Page 54 of Claim Me

“I told Sync,” I announce as I pour juice for the girls. “He’s fine with it.”

Indigo looks at my babies watching him. “I worried your dad would get mad at me for staying here.”

“We’ll protect you,” Kiera says and hugs Indigo.

Deirdre cuddles on his right side, but she keeps staring at him like he’s scary.

“What’s wrong?” Indigo asks.

“How can you be Mommy’s boyfriend? You’re my uncle.”

“It’s complicated,” I say from the doorway. “When you’re bigger, it’ll make sense. Just know it’s okay.”

Deirdre frowns at Indigo, seeming wary. “I don’t understand.”

“I love Siobhan,” Indigo says. “I love her more than I love other women. She’s special to me. That’s why I’m her boyfriend.”

Deirdre looks at me and then back at Indigo. When she doesn’t speak, Kiera says, “I love Mommy. I don’t want her to go away.”

“Where will I go?” I ask, and Kiera shrugs. “Are you feeling nervous things will change like they did at school?”

The twins immediately nod.

“What changed at school?” Indigo asks.

Kiera inhales sharply and points in the direction she thinks school is located.

“Deirdre was in my class in kindergarten. She’s my best friend. This year, she has a different class.”

“How come she can’t be in your class?”

Deirdre mumbles, “It’s the rules.”

“The principal felt the girls were struggling to make friends because they only wanted to play together.”

Kiera touches Indigo’s jaw so he’ll look at her. When he stares into her eyes, she nods. “Deirdre’s my best friend.”

“I know she is,” Indigo says. “I like being with my friends the best. I don’t like new people.”

Kiera nods again. “I want to eat lunch with Deirdre.”

Her sister begins to cry. “I want to sit with you.”

“I want to sit with you!” Kiera squeals.

They reach across Indigo and hug each other.

Deirdre whimpers, “You’re my friend.”

“I don’t want to play with Kylie. I want to be with you.”

I join them on the couch and stroke their backs.

“Remember how hard kindergarten was?” I ask them.

Kiera crawls over Indigo to get closer to me. “No.”

“That’s right. You don’t remember because it got easier. But at the start of kindergarten, you got upset over being away from mommy during the day.”

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