Page 37 of A Little Twist

“We had your cake again, and I ate two pieces!” She holds up two fingers, and my eyebrows rise.

“Wow! I hope they were little pieces.”

“They were not.” Alex’s voice is almost a growl, and I press my lips together.

“Daddy says I’m going to be up all night on a sugar high. Is that like up in a balloon? I want to be high like a balloon!” She jumps up and down pumping one little fist over her head like a cheerleader.

“It’s not really like a balloon.” I glance at him over my shoulder, and he shakes his head.

“But I want to go up in a balloon! Can we do that while you’re here?”

“I know something even better. It’ll help you relax, and you can dream about riding in a balloon. Sound good?” She nods her red head vigorously. “I’ll grab it from my room and meet you in your bathroom.”

Minutes later, I’m upstairs in the main house running a large tub of warm water and adding soothing essential oils and bubbles, nothing too irritating for her delicate skin.

She bounces into the bathroom in her birthday suit, and I laugh. “You’re naked as a jaybird!”

That makes her jump more, pumping her elbows like wings as her strawberry curls fly all around her shoulders. I see the reason for Alex’s frustration. She’s a live wire.

Grabbing a scrunchie, I swoop her hair up on top of her head before helping her into the bath. “Did you have fun at your gram’s house?”

She nods, looking down at the thin layer of bubbles floating on the top of the water. “She gave me all the cake.”

“Your gram loves you very much.” I take a large, natural sponge with lavender soap and rub it gently in large circles over her back.

“She’s going to be gone a long time.” Her little voice goes quiet, and I bend down to check her expression.

“But she’ll be back soon, and while she’s gone, I’ll be here to play with you.”

“Gram is Daddy’s mom, but she’s not my mom.”

I dip the sponge in the warm water and rub it slowly down her little arms, thinking about this. “She’s your grandmother, which is a very special kind of mom. She loves you very much, and so does your dad.”

Her little chin bobs, but she studies her fingers in the suds. “I know. He loves me twice as much, because I don’t have a mom, like Nemo. None of the princesses have mommies.”

I’m not sure if it’s the calming lavender bringing her down or if it’s this turn in the conversation. I haven’t talked to Alex about what to say if her mother comes up, and I’m at a total loss, looking for any way to give her comfort.

“I grew up without a mom, too.”

Her blue eyes fly to mine. “You did?”

“Yep.” I rub the sponge over her back again, slower. “I moved here to live with my aunt when I was thirteen.”

“Did she die?” She blinks round eyes at me.

“No. She couldn’t take care of me, so my aunt took over. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it makes more sense to me now.”

Her eyes return to her fingers in the bubbles. “My mom can’t take care of me either. Daddy said she’s working far, far away in Africa, so I can’t ever talk to her.” Her voice is so serious, and I put the sponge aside. “Gram said I should talk to her whenever I need to talk to my mom, but now she’s gone, too.”

I’m sitting on the bathroom floor, resting my chin on my hand. Her little expression is so sad, and I trace my finger along a curl that’s slipped out of the scrunchie, moving it behind her ear.

“Your gram will be back in a few weeks.” My voice is gentle. “I know that feels like a long time, but it’ll pass so fast. And while she’s gone, maybe you can talk to me if you want to talk to your gram or your mom? I’m not a gram or a mom, but I know things.”

Her rosebud lips press together, and she blinks a few times at the bubbles.

Lifting her chin, our eyes meet again, and it’s clear she’s thinking about it. “You know all the Dory parts inNemo.”

“I do.” I give her an easy smile. “Remember what Dory says when life gets you down?”

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