I listen. Not half-way.
Even though Mila isn’t our child, I want to make her life the best it can be. She’s so detailed just like Annika and me.Solving her own problem. “Sounds like the figure skating coach is working out.”
“I love her, P.” Mila’s voice is high and loud. And I love how she’s started calling me P like my family does sometimes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more, but I never did double toe loops or triple axels. Way too graceful for me,” Annika chimes in.
Mila chokes on her ooey-gooey breakfast. “Yeah, you skate like a train. I skate like a gazelle.”
Our whole family took all the kids to the zoo last week and now she can’t stop talking about gazelles. And Mila’s right, Annika skates like a true hockey player and I can’t help but wonder what she could have been and the happiness that was stolen from her youth and her passion.
“Okay, dishes in the sink and wash your hands,” I say.
Mila will be with us all day while Nadia goes to the salon and gets ready for her first date in years. Mila and Annika work in the yard, planting flowers and making the outside look like a home, not just a house.
I catch myself daydreaming while I mow the grass.
Tonight.
Mila will be there tonight. I want to show her how much I love her sister. Mila hasn’t seen her mom be loved. The same way I don’t remember seeing my dad with someone who loved him. The fact that my dad hasn’t married or dated as far as I know, sends a stabbing pain through my chest. Because now that I’ve found love, I realize Mom would want him to be loved too.
As I put the mower in the shed, I walk over to my girls.Mila is covered in dirt. “Time to clean up. We don’t want to be late for Game Night.”
Ruffling Mila’s hair, she looks up at me with her big brown eyes. “Will Paulina be there? Is she bringing Trevor?”
She says his name, and I swear Paulina’s eyes flutter.
No. Not yet. She can’t like boys yet.
Annika tries to hide her smile, but it creeps over her face as she says, “She’ll be there. Not sure about Trevor. He may be playing tennis. Now let’s go inside.”
Dad’s placeis already alive by the time we pull up. It always is. We all grew up in this house. Noelle and me, thick as thieves. I let out a deep sigh, wondering why Witt has always been distant. He’s come out of his shell a little in the past couple of years, but it just shows you how relationships can shape you.
The second we step out of the car, I hear it—laughter from the backyard, someone yelling over a cornhole toss and the faint thud of a ping-pong ball echoing from the open basement door.
“Prepare yourself,” I murmur to Annika. “I know you’ve been around for a while, but Game Night is a different kind of O’Ryan family chaos.”
She glances at me smiling. “I love your family.”
“Give it five minutes, they’ll give you ten reasons to change your mind.” I squeeze her hand and I swear her smile makes my heart glow like a teenager in love.
Mila’s already running toward the noise where Greyson and Matt are in a heated cornhole match.
“That’s on!” Greyson argues.
“It’s not,” Matt fires back. He motions for Greyson to come over. “See for yourself.”
Greyson defends his throw. “The corner’s touching,” he says, taking out his phone, snapping a photo and then blowing it up.
I whisper in Annika’s ear. “Told you.”
“Parker!” Greyson shouts. “Tell Matt that counts.”
“I’m not getting involved,” I say back.
Matt mutters, “Coward.”
I throw my head back, chuckling. “I will say that if you have to take a picture then it shouldn’t count.”
