Why were Em’s palms sweaty against the paint of the wall?
Oh, right, because she was listening to things that weren’t meant for her to hear.
Things she should really bring up with Ethan. Because even if they were upfront with the kids about what this really was between them, the girls clearly didn’t believe it.
She scooted Sketch, the new beagle puppy, off the mattress in her room and started to remake the bedding. He jumped right back up, practically daring her to try that again.
“Sketch,” she said pointing to the floor. “Down.”
This was a work in progress, and he didn’t know this command yet. Or any.
“Down,” she said again, pointing to the floor.
Nothing.
She sat cross-legged on the carpet. “See? It’s fun down here.”
A slight shift in the corner of her vision had her turning that way. Annie waited in the hallway outside with her hand on the bathroom handle.
Annie watched Em with a reverent gaze. Not obnoxious like, and not with a lot of frustration or concern. There was a quizzical look in her eye that made Emmaline want to scoop her into her arms and give her a hug.
She wouldn’t because Annie was a preteen and Em was fairly confident anything like that would embarrass her.
“Hi,” she said instead. “You okay?”
Annie nodded, her expression softening. “I’m okay.”
Em got up and moved toward Annie. “You sure?”
“Mom?” Fiona asked, then she stopped Em before she could step into the hallway. She rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Can you go somewhere else? We’re talking. C’mon, Annie.”
Fiona gestured back to her bedroom.
Annie scooted right inside.
Em didn’t move because she didn’t exactly know what to do when her ten-year-old caught the attitude virus.
So she followed them to the door of Fiona’s room to find out what was so important they were kicking her out.
“This isprivate.” Fiona made enormous eyes at Emmaline in an impressive imitation of how her grandma looked when she asked Fiona for a minute so she could chat with Emmaline. “It’s important.”
Oh. Well, in that case Em needed to know even more what was going on in their world.
Fiona closed the door. Right in Em’s face.
She did not.
Emmaline opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened. Closed.
The doorbell chimed, saving Fiona from any further motherly embarrassment via her presence alone, and immediate consequences. Which was good, since Em had no idea what the punishment for this kind of thing would even be.
She checked the doorbell video-app on her phone and her breath whooshed right out of her lungs.
Ethan was waiting outside for her. Or Annie.
Definitely Annie. He was only waiting for his kid.
Em pulled open the door wide so he could come inside.
