some of his anger melts away as he reaches out and stops her, pulling her back around to face him.
“I know you’re not helpless. You’re strong, stronger than you should have ever had to be. I know you don’tneedus.” He reaches out and hooks his finger under her chin so that she's forced to look up at him. “But I want you to look to us when you need help, to know we’re here and not only willing but waiting for you to call on us. You’re not alone anymore, little beauty, so start acting like it. We’ve got you.”
Kat stands, looking up at him with wide eyes for a moment before she seems to shake herself from her shock.
I can’t blame her; that was pretty deep for Vince, but she seems to have that effect on all of us.
She gives him a slight nod, and he smiles at her, just the barest hint of his lips pulling up, but I can see the way her cheeks fill with color.
Vince lets his hand fall back to his side and finally presses his phone back to his ear.
