Page 107 of Spotlight
“Have you told your mom about Sara?”
“No,” she says, sounding guilty.
“I bet she’d have some good advice. Your mom is super smart.”
“She’ll be mad and make a big deal about it,” Greer whines.
A small laugh breaks free. “Itisa big deal. She loves you and when someone hurts the people we care about, we can’t help but get mad and want to fix it.”
She’s quiet, considering. “Can we watchBunny Balletagain?”
All right. Guess that conversation is over.
I glance at the time on my watch. “Sorry, munchkin. It’s already past your bedtime. If your mom comes home and you’re bouncing off the walls, she’ll never trust me again.”
“Yes, she will. She likes you.”
“Yeah? How can you tell?” I’m fishing for information and have zero shame about it.
“She smiles a lot when you’re around and she wears her favorite perfume any time you come over.”
My chest squeezes. “I like her a lot too.”
“I can tell that too.”
“Because I smile a lot?”
“And smell nice. Except after games.” She wrinkles up her nose.
A laugh rumbles from my chest. God, I love this kid.
“I do like her, and I like you too.”
“I’m your favorite kid in the whole world,” she says proudly.
“That’s right.” I hug her to my chest and breathe in the top of her head.
She climbs into bed, and I read her a book until her eyes look heavy, and she can’t stop yawning.
“Night, munchkin. Thanks for letting me hang with you tonight.”
Sitting up, she holds her arms up and drapes them as high as she can get on my shoulders to hug me. “Night, Hotshot.”
25
OLIVIA
The apartment is quiet when I walk through the front door. The TV is on, but muted.
I place my purse on the counter and then round the couch to find Flynn asleep on it. His long body doesn’t fit, and his feet hang off the end. One arm is thrown over his face and the other rests at his side.
He stirs as I get closer.
“Hey.” The arm over his face moves and he aims a sleepy smile at me. “How was work?”
“Long and boring.” I climb on top of him, resting my cheek on his chest.
His arms wrap around me, and he hums a deep, gravelly sound.
