Hannah pouts but then brightens, clearly getting excited about her options. "Okay, but can I wear my princess dress to the party on Saturday?"
I laugh. "The party’s this weekend? We’ve got to go shopping for a birthday gift for Emily."
Elle smiles, watching our back-and-forth. "It's short notice, but it sounds like you two have everything under control."
"Well," I say with a wink, "it's called teamwork."
Hannah gives me a satisfied smile, clearly agreeing with my assessment. "Fine, let’s do homework first."
***
The afternoon is warm, easily in the mid-eighties, but that doesn't stop us from having fun as we walk Elle home. Hannah skips between us, each of us holding one of her hands. She shrieks with delight every time we swing her up into the air, her laughter echoing down the road. I watch them, unsure of who's having more fun—Hannah or Elle. There's a sparkle in Elle's eyes, a joy that seems to be taking her by surprise, like she's not used to being happy.
When Hannah skips a few steps ahead of us, I turn to Elle.
"You mentioned earlier that you had a sister. You didn't finish telling me about her."
"I do," she says, but the broad smile she wore moments ago vanishes. "I haven't seen her in almost ten years. It's not something I like to talk about."
"I'm sorry," I say, offering a sympathetic look.
"It's okay. It's hard... but maybe one of these days, I'll tell you about her."
"When you're ready," I say. "I'm a pretty good listener."
She nods, her gaze drifting back to Hannah, the smile slowly returning to her lips. It's clear Hannah reminds her of her sister. A memory stitched with both warmth and pain.
"Do you want to meet tomorrow for that six-mile run?" I ask Elle when we reach her door.
"Only if we can start earlier," she says with a playful grin. "It's supposed to be another warm one."
"Hannah catches the bus at seven-fifteen," I say. "Meet you at the bus stop?"
"See you then," she says, her eyes dropping to Hannah one last time. "It was nice meeting you, Hannah."
"It was nice meeting you too," Hannah says brightly, flashing her a big smile.
"Yeah, it was really nice meeting you too," I add, matching Hannah's smile.
"Likewise," Elle says before disappearing inside.
When Hannah and I turn to leave, she looks up at me.
"I like her, Daddy. She seems nice."
"She does," I say.
"Do you like her too, Daddy?"
It’s an innocent question, but not one I’m ready to answer.
Elle is breathtakingly beautiful, but she’s guarded in a way that gives me pause. She's like a safe, carefully locked, holding something precious inside—but the combination isn’t something she gives away easily. And without it, I can't truly know what she’s hiding or who she really is.
There's something there, just out of reach, and it keeps me just as guarded in return.
***
After fixing Hannah some yogurt with sliced grapes and a touch of honey, I glance into the refrigerator to figure out dinner. There's milk, a couple of heads of broccoli, and some cream cheese.
