Page 72 of Made For You
“Um…,” Nate mumbled as Alex looked around the kitchen. It was clear from the way they refused to make eye contact with me that they hadn’t.
“Thank goodness there wasn’t an emergency,” I said in a snarky tone. “Or, you know, that I didn’t already have plans.”
I was working myself up, thinking about all the times Alex and Autumn had thrown things my way without a care. They’d been doing it since we were little. I was well past my breaking point.
“Rory,” Alex said in her melodic voice.
Just as I was about to explode on my sister, I felt a warm weight rest around my waist, holding me steady. Talon.
“Everything all right in here, Aurora?” he asked, and I loved how he addressed me first and not my sister or her husband.
“I was just expressing to Alex that if she is going to drop the girls off with me last-minute, without even considering I may have plans, then she should make sure she’s available to answer her phone if there’s an emergency.”
“You’re right,” Nate added, and my sister looked shocked that he responded. “Rory isn’t a paid babysitter. She’s their aunt, and her time should be respected. I’m sorry we dropped them off without asking in advance. Did something happen?”
Alex was still standing in my kitchen, gawking at her husband.
“Yes,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. “Would you mind showing them, Talon?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Girls!” I shouted. If Talon wasn’t going to spill the beans, then the twins were. They needed to learn to own their mistakes. I lived most of my life hiding from mine. I didn’t want that for them.
Eloise and Molly slowly made their way to the kitchen area. By the drooping shoulders and shuffling feet, they knew they were going to have to confess what they’d done.
“Yes, Aunt Rory?”
“Want to tell your dad and mom what you did tonight?”
Both girls sniffled. I wasn’t sure if it was because they wanted to gain some sympathy or if they were truly regretful of their decision. I worked with kids their age enough to know it could have been for either reason.
“Not really,” Molly said, and I felt Talon chuckle behind me.
“I think you should,” I implored.
Eloise spoke this time. “We brought our scissors from school to play hair salon instead of using pretend scissors.”
Alex’s eyes widened as she looked at the twins. Nate crouched down to their level. “And what happened?”
Thankfully, the scissors had rounded tips, so they couldn't stab anything.
“We played salon with Uncle Talon.”
“No.” Alex’s gasp rang in my ears, and my eyes narrowed at her.
Nate’s head hung between his shoulders in defeat.
“We’re sorry. We didn’t ask Aunt Rory for the pretend ones.”
When Nate stood, he met Talon's eyes. “How bad is it?”
“Honestly, I haven’t looked yet.”
I chimed in, “It isn’t good.”
“Frick, man. I’ll pay whatever it costs to fix it,” Nate said apologetically.
Talon shrugged in that way that said not to worry about it. He unfurled his arm from around me and directed the girls back to the living room at Alex’s insistence.
