I follow his direction and buckle my belt. “What about your truck?”
“Rhett will be up for a while. He can come pick me up.”
“Lauren told my mom about the Fourth of July.”
His eyebrows narrow in confusion. “What about— oh.” The knowing grin spreads across his face as he takes my hand, kisses the back, and places them together in his lap. “We can recreate it for them if they need.”
I blush. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Can I show them?” Winnie asks once we meet Mom and Paul in the parking lot.
I hand her my keys. “Knock yourself out, but I didn’t clean up. So, keep your standards low please.”
However, inside I am pleasantly surprised that I hadn’t left the place in total disarray. Winnie’s purple plastic purse is on the counter, the random contents spilled out. Band-Aids, crumbled dollar bills, a lip gloss and a single sock. My blankets are strewn across the couch, there are some bottle and cans on the counter I need to recycle, the beds aren’t made, but everything else is pretty much in order. I crack a few windows to get a cross breeze and Paul walks around, flicking things. Doorways. Window frames.
“See.” Tanner motions toward him. “Checking the bones.”
“Hannah,” Mom says. “This place is adorable. You were making it seem like you lived in a dump.”
“No, it’s very nice. It’s just not like my old house.”
Paul smiles. “This is better. It feels like you actually live here.”
I glance around and realize he’s right. Neither of the houses with Ethan had much evidence of me, other than them being clean and cared for.
“We are only going back to Illinois for the weekend,” Paul says. “I have a meeting in Chicago, then we are heading back to Florida until the wedding.”
“Can I go with you to your house?” Winnie asks, whipping around to face me. “Please, please, please? Please can I go stay with Grampy and Nan?”
“Winnie, they aren’t coming all the way back up and it’s a really long drive,” I say but Paul and my mother are both nodding their heads excitedly behind her.
“She can come with us for the weekend. We will just move our flight from Chicago to Traverse City and drop her back off on our way.”
Winnie’s hands are clutched beneath her chin, bottom lip protruding out, and she is doing a nervous little dance while she mouths,please, please, please.
“You’ll be away from me for two whole nights, are you sure you’re going to be okay? I can’t just come and get you if you change your mind.” Which is a partial lie, I would absolutely come and get her if she changed her mind.
“I won’t change my mind,” she insists. “Please Mommy.”
“Okay, then go pack your bag. Grampy and Nan are leaving soon.”
Her pleas are replaced with thank-yous as she dashes to her room, flings open her dresser and shoves clothes into her bag.
“Are you guys sure you don’t mind?” I ask and Paul gives me a look.
“Hannah. I would give the kid my left kidney if she asked.”
“I know. But if she crawls in bed with you, her sharp little elbow in your side may make you wish you opted for the kidney transplant.”
Paul ruffles my hair. “Now I do believe that.”
“Grampy, can we stay up late and watch Bluey?” Winnie calls out from her room.
“It’s already going to be late when you get there,” I tell her.
“We can watch Bluey and paint our nails pink as soon as we get home,” Paul calls back.
I shake my head. “Wrapped around her finger.”
