Page 48 of Suddenly Entwined

“I have a backup Leggy in a basket above my closet.”

“Wow. That’s some expert level parenting.”

“It’s really not. We received two of them as a gift when she was a baby, and when I noticed it was her favourite, I hung on to the extra.”

“Still. It’s smart.”

I spot the empty glass of wine next to a bowl of leftover popcorn kernels.

She follows my line of sight and chews her lip nervously.

“Sorry. I only drank one glass.”

Does she think I’m going to chew her out for having a drink once the kids are in bed? I’d have to have a long talk with myself in the mirror if I’m going to impose that rule.

“You want another?”

“Now?”

“Yeah. Why not? We both pulled a twelve hour day. Let’s live a little.”

“Okay.”

I head for the kitchen, pulling a fresh wine glass down from the cabinet and throwing another bag of popcorn in the microwave.

“Oh! Supper is in the fridge!”

Gratitude washes over me. Aside from having the odd meal with friends, nobody cooks for me. “I’ll take it for lunch tomorrow. I grabbed something from the drive-thru. I was starving.”

I return to the living room with a steaming bowl of popcorn and refill Caro’s glass.

“Thank you. Oh, before I forget. Louisa shredded the taco cheese like an absolute champ tonight. So, make sure you tell her that at breakfast.”

It’s a weird feeling to have someone else fill me in on my children’s day.

“I got your pictures from the mall.”

“They are definitely going to give you a fashion show tomorrow. Let me know if I got too much. I can return some of it and—”

I rest my hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

I watch her shoulders relax.

“And the pedicures…”

I smile at the memory of the photo of their tiny pink toenails that Caro sent.

The muscles bunch right back up, but I reassure her right away.

“That was awesome, too. Thank you. And I’m glad you treated yourself.”

“Those nail ladies are surprisingly strong. She basically forced me into the chair. I felt kind of guilty.”

“I’m sure. And don’t feel guilty, please. You doing it with them was part of the experience.”

“Yeah, that was fun. But it was a bit much for Lou, I think. She’s really wiped.”

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