Page 94 of Sunshine
Poppy takes a seat at the dining table, her hands wrapped around a mug of hot cocoa, and stares into the cup like there are answers instead of marshmallows floating on the surface. I fix myself a cup and join her, sliding onto the chair right by her side.
“Annalise called this morning,” I start. “I was going to tell you about it tonight on our date.”
Poppy nods slowly, still focused on her drink. “You weren’t hiding it?”
“Jesus.No.”
I take her hand in mine, but she slips her hand free and tucks it under the table. I don’t know if I deserve it, but I know she’s hurt, and I never want to hurt her.
I close my eyes and take a breath, refusing to give in to this feeling of helplessness when warm fingers brush mine with a tentative touch. I latch onto them like a lifesaver and don’t let go.
“What happened?” Poppy asks.
“Izzy answered my phone while I was in the shower,” I explain. “I didn’t even realize Annalise had spoken to her about visiting this week until she said as much at the front door. She’s been worrying all morning on her own…” I glance guiltily into the living room, where Izzy is shoveling a heaped spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. “I never would have sent her to school without talking to her first. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. You know now, and she’s already feeling better, but Dylan… Izzy is really unsettled by this.”
“I know.” I stretch my neck to one side and pull at my shoulder with my free hand. “It’s my fault. I haven’t been firm enough with Annalise about custody and visitation rights. I never wanted to cause conflict or discourage her from being involvedin Izzy’s life.” I swallow as a constant fear grips me like a lasso around the chest. “And I never wanted her to think of me as difficult. She’s a lawyer. She could take Izzy away from me if she wanted to. And I… I can’t live without my daughter.”
“Oh, Dylan.” Poppy’s fingers squeeze mine. “I’m sorry this is so complicated.”
I laugh dryly. “Me too. And I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle, but I promise I’m going to get things under control. I know I need to talk to Daisy about us, and if it weren’t for Annalise I’d have done it today—tonight—but I need to focus on Izzy first. I need to make changes that protect her well-being, which means I need to prepare myself for some tough conversations with her mother.”
Poppy takes her hand back, and her shoulders curl as she shrinks in her seat. That rope tightens around my ribs. She’s freaking out. She’s pulling away. And I can’t let that happen.
“What’s wrong? If this is about Annalise, I promise I—”
“It’s not about Annalise. It’s about Daisy.”
What? Why?This can’t work unless Daisy knows about us. Poppy won’t stay unless Daisy knows the truth.
I sit a little straighter, vulnerability fluttering in my stomach, and frown at Poppy’s bowed head until she finally lifts her eyes to mine.
“I think I should talk to her.” Poppy’s words spill out over the top of an anxious exhale. “I appreciate you wanting to fix this, and I love you for being the one to say this thing between us shouldn’t be a secret, but—”
“I love you too.”
Poppy’s eyes widen, her lips part, and I smirk as understanding plays across her face. She said it first, but I said it on purpose.
“You—”
“I love you,” I repeat, unable to hide a grin. If there’s a silver lining to this shit show, it’s got to be the glow of Poppy’s joy shimmering behind the clouds. “And I get why you want to talk to Daisy. She’s your best friend, and you love her too. So, how about a compromise?”
Poppy’s cheeks are peachy with color, and her eyes shine with emotion. “What kind of compromise?”
I twist my fingers to braid them with hers. “Hold my hand through the next few days, help me make a plan to support Izzy and be a better co-parent, and then we’ll both tell Daisy about us. Together. Because that’s what people do when they’re in love.”
Poppy leans closer, an unintentional reaction to my gravity, and whispers, “I love you.
I lean in too, close enough that I could kiss her if Izzy weren’t in the other room, if this weren’t my sister’s house as much as it is mine, and if we didn’t have to be careful for a few more days or else risk everything blowing up in our faces.
“Is that a yes?” I murmur, watching her cherry lips as they tick up in a pleased smile.
“It’s a yes.”
twenty-nine
Dylan
