Page 97 of Cohesion

“I have ballet practise tomorrow. And a birthday party. I picked out the present myself! And and and I have to practise my pianoooooo.” She twisted and spotted Jericho immediately. “Uncle Coco!” She violently wiggled, her knee glancing across dangerous sections of Hunter’s front. He let her down with a grimace, and she ran straight for Jericho.

Jericho ignored Quinn’s amused, “Uncle Coco?” as he lifted her up. She was almost too big for it now—and insisted so herself on occasion—but sometimes she forgot she was an “adult” and allowed it.

“Uncle Coco, don’t make me go!”

Glad that Hunter had given him a heads-up message about his plans, Jericho said, “It’s important, Vee. You love hanging out with Greer. He’s your favourite, remember?” That comment earned a look from Quinn.

“But I have to practise piano. You said.”

“You can practise when you get home,” Jericho tried to reason. “I don’t practise every day, but I’m still best at piano, right?”

Hunter snorted, and Jericho flipped him off behind Olivia’s back.

“Yes,” Olivia sniffled.

“Well, there you go.”

Olivia wiped a hand across her blotchy cheeks and peered curiously at the men behind Jericho. “You’re very tall,” she said to Will. “How many feet do you have?”

Will glanced down. Then he looked first at Quinn, then Jericho, like it was a trick question. “Two?”

She squinted and looked him up and down. “I have two feet. You can’t.”

Will licked his lips, brows drawing together. He looked down again. “I don’t… think that’s how it works? Two is the most anyone can have?”

“She’s asking how tall you are,” Jericho explained.

“Oh,” Will said, understanding dawning. “I’m six foot six.”

“Whoa.”

Jericho shifted her to the other side of his hip. She was getting heavy. “Vee, these are my friends Quinn, Will, and Peyton. Guys, this is Olivia, my niece: Hunter’s daughter.” He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to explain to a six-year-old just what they were to him. Once things had calmed and Sebastian was back in their arms, then he would sit down and explain it to her.

She turned suddenly shy, curling against Jericho and hiding her face. “Hello.”

Peyton stuck a hand out. “Hey, Vee. I heard about what you did to that bully the other day. Good job.”

Six cackled, and Hunter sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

Olivia came out of her shell, beaming. She reached forward, enthusiastically shaking his hand and forcing Jericho to shift and hold her around the waist so she didn’t just dive headfirst into the tiling. “Thanks! See, Dad?”

“I’m not having this discussion with you again,” Hunter said mildly. “Next time, use a skipping rope, not your jumper. Have more respect for your uniform.”

Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically. She pushed off Jericho, and he put her down before she took them both with her. It took a second for feeling to return to his jelly arms. “Do I really have to go?”

“You really have to go,” Jericho said. He pretended to sympathise with her, but he was completely on board with Hunter’s plan. Olivia needed to be far away from any of this. As far as Greer could run with her. “You’re gonna have a great time.”

“I’m hungry,” she said, already moving on to her next need. The resilience of children was extraordinary.

“There’s some yoghurt and oranges in the fridge.” Plenty of snacks in the place for the team and for Olivia when she had to hang out here after school sometimes.

She ran off, and Will stepped up behind Jericho. “She’s cute,” he said, settling a hand on Jericho’s waist. “Oh. Sorry.” He lifted his hand.

Jericho put it back where it was. He wasn’t trying tohideanything from Olivia; he just wasn’t going to invite any questions that would take too long to explain. She wouldn’t notice subtle touches, too busy with her food. Kids noticed everything and nothing all at the same time.

Hunter checked his watch. “Greer will be here in just a minute. He was picking up a few things for Vee from home and sorting out logistics.”

Olivia shoved a spoon in her mouth and hopped over to the living area. She crawled onto the couch over the arm of it, almost spilling the yoghurt, and then switched the TV on.

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