“Says who? You two are both my favorite,” Rafe replied as he handed the Avery the pink starfish. Addison snatched the purple one, turning it over in her small fingers.
“We can keep these?” she asked. “We can take them to school?”
“Yep. Think of it as your good luck charm. I feel like you can’t go wrong with a starfish in your pocket.”
“What do you say, girls?”
“Thank you,” they responded in tandem. Sloan swallowed to keep herself from bursting into tears. “Let’s go!” The four of them piled into the Tahoe and they were off.
Sloan could only describe the scene at Whippoorwill as adorable chaos. Rafe helped her unload the girls and volunteered to stay with the car while she got them to their classroom. She spotted Mrs. Brown with ease, in the middle of the kindergarten hallway. She was occupied with a screaming little boy who did not want to leave his mother’s side. Sloan glanced down at both girls, but they were in their own world. Calm and focused. Sloan wished she could the same for herself. She was so close to losing it. Her saving grace was standing right across the hall. She made eye contact with Xeni and felt like she could breathe again.
“It’s the fabulous Copeland girls!” Xeni cheered. The girls made a beeline for her.
“Hi Miss Xeni,” Avery said. “Look at my starfish.”
“That is so pretty.”
“I got one too,” Addison said. “They’re good luck charms from Rafe.”
“Oh, I’m always on board for a good good luck charm. How are you holding up, mom?” she asked with a wink.
“I’m gonna cry. Is that normal?”
Xeni held out her hand and slipped her a small pack of tissues. “Absolutely. You guys should go find your cubbies! I’ll see you at recess,” she said to the girls. Sloan walked them across the hall and greeted Mrs. Brown. Sloan bent down and hugged and kissed them both.
“Rafe will be here to pick you up and I’ll be home in plenty of time to put you to bed.”
“Okay,” they both said, Avery with a little more confidence. Her heart nearly split in two when Addison reached over and grabbed her sister’s hand.
“Your cubbies are right next to each other. Come on, I’ll show you,” Mrs. Brown said. Sloan stood in the door and watched as their teacher showed them where they would be keeping their things. After Mrs. Brown directed them to a round table where two other kids were already seated, Sloan knew she had to go.
Xeni was busy talking to another set of parents, but she caught Sloan’s eye and gave her a little wave before Sloan headed back out to the car. As soon as Rafe pulled into traffic, he reached over with his free hand and intertwined their fingers. Sloan stayed silent as they took the short trip over to the Medical Center campus. She didn’t mean to close Rafe out, but she thought if she said anything she’d burst into tears. When they arrived, Rafe put the Tahoe in park and turned to her.
“You sure you don’t want me to pick you up?”
“Yeah. You’ll have to pack up the girls and bring them with you. It’s more energy than it’s worth. I can get a Lyft.”
“They’re gonna be okay.”
“I know. I just wasn’t prepared to feel—I don’t know. This shit is intense,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I feel like I abandoned them to the world. What if there’s a biter in their class? Biters are the worst.”
“There’s definitely a biter in the bunch. There always is, but you think Avery is going to take any shit from a biter?”
“No,” Sloan laughed.
“They’re ready and you got them there.”
“I guess I did. The starfish were a nice touch.”
“Tiny pieces of plastic don’t compare to the rigors of childbirth and six years of rearing, but I’m sure I’ll be mentioned in an acceptance speech at some point. And don’t worry, I bought like forty of those things. It’s okay if they lose them.”
“Good call. I have a consult in half an hour and I have some paperwork to follow up with. I should head inside.”
“Can I kiss you or will that get the hospital rumor mill started?” Rafe asked as he continued to stroke his fingers over the back of her hand. Sloan leaned over the center console and pressed her lips to his to answer his question. She kept it nice and PG. Still, a certain kind of heat started spreading through her chest. She was a complete wreck inside, but for the first time in a long time she felt like she wasn’t alone. When she pulled back, Rafe reached up and brushed his thumb over her cheek.
“I keep my personal life out of the hospital and I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping people out of my business. If anyone asks, I’ll deflect like a champ.”
“Oh, well that answers that. Text me if you change your mind about the ride.”
