“You’re…” Tears start to tumble down her cheeks. “You’ve been so nice to me, and you’re so…” She lifts her hand, gesturing towards me. “And I’m so…”
“Oh, honey…” I step towards her and Skylar practically throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “It’s okay.” I slowly stroke her hair. “It’s all going to be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” she says again, her wet face pressed against my hoodie.
“I know.”
“Please, forgive me.”
“It’s okay, relax.”
She pulls away from me and studies my expression. “I promise that I’ll make it up to you. I’ll work really hard, I’ll let Carter help me. I won’t mess up anything else.”
I smile at her. “I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“So you’ll give me another chance?”
“As long as you’re on-time and ready to work on your first day back after your suspension.”
She dries her eyes, finally smiling up at me.
“You can count on me.”
“Shall we get your father now? What do you reckon?”
She nods, and I head towards the coffee table to grab my phone and send him a message.
“Ms Hill?”
“Mmm?”
“Even though Kerry doesn’t deserve you, will you give him a chance, too?”
I open my mouth to respond, then realise that I have no idea what to say.
“He messes up a lot, like me. Maybe it runs in the family.”
“Skylar…”
“I know that he hasn’t been the best father, and sometimes he has no clue what he’s doing. But I think he’s being honest about how he feels.”
I sigh anxiously; I’m starting to believe that, too.
“I think he likes you. And I think you’d be good for him.”
“Really?” Okay, fine. I’m asking confirmation from a teenager.Hisdaughter, at that.
She nods, smiling.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.”
I turn back to my phone and type out a quick message, telling him to come back upstairs, before placing it back on the table. I grab my plate of leftovers and take it into the kitchen, as Skylar looks around, Caramel close at her heels. She seems to have taken a liking to the cat.
