Page 194 of Trouble from Abroad
When she finally glances up at me, I see a tiny flicker of a smile peeking through. “And I did feel better. For a bit.” She shifts in her seat—half coy, half entirely too grown-up for her age. “Callie’s given me so many plushies since… I don’t wanna be rude, but there’s no more room for them in my room, Dad. That net is going to break.”
“I’ll talk to her. Or build you more shelves. Whatever you want.”
“Is it okay if I don’t want to talk about it with you?” She can’t hold my gaze, and it kills me.
“It is. But I need to know if you don’t want to talk about it at all, or just not with me. There’s no wrong answers, Lil.”
“Hmmmm.” She taps the middle of her forehead, the way she always does when she wants to show she’s thinking hard. “Both. But mostly with you. I see how sad you get when someone talks about her.”
My hand tightens around the mug. Of course she noticed. She always does.
Sometimes I swear she’s got a seventy-year-old wise monk living inside her. “Okay, but I think talking about your feelings is important.” There are blinking lights pointing at me with the wordhypocrite. So bright, they warm my skin to the point that I might break a sweat. “So, I’m going to book someone you can talk to about anything you’re feeling, thinking… someone really cool, who’s a great listener. They’re called psychologists.”
Lily looks curious and open enough to the idea. I know exactly where I got her. That chatterbox daughter of mine is always keen to have someone listen to her.
“You know what, Lil? I’m going to find myself one of those, too,” I say, lying through my teeth, but hoping to encourage her. Lead by example, and all that. Also, it’s part of Mia’s wacko plan, too.
The lie is in the tense.
I’ve been seeing my psychologist for the past month.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
preston
I tryto save the day as best I can. We hit Lily’s favorite playgrounds, catch a movie, and I let her have more sugar than she would have if she’d been trick or treating. We wrap it up with a stop at the toy store, where she picks one thing and makes a full list for her birthday.
She asks for fried chicken for dinner, and that’s our final stop before I bring her home, happier than she was at breakfast, tummy full, and half asleep.
When we get back, Mia’s curled upon the couch with her laptop balanced on her knees. She glances up, smiling, and it hits me how comforting that’s already become. Just her… being here.
“Go brush your teeth, Lil. I’ll be there in a second.” I sink down beside Mia, rubbing the back of my neck. “We talked.” She lifts an eyebrow, waiting. “She took it better than I expected,” I admit.
Mia smiles, appearing unsurprised, but she doesn’t sayI told you solike I would have.
I roll my head side to side, trying to ease the tension. My neck cracks both ways.
She winces. “Jesus. That was your spine crying for help.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“That doesn’t make it better, Dr. Preston.”
I huff a laugh. “I’ll survive.”
“Okay, so this is actually perfect.”
“I’m glad my pain suits you, Miss Thorne.”
She laughs, and it’s melodical.
“No, silly. This is how I prove to you that massages will make a big difference in your routine. And I’m not even that good at them.” She closes her laptop and sets it on the coffee table. Mia turns to me, but unfortunately, stops before her hands reach my shoulders. “Oh, wait. You need to tuck Lily in. Go do that and I’ll grab some oil from my room.”
Oh, this is going to end up badly. The best kind of bad.
* * *
Lily falls asleep in record time, and I can’t help wondering if that’s a sign. I make sure to close her door before I head down. When I get to the living room, there’s a new bottle on the coffee table. The label matches her shampoo. I can only hope the scent does, too. I rub sweaty hands on my pants. This is really happening.
