“Nah. It’s wild. They’ve got full-on graduation and everything. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.” He opens his notebook, which I see has several pages of hand-written instructions for me. “So anyway, I try to get in some work on these workbooks I found for her at least every other day. Get her in the habit of doing schoolwork, y’know? Usually that’s after breakfast, except on days when we eat with you. I haven’t been making her do it those days.”
“Miss Iris, how do you write your name?”
I glance from the notebook to Hailey, who’s looking at me expectantly, pencil poised to try writing it. “I-r-i-s.”
Hailey nods and goes back to her workbook. The expression of intense concentration as she tries writing my name is adorable. She grips her pencil so tight and presses so hard it looks like the tip will tear clean through the paper.
Finally, she lets out a triumphant shout and hops up, ripping a page from the workbook and carrying the paper over to where Micah and I still go over the instructions. She shoves the paper between the notebook and my face, grinning from ear to ear. “Look, Miss Iris! Read it!”
I take the paper from her. There, in definitive block letters, are the words “I like Niss Iris.”
“That’s good, Hailey. But this word here starts with M.”
Her face falls, and I instantly regret the critique.
Micah picks right up and continues the lesson, though, despite her disappointment. “Iris is right, hon. Remember to sound it out.MissIris.” He emphasizes the M in “miss.” “Try again. Here. Make it pretty with these.” He reaches into a drawer on the coffee table and pulls out some crayons and fresh, unlined paper, handing them to her.
Hailey takes the paper and nods, then walks back to her worktable in the corner.
“You’re so good with her. I hope I don’t upset her like that again while you’re gone.”
Micah rubs my shoulder. The touch is comforting, soothing. “The key is to be gentle with your corrections. You did fine; she was just disappointed that she didn’t get it right the first time. It’s the way she is. Don’t feel bad if she gets upset. Help her learn the right way to do it, and she’ll be fine.”
I lean my head against Micah’s shoulder. “What time do you leave again?”
His chest rumbles as he laughs. “Oh-dark-thirty. Probably before you’re even awake.”
Oh-dark-thirty I’m on my own. Got it.
Chapter 14
Micah
Poor Iris. She seems determined to stick to her commitment to watching Hailey, but she is clearly overwhelmed with everything that involves. I wonder if I’m asking too much of her, but she won’t back down. She’s all in, despite the obvious concerns and anxieties that are plaguing her.
Lunch is basic sandwiches, which I set up ahead of time for the whole time I’ll be gone. Bread, of course, then Hailey’s favorite ingredients, stacked in coordinating plastic containers in the fridge: ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, then a bit of mayo on just the top slice of bread.
Iris does a fair job of making our lunch, though I chuckle as I watch her studying the notebook of instructions between every step. She even double-checks how much juice Hailey should get with her food. I wrote to fill up a cup but to let Hailey have half a cup more if she asks because she gets thirsty. Otherwise, she needs water the rest of the day or milk with dinner. No soda, no tea. I don’t want her getting too much sugar or caffeine.
After lunch, Iris leads the three of us—with the help of my list—to go play with Hailey in the back yard for a while. When Hailey starts to get cranky, Iris takes her inside for a nap without any prompting from my instructions. I think part of it is that Iris is done with Hailey for a little while, but it could be some kind of instinct. Lisa always knew when Hailey needed to lie down. Maybe it's a woman thing.
I walk Iris to the door so she can go home and pack, but after Hailey’s breakdown the other week when she woke from her nap and I wasn’t right there, I don’t go with.
Waiting for Iris to come back is agony. I half expect her to chicken out, but to my delight she reappears twenty minutes later with a suitcase and her laptop bag. I help her set up her work equipment in my office, then carry her suitcase upstairs for her to the bedroom. Iris peeks in on Hailey on our way past her room. When she gets to my room, she directs me to set the suitcase down in the corner.
“Over there is fine. I’ll grab what I need out of it each day.”
“Cool. Do you have some pajamas you’d want to change into? We probably won’t be going outside again today; you can get comfortable.”
Iris grins. “I only brought pajamas for the nights you’ll be gone.”
“I don’t under—”
She reaches up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear. “I don’t have anything to sleep in tonight.”
Hot damn! I pull her close for a quick kiss before Hailey wakes up. Iris presses her hips against mine, and I feel her lips turn up as she rubs against my crotch. I moan and lean into her, but of course Hailey chooses that moment to come bounding into the room.
“Daddy! Miss Iris! It’s time for my show!”
