Page 25 of Shot Through the Heart

Addison: If dresses could speak, that one would be saying: “Greyson fumbled me but now he needs my help. Which I’ll give, because I’m SUCH a nice person. But I’ll also show him what he’s missing out on.”

“See, votes are in. No changing. Boobs are perfect. Make the man choke on his decisions.” Eva grins at me before looking back down and responding to whatever next message comes in. I toss my phone onto the bed beside her, choosing to ignore the conversation for now, and move to my dresser to find jewelry.

It isn’t until I’m putting the backing on my earring that I finally realize how quiet it’s been for the past few minutes.

“Where are the girls?” I ask, glancing over at Eva.

“In Harper’s room. I hid a small unicorn and told them if they could find it before you go, they get a special treat.”

I stare at her, tilting my head to the side and trying to hold back my laugh. “Harper’s room is full of unicorns, though.”

If there is one thing that could solve all problems for Harper, it would be unicorns. I couldn’t even tell you how many she owns because they just keep appearing.

“Exactly. I told them they have to figure out which one is new and that only I know the answer.”

“That’s…”

“Genius, I know.”

“I was gonna say, that’s only going to take her a few minutes.”

“Um, no. Have you been in her room? There’s no way they find it by the time you?—”

She’s cut off by Harper yelling “found it!” followed by the sound of two giggling little girls running down the hallway.

“Shut up right now,” Eva says just as they burst into my room.

“I gots it!” Harper shouts, waving it in the air and twirling around in victory. I meet Eva’s shocked gaze and shrug.

“My girlknowsher unicorns.”

Yet she can’t remember where she leaves her shoes every morning.

“Mama, look!” Harper says, finally turning to show me the newest addition. Only once she spots me, her extended arm that holds the toy drops at the same time her jaw does.

“Wooow, Mama. You look like a princess,” she says, walking slowly toward me before dropping into a squat and staring up at me. My heart instantly melts at the adoring way she watches me and it takes everything I have not to get teary-eyed.

Since the moment Harper learned to form full sentences, she’s never held back her thoughts. To a four-year-old, there’s nothing wrong with asking why I have lines on my stomach or why I have purple under my eyes. I never mind her harsh truths. Simply laugh them off and tell her why my body is how it is and that there’s nothing wrong with it.

But it does mean that I hold her compliments that much closer to my heart.

“Thanks, sweetie.”

“Can you twirl?” Zoey asks from her spot beside Eva and I finally notice that she’s watching me with the same fascination that Harper is.

“I mean, yes, but this dress doesn’t poof out, I warn them but humor the children anyway. Sure enough, only the bottom half of the skirt flares out around my calves, but the girls still squeal. Harper falls back onto her butt while laughing and narrowly avoids getting hit by the fabric.

Somehow the girls manage to convince three more twirls out of me before I finally have to say no and head out. While Eva distracts the girls with some animal crackers, I finish putting on my heels by the front door.

Eva hands me the new white clutch I bought to match the dress and smiles at me.

“Try to havesomefun tonight.”

“Lilly and Ari will be there. Plus, I think Paige mentioned she and Garrett would be stopping by. As long as I’m not left alone with Greyson, I should be fine.”

She nods, glancing over her shoulder to check on the girls, and my stomach swoops. Reaching out, I give her arm a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you.”

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