“Dolly, go get ready for bed. I’ll be in to tuck you in soon,” I instruct when we walk through the front door. “And don’t forget to brush your teeth.”
Thankfully she complies, and Claire and I are left alone in the dimly lit kitchen.
“We should talk about what happened tonight,” I begin.
The whole encounter blindsided me. And it shook me to my core for reasons I haven’t disentangled yet.
“No, Ash. No more talking. Please.” She holds up a hand, her chest heaving with labored breaths, like she’s trying to keep her cool. “I—I’m leaving in the morning.”
My heart plummets to the floor. “What? But?—”
“I’ll tell Bea goodbye before I go, of course. I promise I won’t sneak out on her, but I think it’s best if we don’t let this drag out.”
“This… meaning…?”
She sighs. “Us. The summer. It’s been fun. Really. Working here has been a surprising delight and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m sure we’ll cross paths in the not-so-distant future. My brother and Joey will have to settle on a date to get married eventually.” She laughs pitifully, looking away. “And I hope you’ll let me know when you’re in the city. I’d love to see Bea.”
Bea.
Not me. She didn’t say she’d like to seeme.
Why is her tone so formal all of a sudden? She’s speaking to me like a colleague rather than a… a what? A hookup buddy? Is that all I’ve been to her?
She rests a hand on my shoulder and pushes up on her toes. Her lips skim across my cheek in a chaste kiss before she walks down the hall.
I sit hunched over the counter for a long time before I remember that Bea is waiting on me.
But when I open her door, she’s not in her room. Assuming she crawled into my bed, I check there next, but my room is empty. My heart gallops and concern threads its way through me. I’m just about to call out for her when I hear whispers coming from Claire’s bedroom.
The door is cracked and the side lamp is on, shining enough light to illuminate my daughter and Claire beneath the sheets. Claire’s arm is wrapped around Bea while Bea rests her head on Claire’s chest. Two picture books and Bunny lie atop the comforter.
Swiftly, I step off to the side so they won’t catch me eavesdropping.
“Are you excited about kindergarten?” Claire asks.
“Mm-hmm. My teacher seems nice. And I know Winnie and Jackson from pre-k.”
“That’s good. Friends help make things easier.”
Just when I think the conversation is over, Claire says, “I have to go home tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Sweetie, you know I was working for Daddy’s camp just for the summer.”
“Do you have a new job?”
“Um. I will,” she replies.
“Will I see you again?”
My daughter’s innocent question tears my heart in two. Bythe sound of Claire’s sniffle, I imagine she’s having big feelings too.
“Oh, Dolly. Of course. Your Uncle Ezra is like a big brother to me, so when you visit him and Lee Lee, I’ll make sure to come see you. And maybe if you ask nicely, Daddy will let you FaceTime me. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” she agrees. “If Uncle Ezra is your big brother, does that make me and you family too?”
Another sniffle fills the silence, but Claire manages to choke out a response. “I guess so. Yeah. Yes. That makes us family.”
