Livvy placed her hand on her sister-in-law’s shoulder and handed her a napkin, her sinuses feeling a little tickle. Sadia was so stoic, it was easy to forget she’d lost her husband not too long ago. “He did. I’m sorry.”
Sadia wiped her eyes. “I’m not Paul. I’m not a business genius or a magnetic person.”
“I have savings—” Livyy began, but Sadia shook her head.
“I can’t take money from you.”
“I’m family, as you like to point out. And those are my brother’s debts.”
“And now they’re mine,” Sadia said quietly. “Mine to deal with. Just because I didn’t know about them is no reason for you to have to hand over your life savings.”
She thought about Nicholas’s offer. Livvy hated feeling so useless. “What if I could get you more than market value for the café?”
For a second, Sadia looked tempted, but then she shook her head. “What would I do if I didn’t have this place? I have a high school degree and no real skills. I can’t move, and take Kareem away from your mom and my sisters and his cousins. My choices are limited.”
“I want to help you.”
“You are.” Sadia pressed her hand over Livvy’s and squeezed. “You’re here.”
“I’m going to leave soon.” She said it more for herself than for Sadia.
“I know.” Sadia lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t mean you’re here physically. Being able to see you like this, for a day or a week or a month, is great, but I meant you’re here.” She indicated her heart. “I’m always in your pocket and you’re always in mine, aren’t you?”
Livvy swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Always.”
“Plus, I’m going to assume I’ll see you more now, right?”
“Yes.” She wouldn’t be able to stay away for another decade, no matter what happened with Nicholas. She needed these connections far too much.
Sadia relaxed. “Good. You have much more to teach Kareem. I caught him explaining to his friend that his cool aunt Livvy is afucking tattoo artist.”
Livvy squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes.”
“I’m so sorry. I swear, I’ll watch my mouth next time I babysit.” The words fell from her lips so easily.Next time.
Sadia, thank God, looked more amused than annoyed. “Please. Now, tell me what you’ve been doing. I haven’t seen you all week.”
What am I doing, or who am I doing?Yeah, she wasn’t quite ready to talk about Nico. “I saw Grandpa John,” she said quietly.
Sadia pursed her lips in a soundless whistle. “Wow.”
“Yes.”
“What was that like?”
“Fantastic. Better than anything I could have imagined.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “He hugged me.”
“As he should. You’re eminently huggable.”
“He said he would have come to Paul’s funeral, but he didn’t want to upset us.”
A shadow moved behind Sadia’s eyes. “How kind of him.”
“Nicholas said the same thing.”
“Nicholas? You saw him again?”
