Page 49 of Absolute Certainty
JAY
Your stamp of approval means everything to me.
He almost called hersunshineagain, but managed to delete the word before sending it.
After putting his phone away, he slid his forearms down and leaned against the island, watching Eloise and his mom pick and choose flowers to add to the vase. He thought about the flower tattoo on Sahar’s shoulder again, still wanting to know what kind it was—wanting to know if there was a reason behind it. Shaking his head, he cast away the thoughts, focusing intently on the present.
Eloise picked up two yellow daisies and added them to the vase, next to the white rose that was already inside. Next, she carefully added what appeared to be a lavender plant. Another white rose and another daisy. She repeated the pattern until all the flowers sitting on the marble were inside the crystal.
“I hear florists make a pretty penny these days, El. You might have another talent on your hands,” Jay said.
His daughter grinned at him. “I want to make movies, silly,” she said.
The coils in his chest twisted. Not again. He didn’t want that for her. She deserved a happier life.
Alex must have caught the look on his face because she eyed him suspiciously, then turned to face Eloise and their mom. “All I can see here, clear as day, is that we’re a creative bunch.”
“I’m proud of myself,” Eloise declared.
Jay stepped to the opposite side of the island and carried her. He was so fucking proud of her, too. “As you should be, baby,” he declared.
A smile spread across his mother’s face. “You should try to draw this arrangement in art class.”
As she excitedly peered at her work, Jay pushed her other declaration to the back of his mind.
“Will Mrs. Sinclair let me?” she asked him.
He shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Mrs. Sinclair in case she has something else inmind for you. But we can also take a photo of it, and you could draw it on your sketchpad at home.”
“Okay,” Eloise replied.
Then, his mom lovingly swatted them away. “I need you all out and away from my kitchen while I cook. Go make yourselves busy until I need help setting up.”
“Can we play one more level, Dad?”
Jay nodded. “We can start it. Sure.”
He set her down, and she skipped to the living room.
Alex tapped his arm as they walked behind Eloise. “What was that look back there?”
“She keeps mentioning wanting to be in this industry, and I don’t want that for her. She deserves better.”
His sister gave him a weary glance. “Apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Plus, she’ll have you if she’s serious. You’d show her everything you know. She wouldn’t be alone like you were.”
“The apple should tumble toward the pediatrician’s side of the tree.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “The apple does what the apple wants. Stop freaking out about everything when it comes to Eloise,” she whispered. “I know you think you’re going to screw her up somehow, but you’d never. Look at everything you’ve done for me.”
“I don’t freak out about everything,” he clipped back, as they drew closer to the living room.
Alex gave him a sardonic glare. “Yes, you do.”
He didn’t bother arguing as they stepped closer to Eloise. All three of them sat on the couch, and Ellie handed Alex a controller. “Third one is charging, Dad.”
“All good. I’m happy to watch,” Jay responded and kicked his sneakers off, settling comfortably on the forest-green sectional. He wasn’t in the right headspace to play now, anyway. But he took Alex’s words into consideration—look at everything you’ve done for me.Watching the two of them affectionately bicker over which character they wanted to play as, his mind eased for a while.
He’d do it all a thousand times over.
