Yeah, he’s most definitely into her.
***
“Daddy!” Hannah’s voice rings out before I even see her.
Beth is close behind, trying to run a brush through Hanna's hair. “Hold on, Hannah!” she exclaims.
“Hannah Banana!” I scoop her into my arms, then reach over to give Beth a quick hug.
“What time did you get in?” Beth asks, peering over my shoulder to see what’s on the stove.
“About nine,” I say. “Want some oatmeal with fruit?”
“Bananas?” she asks.
“And blueberries,” I say.
They both sit at the table, watching me with wide eyes.
“Well?” Beth says. “How did it go?”
“Yeah, Daddy! Did somebody buy your furniture?” Hannah echoes.
“Yes, they did,” I say, realizing just how much I missed my girls. “I’m going to be making rocking chairs, tables, benches, armoires, dinette sets…”
“So, for sure you’re moving,” Beth says.
“Looks that way,” I admit, shooting her a reassuring smile. “But we’ll be back often. As busy as I’ll be, anytime Hannah’s on school break, we’ll come home to see you all.”
“You promise?” Beth asks, her expression starting to fall.
“Of course,” I say. “There’s no way we’d ever miss a birthday or a holiday.”
"Ugh," Hannah groans. "I forgot my coat upstairs."
"Run and go get it," I say. "We'll wait for you."
Once Hannah is out of earshot, Beth starts tugging at the sleeve of her sweater.
"What is it, Bethy?"
“I don’t know if I wasn’t supposed to tell Elle, but I did.”
“It’s not a secret,” I assure her gently. “It’s okay.”
"Will you talk to her about it?" Beth asks, her tone hopeful.
"If she wants to," I say, handing her a bowl of oatmeal.
"She was shocked," Beth says. "And not at all happy about it."
"I live next door to her," I point out. "And I haven't seen her in weeks. Moving to New York isn't what's putting distance between us. Do you really think it'll make any difference if I'm here or in New York?"
Beth doesn’t answer my question. Probably because she knows I’m right.
“If she wanted to see me,” I continue, “she would've joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. I was the one who reached out and personally invited her. She said she had plans. She didn’t show up because she didn’t want to be anywhere near me.”
Beth shifts in her seat. “That’s not true.”
