I step just a little closer.
“I know there’s something you haven’t shared with me yet. But I also know you’re worth it.”
"You can do better than me, Cal."
"But I want you."
***
Elle is setting the table for dinner while I man the grill outside.
Hannah has just finished her homework and is now stuffing it into her backpack along with a jumble of crayons and a notebook.
“Easy there, Princess,” I call out from my post. “You want that paper to survive the trip back to school.”
“Here,” Elle says, stepping over. “Let me help you pack.”
I watch from the patio, quietly in awe as Elle kneels beside Hannah and patiently walks her through the process, slotting each item into its proper place inside the backpack. She smooths out the single sheet of homework,folds it neatly in half, and lays it carefully on top before zipping the backpack shut.
“You’re all set,” she says, offering Hannah a warm, genuine smile.
“Thank you!” Hannah exclaims, throwing her arms around Elle without hesitation.
Elle wraps her arms around Hannah’s small frame and closes her eyes, like she’s holding on for dear life. For a moment, something flickers across her face, grief, maybe. Is that a tear?
I look away, giving her a second of privacy, just as she quickly swipes it away and glances toward me, checking if I noticed.
What are you not saying, Elle? What could be so painful, so terrible, that you can't share it—not even with me?
***
After dinner, Elle and Hannah sit cross-legged on the rug by the coffee table, a deck of brightly colored Go Fish cards scattered between them. Hannah lets out a triumphant “Ha!” as she snatches a pair from Elle’s hand.
“You're ruthless,” Elle teases, pretending to pout. “I might cry.”
“You can’t cry during Go Fish,” Hannah says with mock seriousness. “That’s the rules.”
I chuckle from the kitchen, where I’m loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. “I don’t know… I’ve seen Elle cry over a badly cooked omelet.”
“That was one time!” Elle calls out, laughing.
By the time I’m wiping down the counters, I notice Hannah yawning wide enough to swallow a cookie whole and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
“It’s bedtime, Princess,” I say, walking over and lifting her backpack from the floor. “Let’s go brush your teeth before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“I should get going,” Elle says, rising and dusting off her jeans.
“Can you wait until I come back?” I ask, catching her gaze.
She pauses, then nods. “Okay.”
“Have a good night, sweetie,” she tells Hannah.
“Good night, Elle,” Hannah replies around another yawn, her voice sleepy and soft.
After I tuck Hannah in and kiss her goodnight, I turn off the light and gently shut the door to her bedroom. I return to find Elle leaning against the porch rail, arms folded loosely, eyes trained on something far away. She's so lost in thought she doesn’t notice me until I’m right beside her.
“Thanks for waiting,” I say, nudging her lightly with my arm.
