Page 66 of After Midnight

I shook my head. “Well, I’m here, and I can be here more often if you want me. Let me know how I can help.”

“You’re helping, sweetheart,” she responded. “The girls have been going to bed early the past couple of nights. Keeping them company for a few hours watching a movie will be good for them. After they go to bed, we’ll all sit down and see if we can conjure up any details we’ve missed that might help the police find our boy.”

I nodded but didn’t say much else because the girls were coming back down the stairs.

“Girls, you go do your chores, then you can watch your movie with Dillon.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they both said and dashed into the living room. As Olivia vacuumed and Alli dusted, I continued making small talk with the adults.

When they were done, and Miss Rita had given her okay, I was pulled into the living room while Olivia hit play on the movie.

Miss Rita brought us each one of my dad’s cookies along with three glasses of milk and placed it all on the coffee table. I didn’t want my cookie, so the girls ended up splitting it, earning me a few extra brownie points.

I wasn’t surprised when both girls fell asleep on me halfway through the movie. You could see the exhaustion in their young faces, and I understood why. Miss Rita came in quietly when the credits were rolling and shook her head. “They must feel safe with you here. I’m guessing that’s the first time they’ve really slept in a while. Maybe you staying a while will help them sleep tonight.” She gently shook them and told them dinner was ready, and they both slumped into the dining room.

Neither girl ate much even though the homemade enchiladas were delicious. When they were done eating, Miss Rita sent them up to get ready for bed.

Considering how Olivia had complained the night I hung out here with Dominic, I was surprised she didn’t mind my company tonight. About an hour later, the girls came down, freshly bathed, and asked if I’d read them a story just as Dominic did every evening.

I had to fight the tears threatening to spill over. “Of course,” I said. “But I might get sad, is that okay?”

Both nodded, and Olivia rushed upstairs to get the book that Miss Rita later told me had gone unopened since the night Dominic vanished. We sat side by side on the couch, just like we’d done during the movie, and I turned to the bookmarked page. That’s when my emotions began to get the better of me and, looking at the girls, I could tell they were feeling it too.

So, instead, I put the book down on the coffee table and said, “You know what, I’m afraid I’ll cry if I try to read that book to you. So, if you don’t mind, I’d rather just tell you a story. Are you okay with that?”

Both girls nodded, and I could see relief on their faces. In an unspoken moment, we had all three decided we’d rather leave the book until Dominic got home to read it to them himself.

“Once upon a time, there was a prince who was so handsome, everyone in the land was in love with him. The prince was also really, really funny, and everyone would come to his show and laugh and laugh at his jokes.”

“The prince is you, isn’t it?” Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

“Shh, I’m telling a story. But thank you for agreeing I’m handsome and funny,” I said, making her chuckle.

“Anyway, the prince was minding his own business, sitting in the back of his comedy club when a mean old troll named Ash…” I didn’t want to name Ashton outright, so I had to think quickly.“I mean, named Appleton started yelling at the poor prince for trying to steal his material.”

I heard a cough behind me and knew I was going to catch grief for this story when the girls went to bed. Ignoring Ashton, I continued.

“Anyway, mean old Appleton was getting all riled up, spewing nonsense, when a dashing stranger charged in to defend the prince’s honor and told the troll to make like a bee and buzz off.”

“Did the troll try to eat him?” Alli asked. “Like in theThree Billy Goats Gruff?”

I had no idea what theThree Billy Goats Gruffwas, so I shook my head. “No, this was a vegetarian troll.” I heard a snort of amusement behind me. “Trust me, sweetie, that troll eats meat.” That was definitely Jeffrey.

Miss Rita cackled at the innuendo, which was blessedly lost on the girls. I’d always been a sucker for an audience, and everyone getting into the act just pushed me further.

“So, when the prince got a good look at the dashing stranger, he recognized him as the most beautiful man in all the land. Yes, the prince thought him breathtaking on the outside, but the man was even more beautiful on the inside. He told the troll that he’d teach the prince the ways of people in olden times, so the prince would have the best material and would have no reason to steal from the ornery, beastly, odious troll….”

A throat clearing long and loud signaled maybe I’d gotten a little carried away, or at least Ashton wasn’t amused, and I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me.

“That night, the dashing stranger whisked the prince away to an enchanted cottage, where the man lived with his two lovely sisters, who were magical fairies. Together, they taught the prince all about the old ways and what people from those earlier times held sacred, likeThe Princess Bride.”

Alli excitedly leaned up and said, “Like our movie?”

Her enthusiasm made me smile. “Just like our movie. The next time the funny, handsome prince was in the club, thanks to the dashing stranger and his magical fairy sisters, his jokes were even funnier than ever. In fact, he was so funny, a king in a different kingdom offered the prince work in his club far, far away.”

“What happened to the nasty old troll?” Olivia asked.

“Well, he met a spellbinding fairy queen who, with her magical kiss, turned him into a less homely looking toad. That’s another story, but they eventually got married and lived happily ever after.”

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