Page 94 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

I nodded. “I picked out these PJs. I picked out this bear. I picked out that sweatpants set she was wearing yesterday. The boots she has on. The coat. My sister helped with a few other things, but every single thing in that basket was personally picked out by me. And I can’t explain it more than just…I had to do it. I had to.” I reached for her hand and pressed it to my heart. “There’s something inside of me that insists that I know you. That you’re mine. That you were always meant to be mine.”

She licked her lips.

“Tree?” Anleigh whispered again.

“He didn’t hurt her, did he?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“And you? You’re okay?” I asked. “Your throat is…”

“The only thing he touched today,” she murmured quietly, her eyes falling to Anleigh’s hand that was pressed against my neck. “He’s never hurt her.”

I squeezed her hand and said, “Are you hungry?”

She looked at the tree, then back at me. “I think Anleigh would like to see your tree first, but yes. We’re hungry.”

I could tell by the look on her face that she still wasn’t convinced that she should be here.

That she might bolt at any second.

Deciding the best course of action was to keep hold of her daughter to ensure she wouldn’t leave, I said, “Go have a seat at the table. I’ll show Anleigh my tree.”

Merriam’s gaze passed from me to Anleigh’s back and back before nodding once.

I let her hand go and took Anleigh over to the tree.

The only thing I’d managed to get on it in the two weeks it’d been up were lights.

My nieces had helped, making the bottom of the tree have quite a bit more lights than the top.

“Pretty,” she whispered.

I turned her so that she could see the boxes of ornaments I hadn’t put on yet. “This is all the stuff I want to put on the tree later. Maybe you can help me?”

Provided Anleigh was feeling better, that was.

“Yes,” she continued to whisper.

I smiled and walked back into the kitchen, heading for my fridge.

“How about pancakes?” I asked.

“We love pancakes,” Merriam admitted, looking uncomfortable perched on the edge of her seat.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and said, “Lean back, Merri. I want you here.”

She blinked up at me and nodded once before leaning farther into her chair.

I left her there and started grabbing out mixing bowls and ingredients.

“I can help…” she said. “Or I can take Anleigh.”

“She’s good here, aren’t you, Annie?” I gave her a slight squeeze.

“Yes,” she whispered.

I smiled and winked at her mother. “Annie was one of the names that I thought about naming her. It resounded so heavily with me right here.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “I ultimately chose Anleigh because my dad would’ve had a heart attack if I named her after my mother.”

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