“Okay.” Nichelle looks up at me, her sweet smile melting my heart.
I kiss the tip of her nose and grin down at her. “Let’s go, cupcake.”
Nichelle gives me one more squeeze before jumping out of the bed. I’ve never settled on a particular pet name for my babies. They get a little of everything, from pumpkin to sodalicious, baby to sweetness. Whatever tumbles out of my mouth, really, but they seem to love them all.
Flicking back the covers, I walk to my suitcase, pull out my fluffy robe, and wrap it around me. I know it’s nearly nine, but it feels way too early to be up and facing the entire crew. But I also don’t want to be the one holding up the party. Satch has so much stuff planned for the day, plus we’ve got the big Valentine’s dinner.
Oh yeah, it’s Valentine’s Day. Better go find my man and give him some lovin’.
Wandering down the stairs, I strain to hear Grady’s voice but end up bumping into a flustered Nylah instead.
“Hey.” I steady her shoulders when she nearly loses her balance walking into me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m looking for Harley.” She rubs her forehead, closing her eyes and so obviously counting to ten in her head.
“What did she do?”
“Nothing, really. It’s her sister I’m annoyed with. Portia said some really nasty things to her, and Harley took off. I want to find her, give her a little hug.” Her voice gets thick, and when she opens her eyes, she looks about ready to cry. “You should have seen Harley’s little face. She was crushed.”
“I’m so sorry.” I squeeze her shoulder. “Sisters can be so mean to each other sometimes. Nichelle and Kendall are awful when they want to be.”
Nylah sniffs, resting her hand on the side of her neck and nodding. “Harley’s really sensitive. I know she can be awkward sometimes and doesn’t always have the best skills in social settings, but she’s so aware of that, and to be told she’s not wanted…” Her expression crumples. “I just need her to know that she’s just as special and beautiful as Portia, and that even though they’re both so different, I love them equally.” With another little sniff, she wobbles out, “Harley’s always in the shadows, you know? And I just need her to know that she’s just as important, even if her light shines a different color to everyone else’s.”
Wow. That’s so sweet.
Rubbing Nylah’s arm, I reassure my friend. “She knows you love her. You’re her mommy and her favorite.”
Nylah’s lips twitch with a smile.
“And hey, you know what? She probably just needs a little minute to lick her wounds, and then she’ll come find you for a cuddle.” Pulling Nylah into a side hug, I rest my head against hers. “Come on, don’t stress. You look like you’re about to fall over. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll go find Harley for ya. At least let you know where she’s hiding out.”
“Really?”
“Yes, definitely.” I grin. “Give yourself a minute, and I’ll be back with a situation update soon.”
Nylah closes her eyes, looking relieved. “Thanks, Blake.” Kissing my cheek, she eases away from me and limps back toward the dining room area.
I peek my head into the living room and see that Wily and Grady have set the kids up with a game of charades that they are also playing. There’s a lot of laughter and noise, and I don’t want to disturb them. As much as I’d love their help in finding Harley, I think that sweet little girl would hate the entire house looking for her.
I’ll just quietly check each room.
Heading right, I take the corridor toward the downstairs rooms and check the office and bathroom. These quiet spaces are probably the most likely hiding spots for Harley, and I’m sure I’ll find her soon. I’ll also check the rec room; maybe she’s tucked away behind a pile of beanbags.
As I head down toward the den first, my phone starts to ring. I pull it out of my robe pocket and grin when I see Dani’s name on my screen.
“Hey, girl! How’s it going? Where are you up to?”
“Hi, Blakey.” She’s sounding pretty alert for a woman who spent her night on an airplane. “We’re doing good. Just landed at O’Hare and are collecting our bags before we head to the domestic terminal.”
“How’s Tucker coping?”
Dani groans. “He did pretty good for the first part of the flight, but the second half sucked. Poor kid just couldn’t settle, and he cried and fussed for hours. I really hope he sleeps on this next flight. It’s doing my head in.”
I laugh, remembering those early days. Kendall was a nightmare baby. She just would not sleep. It took me weeks to figure out that she was allergic to dairy and my breast milk was giving her stomachaches. I thought she was just being fussy. Poor kid.
Thankfully, we got to the bottom of it eventually and things improved.
“Everything’s just a phase,” I assure Dani, sitting down on the cool window seat in the den. It’s a cozy little spot, perfect for reading a book and looking out at the snowy landscape.
