Page 8 of Falling for the Forward

“Nancy isn’t as nice as you,” Charlotte says a few minutes later, the four of us sitting around the table.

I had a protein shake at home, so I’m sipping coffee while they eat their French toast. “Who’s Nancy?”

“She’s the lady who comes over when you’re busy,” Hallie says.

“The weekend nanny,” Olivia explains. “She was here Saturday.”

“She’s on her phone all the time and she makes gross food.” Charlotte wrinkles her nose.

Carter walks into the kitchen, carrying a packed duffel bag and dressed in black shorts and a gray hoodie with his team name and logo on it. He pours coffee into a travel mug and then looks over at me.

“You’ve got the schedule for the week from the agency. I’ll be back on Thursday.”

Hallie gets up and runs over to hug him, pressing her cheek to his stomach. “Good luck, Uncle Carter. I hope you win.”

He pats her on the head, looking uncomfortable. “We’ll give it our best shot.”

I don’t get how anyone could do anything but melt into a puddle when Hallie looks at them with those big brown eyes. It’s all I can do not to open my arms and offer her a hug myself.

Hallie lets go of him and he picks up his travel mug and his bag, slinging the bag over his shoulder so he can grab his car keys. “See you guys later.”

And that’s it--he walks out the door and closes it behind him. I hold back an urge to roll my eyes. Anyone with a heartbeatshould be able to give a better goodbye than that to three grieving little girls. He didn’t even make eye contact with them.

A quick glance at the clock reminds me I don’t have time to lament Carter’s lack of warmth right now. “Hey girls, we need to get going. One minute to finish up and get your dishes into the sink, okay?”

I send a quick text to Carter, reminding him to call Charlotte’s school to have her excused for the day, making sure I include the phone number, which I have on a list of emergency phone numbers for the girls on my phone.

Hopefully he can spare a minute from his busy day to do that.

This time, I do roll my eyes.

“It’s so cool,”Charlotte gushes later that day. “I love it.”

She hasn’t stopped smiling since we left my hair stylist Andi’s salon. Andi came in on her day off when I texted her and gave Charlotte a pixie crop and light-pink color. Her bangs still lookunintentional, but it’s much better than before.

“You have the perfect face for that cut,” I tell her as we walk to my car from the ice cream shop we just went to.

Carter gave me a credit card to use for all the girls’ expenses, and today, I didn’t just use it for Charlotte’s hair. I also took her shopping for new clothes and shoes. She’s a natural at thrifting, and I got to hear about some of her mom’s great finds at secondhand stores. It’s the most Charlotte has ever talked to me, and it feels like an all-around win.

“Time to pick up your sisters,” I say as we get in the car. “Let’s not mention the ice cream.”

She gives me a conspiratorial smile. “I won’t.”

We pick up Hallie first, who spills all the first-grade tea. Apparently Stormi broke up with Aiden and Aiden immediately asked Stormi’s best friend, Ella, to be his girlfriend and she said yes.

“Ella, no!” I cry in mock dismay. “Sisters before misters!”

“They aren’t sisters,” Hallie says.

I grin at her in the rearview mirror. “Sometimes girls call their girlfriends sisters.”

“Do you like my hair?” Charlotte asks, turning around so Hallie can get a good look.

Hallie gasps. “I want pink hair!”

“Uncle Carter will say no.”

I give Charlotte a nervous look. “Crap. Should I have asked him before I let you get pink hair?”

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