Page 92 of Skylar

Since it was such a nice day, they stayed in the backyard while her parents went inside.

“What would you like to do, Shiloh?” Skylar asked once it was just the three of them.

“Mama brought a bag of things,” Shiloh said, pointing to a large tote that sat near the back door.

Aiden went to get it, then set it on the table and unzipped it for Shiloh. “What all did you bring?”

“Stuff to color with and some books.”

“Looks like you have a couple of games in here too,” Aiden said as he set out the items from the bag onto the table. “What would you like to do first?”

“Can we color?” she asked, then looked at Skylar. “And maybe you could read to us while we do.”

“I can do that,” Skylar said. “What book are you reading?”

Shiloh picked up a book with a familiar title on it and handed it to her. “We’re reading this one.”

Skylar stared at the cover for a moment, recalling when she’d read the books of theLittle House on the Prairieseries for herself. It struck her as surreal that here she was, preparing to read it to her daughter.

Skylar’s gaze went to Shiloh as she and Aiden decided on the pictures they wanted to color—Aiden’s in an adult coloring book that Charli had thoughtfully included.

Once that was decided, Skylar opened the book at the bookmark, then lifted it and began to read.

After she’d read a chapter, Skylar paused to ask Shiloh some questions about the story and what she thought of what was going on. She had clearly been paying attention to the story because she didn’t hesitate to answer.

“You read really good,” Shiloh said. “Just like my mama.”

“Does your dad read to you, too?”

“Sometimes. But he doesn’t like it as much as Mama does.”

“How about I read another chapter, then Uncle Aiden can have a try?”

Shiloh glanced at Aiden, then nodded with a grin. “I’d like that.”

Skylar’s gaze met Aiden’s, and she thought he might protest, but he just shrugged. It dawned on her then that he probably had more experience reading out loud, thanks to Willow.

When she finished the next chapter, she handed the book over to Aiden and took possession of the coloring book. Aiden had only half-finished his picture, so she decided to finish that while he read.

“You read good too,” Shiloh said after Aiden had read a chapter. “Almost as good as Mama and Auntie Sky.”

“I get lots of practice, since Willow likes me to read to her sometimes.”

“Is Willow your daughter?” Shiloh asked, placing her elbow on the table and leaning her cheek against her hand.

“No. She’s my sister’s daughter. My sister died. That’s why Willow lives with me and Nana.”

“But why isn’t she your daughter, too?” Shiloh asked. “Like Auntie Sky couldn’t take care of me, so her sister became my mom. If Willow doesn’t have a mom or dad anymore, why aren’t you her dad?”

The question showed that Shiloh had given her own situation some thought, and it was a logical conclusion when she applied the framework of her situation over Willow’s.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. My mom was named Willow’s guardian, and she wanted to take care of her, so that’s how it’s worked out.”

Shiloh shrugged, then focused on her coloring again. “Maybe Willow would like to have another mom and dad. I have two moms and dads. It doesn’t seem fair that she doesn’t have any.”

“Well.” Aiden cleared his throat. “Perhaps that’s a conversation we need to have with Willow to see what she’d like.”

Shiloh made a lot of sense, but it appeared that it wasn’t something that Aiden had spent much time considering.

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