Maggie shrugged, and I knew what she was thinking. You did what you had to do for your family. I looked over at Frankie, watching as her face beamed with happiness and laughter as Cami told her a story.
My life became about her the day the social worker placed her in my arms. I didn’t want to think about what I would have endured if her father hadn’t decided to relinquish his rights.
She’d been living with us for months when Miss Fredricks told us they’d located her father, and already, I was in love. For weeks, I cried myself to sleep, convinced he would take her away.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t give birth to her. Frankie was my daughter, and I would do anything to keep her safe.
Chapter Seven
Katrina
Frankie hadn’t stopped talking about Cami from the minute we left the diner. The entire ride home, all I heard was,‘Cami did this last summer...’and‘Cami said we can do this...’in different variations of activities and seasons.
My girl had made a friend. Someone she connected with on her level. An age-appropriate peer whom I tried desperately not to be jealous of because I knew that the more Frankie spoke with Cami, the less she would confide in me.
“Someone had a good time,” Slyce commented as soon as we walked in the door. The way she’d been acting, I almost expected her to be gone. Maybe leaving a note telling us goodbye if we were lucky.
“Oh my God, Slyce, she’s just as awesome in person as she was on the phone. We have so much in common. She said I can come out to the orchard, and we can pick apples and her sister Maggie will teach us how to make applesauce, and we can make apple pies, and she likes the same music I do and the same movies—”
“Whoa, slow down, Six,” Slyce said, waving her hands in the air.
“Six?” Frankie asked, giving Slyce a strange look.
“Long time ago, before your time. Hell, she was before my time, but I found this show from the 90s calledBlossomand her best friend’s name was Six. She talked faster than an auctioneer.”
Frankie was still giving Slyce that look, and I laughed. “I’ll look it up later and show it to you. Go get ready for bed,” I told Frankie.
My daughter launched herself at me and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Thank you, Mom. I love Diamond Creek.” She ran down the hall to her bedroom, and I stared after her.
“You decided to stay?” Slyce asked quietly.
With a deep breath, I answered, “I don’t have a choice.”
“You know this means you need to make an effort now, right? To acclimate to the town.”
I flashed a look of irritation her way and walked to the kitchen. “I really don’t. If Frankie makes more friends, I’ll get to know their parents, but I’m fine on my own.”
“Kat—”
“Don’t, Slyce,” I said, flattening my hands on the kitchen island.
Slyce was quiet behind me, and the tension in the room made the air stifling, only to become suffocating when she said, “I called the clubhouse about the hole in the siding. King said he’d send someone over tomorrow.”
I spun around, not trying to hide my anger. “Why did you do that?” I hissed. “He’ll send that man, and he’ll break my daughter’s heart again.”
“Thatmanhas a name. And it’s his job. The damage is outside; you don’t even have to let him in.”
“Well, you can deal with him.”
“I’m leaving in the morning,” she said, blindsiding me for the second time in a matter of moments.
“What? Were you even going to tell us or just disappear in the middle of the night?”
“Stop being so dramatic, Kat. I got the call while you were gone, and I told you as soon as you came home. I planned onmaking some popcorn and watching a movie with Frankie and telling her then.”
I wasn’t dramatic; I was cautious. Slyce’s exit from our lives would devastate Frankie when she found out. Combine that with thatmancoming here tomorrow, and tonight’s agenda would be damage control to protect my daughter’s heart.
“You know you can’t protect her from everything, right?”
