Daniela laughed. Bea, delighted by the sound, grabbed her face again, and Daniela let her, turning her head to press a loud kiss to Bea's palm, which sent her into another round of shrieking.
I watched her with that baby and felt something I shouldn’t be feeling. Not about a girl who’d ghosted me, probably wanted nothing to do with me, and absolutely wasn’t looking to settle down.
"How long are you here?" I asked.
"Through Wednesday." She glanced up. "Maybe Thursday."
"Good trip?"
"Meeting in Austin on Friday." She adjusted Bea on her hip. "Then Millie guilted me into staying through the weekend."
"Millie doesn't guilt. She just looks at you until you agree."
"Same thing." The corner of her mouth pulled. "It's been a while since I've been out here. I missed—" She stopped. Looked at Bea. "I missed the kids."
I didn't say anything.
"What kind of meeting?" I asked.
“Film stuff.” She kept her eyes on Bea, playing it cool. But again…she had tells, and I could tell she was excited. “Ellis is doing another movie…wanted me to come in and read for the lead.”
My eyes widened. “Well, shi—” I eyed Bea. “Well…marbles.”
Daniela laughed. “Marbles?”
“It’s all I could think of.” I shook my head, still not sure how to take it. “That’s…that’s a big deal, Daniela.”
“It will be,” she said. “If I’m ready.”
“You’ll be ready.”
I said it without even a moment’s hesitation. Based on her reaction, it was exactly what she wanted to hear.
"Yeah?" she said.
"Yeah."
Millie called from the kitchen. The house moved toward the table—boots on hardwood, Penny's nails, Dakota's voice rising over everyone else's.
Daniela shifted Bea to her other hip and turned toward the kitchen.
"Sawyer," she said, without turning back.
"Yeah."
"It's good to see you."
She walked into the kitchen.
I stood there one more second in the quiet living room, and I thought about her in my arms in the June heat.
Then I followed her in.
SIX
Daniela
Dinner at the Holts was loud and warm and slightly overwhelming in the best possible way.
