“Yes. Wow, you’re pretty smart.”
“I am,” Bennie said with an adorably arrogant sigh.
I climbed the rest of the steps slowly and knocked on Bennie’s door.
“I hate to break this up, but we need to start getting ready for bed.” I crouched on the floor in front of Bennie. “Can you help me and clean up in here while I walk Stella to her car? I’ll get your bath ready when I come back up.”
“But we were having fun,” Bennie whined, jutting her lip out into a pout.
“I’ll come back,” Stella said, pushing off the floor. “Thank you for letting me come over and share your mushroompizza.”
Bennie clobbered Stella with a hug, wrapping her arms around her thighs.
“We can have more when you come back,” Bennie said, peering up at her with a wide grin.
“I can’t wait,” Stella said, wobbling as my daughter clutched her legs.
“Good night, Stella. See you soon, Daddy,” Bennie said, and she plucked every single headband off the white carpet and shoved them into her drawer.
“She is the sweetest thing,” Stella said as we made our way down the steps. “This is going to be the best job.”
“Tell me that after you put her to bed for the first time. She has a million excuses before agreeing to put her head down on the pillow,” I said, holding my front door open for her to pass through.
“Well, she’s got a lot to say.”
“She does. I get almost-weekly calls about her talking too much in class.”
“I bet,” Stella said as she clicked the key fob. “Thank you for having me over and trusting me with your daughter. I think she’ll be exactly what I need these next few months.”
“Of course I trust you.” I stuffed my hands into my pockets and stepped closer. “And that first night in group, you said you’d been mad at your father for smoking ever since he died, and you felt terrible for it.”
“How did you…” Her brow crinkled. “You were eavesdropping on us, huh?”
“Yes. I didn’t even know I did that for you?—”
“You did a lot. So if my doing this helps you—” she nodded toward the house “—even better.”
“I hate the reason we were at that group, but I’ll always be glad I went.”
“Same,” she said, her voice a whisper.
“I’m glad Bennie will get to know you and that I could keep you safe.”
“I’m fine,” she said, dropping her gaze to the ground as she waved a hand at me. “You know, they still have groups like that.” She lifted her head to meet my gaze. “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing for you to stop by.”
“We’ll see,” I said, the same answer I’d given my sister every time she’d asked. It was probably a good idea, if I ever had the time or could work myself up to going.
“Do you want me to see Bennie again before you tell her?”
“I think Bennie will be very okay with you moving in to take care of her. You don’t need to warm her up. She’ll be excited.”
“Good.” She smiled up at me. “I am too. Good night, Lee.”
I pulled her into a quick hug before she climbed into the driver’s seat, giving me a wave as she started the engine and drove away.
After knowing Stella all my life, why did it seem like I was seeing her,reallyseeing her, for the first time?
SEVEN
