Page 69 of Pucking Strong

He gave me his credit card last night, which was an epic mistake on his part. I instantly bought three hundred dollars’ worth of art supplies, electric candles, and throw pillows. When he complains about it later, I’ll just whip out our new heated neck massager … which should arrive in two business days.

Slow and steady, Teddy. You got this.

“Okay,” I call down the hallway. “Who’s ready to rewatchThe Swan Princess?”

“Me,” comes Karro’s sweet voice.

I grin. “I’ll get the popcorn. But I’m warning you now,Iget to sing Odette’s parts this time. You have to play Lieutenant Puffin!”

“What are these?” Curled up next to me on the bed, Karro brushes her fingers over my hair.

I smile down at her. “They’re called locs. You do it by rolling and twisting the hair. See? Like this.” I pick one up and gently roll it with my palms.

“Why?”

“Because it protects my hair and helps me keep it long. Plus, it looks cool. Right?”

She nods.

I brush my hand over her blonde hair. It’s so thin and fine, like gossamer. “If you want, I can teach you ways to do braids that will work for your hair. Would you like that?”

“You can braid?”

I laugh. “Girl, I grew up as the only boy in a house with four Black women. I can do every braid you can imagine, and some you can’t.”

“Morbror can’t braid.”

“Well, we’ll fix that immediately. Hey, wanna play beauty parlor with me? I can wash and condition your hair, dry it, and put it in French braids. Sound fun? My little niecesloveplaying beauty parlor.”

Her eyes are alight, but her smile falls a little.

I sit up, cutting off the end credits ofThe Swan Princesswith a click of the remote. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

Her lower lip trembles. “Mamma did my hair.”

Her words pierce right through my heart. I brush my hand over her messy hair again. “Oh, honey, I bet it was so pretty. I bet she was really good at it too. Wasn’t she?”

Karro nods.

I clear my throat, setting the remote aside. “Well, I know I’m no replacement for your mamma, but I’m good at hair too. My sisters and nieces can provide strong references. If you’ll let me, I’d like to do yours. Would that be okay?”

Her bottom lip keeps trembling as her blue eyes fill with tears. “Jag saknar Mamma.”

I lean down, kissing the top of her head. “Can you translate for me?”

She sniffles, pulling Teddy the Bear onto her lap with her casted hand. “I miss Mamma.”

I let my own tears fall as I hold her, wrapping an arm around her thin, little shoulders. “Oh, honey, I know.”

There’s no shame in our tears. I may have never met Petra Karlsson, but I feel her absence too. I stand now in the gaping hole she left behind, arms outstretched, just trying to keep this cosmic wound from growing larger for the two people who remain. “Your mamma was so pretty,” I whisper against her hair.

She looks up at me. “You knew Mamma?”

I brush her tears away with my thumbs. “Your grandma showed me pictures of her when I was in Sweden. She was funny, wasn’t she? And strong. I know you’re so funny and so strong because your mamma taught you how.”

“I don’t have a picture of Mamma.”

Fuck, this girl is breaking me. “Don’t you even worry. I’m gonna fix that first thing in the morning. Morbror Henrik’s gonna get us apicture, and I’m gonna put it in a pretty frame that we can set right on your bedside table. Would that be okay? I think we should put one in the living room too.”

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