“Millie’s hair is pretty,” Eloise interrupts with a big smile. “It’s like mine and Mama’s.” She runs her fingers through the strands on my shoulder.
Her bright blue eyes connect with mine, and hers are filled with comfort. My chin dips, and I give her a watery smile. Her sweet innocence casts a spell over my sorrow, drowning out all the terrible things I’ve heard today and replacing them with her heartfelt sentiment.
Sally and the chef interrupt the thick tension in the room, carrying dinner plates to the table. I pull my attention away from Eloise to thank Sally as she deposits mine in front of me.
The chef stands behind Richard and introduces her dinner to us. “Ms. Serena has requested a seared duck breast with tamarind-sesame sauce this evening. Along with that, we have a chilled sprout soup with pancetta, sous vide egg yolk, caviar, and yuzu hollandaise.”
I don’t know what most of that is, but the savory herbs smell delicious, so I paste on a gracious smile. Sally sets the same plate in front of Avery and Eloise, and I have to stifle a laugh at their bewilderment.
“Mother, were you planning one of the foods we discussed for the girls?” Finn asks tightly.
“They can eat the same thing as the adults, Finneas. If they don’t like it, they can go hungry.”
He clears his throat. “That’s not how I’m raising Avery and Eloise.” Finn’s voice is stern as he levels his mother with a glare. “They’re encouraged to try everything, but they are always offered at least one safe food that I know they like.”
She gives him an identical look, and the room chills as they stare each other down in a battle of wills across the table.
Serena breaks eye contact first, flicking her gaze in my direction. “Is this something you put in his head?”
Finn sets his glass down with athud, sloshing a few drops of wine across his fancy dinner. “This is something Clara requested. And I will uphold her wishes.”
Serena rubs her crimson-tipped nails across her forehead. “Oh, this again. You take every chance to bring up being the guardian ofmygrandchildren. Who’s taking care of them while you’re withMillie?” She spews my name like it’s sour milk.
The words hit Finn with an almost invisible flinch, but I catch it. Knowing his worries about being a good caregiver for Avery and Eloise, I’m sure that cut him exactly how his mother intended it to.
Richard finally joins the conversation. “Maybe if Clara had left them with us, like she should’ve, they would be able to eat like sophisticated children. Instead of sitting in these ridiculous tie-dye ensembles, expecting junk food.”
The entire room freezes for a brief moment. No one breathes.
But then the words land. Finn’s chair scrapes against the wood floors at the same time as mine, the sound like nails on a chalkboard as it grates in my ears. Both of us stand to defend the girls, who look terrified and disgusted by their grandparents. Fury laces Finn’s features as he bends to stare down his parents, his fists clenched on the ivory tablecloth.
“How sweet.” Serena’s mocking voice makes my ears ring. “Your little nanny is trying to pretend she’s a part of this.”
“Millie,” Finn keeps his eyes on his mother as he says in a low voice. “Please take Avery and Eloise to the car.”
I nod and help the girls out of their chairs. They walk quietly toward the door, and Sally is there with her arms out for them. She wraps them in a hug, hidden around the corner from the view of Serena and Richard. Ave and El rest their cheeks on Sally’s shoulder while she whispers something to them with a sad smile.
Serena snips, “At least she listens. I could never get you and Clara to do that.” I whip my head back in their direction.
“This”—Finn pokes a finger between the two of them—“is exactly why they don’t live with you. I don’t care how much money you have or how big your house is. None of that matters more than love and compassion and kindness.” He looks like a dangerous shadow looming over their fancy dinner. I’ve seen many dark glares from him, but I would never want to be on the receiving end ofthatone.
His voice is a lethally low tone as he adds, “I don’t care how you decide to live your lives at this point, but we will not be a part of it, because none of us deserve this treatment.”
“Really?” Serena brushes imaginary crumbs from the tablecloth. “Are you going to run off with thatgirl? She gets to see our grandchildren, and we don’t?”
I flinch back from her patronizing tone, fire blazing through my veins.
Finn’s fist bangs against the table, and the wineglasses teeter. “Shut yourfuckingmouth about the woman I love. We’re done.” His chair crashes to the ground as he turns to leave.
***
My stomach churns in the car, sweat accumulating on the back of my neck. I can’t get the image out of my head of Serena’s face morphing into Kyle’s.
Her words, her sneers, her casual dismissals. It’s alljustlike him.
And I want to believe they’re both wrong. I want to focus on the people I care about in this car with me and leave everything that just happened in their stuffy, oversized prison of a house.
But her words echo in my ears nonstop until they’re all I can hear.
