Page 102 of Sinful Skulls
Elizabeth
My daughter sits on the couch next to me as Brody and Jacob make us a midnight snack.
“Oh, god, you’re going to die at this one,” she says.
I laugh at the little girl with red lipstick all over herself and the stick figure she’s drawn on the wall beside her.
“My parents always joke that this was the moment I became an artist.” Her face slowly falls as she stares at a much younger version of herself covered in red.
“I think every child gets into their mother’s lipstick.” I nudge her arm, encouraging her to move on to the next photo.
“Yeah, you’re right.” She flips past it sadly. “Maybe we shouldn’t dwell on the past. Do you want to see the pictures of Brody and I?”
“I would love that.”
Her face becomes animated when she finds them in her phone. “This was the first time I was on his bike. Oh, and this is on the pier. Brody looks grumpy because a seagull had just stolen hiscorn dog. Remind me to never take food out of his hand,” she jokes.
It brings a smile to my face.
“Oh, look at this one.”
She’s beautiful in the picture, but even more so as she sits here, looking at her fiancé lovingly.
It hits me that Daisy is marrying Brody. Our Brody. I’m not sure how all this happened, but I’m happy for it.
When she yawns, I remember what a long day it’s been. “Why don’t you and Brody stay here tonight? I know you live close, but after today …” I pause, preparing myself for her rejection. “I would sleep better if we were under the same roof.”
“Oh, I haven’t even showered …”
“You can shower here,” I say a little too anxiously.
Her head tips to the side. “Yeah, I guess that would be nice. If Brody is okay with it.”
“If I’m okay with what?” he asks, carrying a tray of snacks and drinks and setting them on the coffee table.
“With us staying here tonight,” she tells him.
He scratches his nose. “Yeah, sure. Why not? It is getting a little late.”
“I’ll get you something to sleep in,” I tell her, jumping from the couch before either of them changes their mind.
“Okay, well, I’ll just shower quick and get it out of the way.”
Brody holds a slice of apple to her lips as she stands. She takes a bite. He waits for her to chew it, and then he feeds her the remaining piece. He kisses her cheek and hands her a bottle of water. “Drink.”
The shy little nod she gives him makes me pause. He taps her lightly on the butt as she walks away.
“He keeps me hydrated,” she jokes.
I look over her shoulder at him, and he winks at me.
Daisy stands behind me as I dig through my drawers to find my nicest set of sleep shorts for her.
“You hung the portrait I painted of you over your bed. It looks nice there.”
My heart is about to burst out of my chest because she’s here. “It’s important to me. It deserved a special place in my home.”
She walks around the room and stops in front of the dragonfly painting she did when she was just a child. I moved it to our bedroom before her last visit. The way she stares at it tells me she must remember painting it.
