to my necklace.
Gemma frowns, sitting up to face me. “Why?”
I inch my hand over to hers until I touch the tip of her middle finger. “Jussst help meee, and I’lll tell youuu.”
Turning my head when she gets to her knees on the couch, her small hands move my hair to the side, then releases the clasp on my necklace. It falls to my lap.
Gemma stays on her knees and looks expectantly at me.
“Yooourr daddddy gave thisss to me whennn we were yyyounger than you are nnnow.” I pause and look down at the necklace, a smile playing on my lips. “It wasss theee firssst necklace he maaade out of seashellsss. I loved ittt sooo much, he sssaid heee woulddd only everrr make meee thingsss outtt of the seassshells heee finds.”
“But he’s made me things from seashells before,” she points out.
I nod, my lips quirking up. “He hasss. But that’s beeecause you’re ssspecial like me annd he loves us aaa lot.”
Her smile is sneaky. “Does that mean he loves us more than Gray since he hasn’t made him something from seashells?”
I laugh. “Nooo, sillyyy. Hee doesssn’t make Gray thingsss frommm shells becaussse Gray doesn’t carrre forrr things like thaaat. Inssstead he doesss otherrr things wiiith him.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She rolls her eyes. “Gray’s a boy and doesn’t like girly things like we do.” She leans forward and lowers her voice. “Girl things are so much better.”
I lower my own voice and wink at her. “I agreee.”
Her girlish giggle warms my heart.
I get back to the point I was trying to make. “Youuu knooow how I alwaysss wear thiss?” She nods. “It’sss because it’sss my favvvorite. Excepppt the timmmes Daddy’sss had to replaccce the chain, I’vve neverrr taken it off befffore.”
“Wow,” she breathes in wonder. “You must really love it then.”
“I doo.”
“But why did you take it off now?”
Scooping the shell up in my weak grip, I close my fingers around it for a moment. I slowly lift my hand and press a kiss against the white shell before looking back at Gemma.
“Beeecause I wannnt you to wwear it nowww.”
Her eyes widen. “But, Momma, it’s your favorite. I don’t want to take your favorite necklace.”
“It’ss okaay. I waaant you to wearrr it now. Buut you have tooo promissse to always taaake care of ittt for me annnd your daddy.”
Her head bobs up and down and a serious expression pulls her lips down. “I will. I’ll never take it off just like you.”
“Thankkk you, baaaby. Noww help me puuut it on youuu.”
Pushing her hair over one shoulder, she turns around. I try so freaking hard to find the strength to open the clasp, but my fingers aren’t working properly. I hate that I can’t even put a necklace around my daughter’s neck.
Gemma must sense my frustration because all of a sudden, she turns around. “I can do it, Momma.”
She takes the necklace from me, handling it gently, and puts it on backward before clasping it. Spinning it around until the cockleshell lays against her chest, she looks down at it before lifting her head and beaming proudly at me.
“It lookkks sooo pretty onnn you. Like you’rrre supppose to wearrr it.”
“Do you think Daddy will be okay if I wear it?”
“Offf course, heee will.”
She lifts the shell and examines it like she’s never seen it before.
A throat clearing has us both looking toward the door. Lincoln’s leaning against the frame, a small smile stretching across his face. “What’s going on in here?”
Gemma jumps up and rushes over to him. She lifts the necklace up as far as she can to show her daddy. “Look what Momma gave me. She said she wants me to take care of her special necklace from now on.”
He drops to his knee and looks at the shell. “Did she really? It must mean she trusts you a lot. I know how much your mom loves that necklace.”
She nods, looking at me over her shoulder and offering me a smile, before looking back at Lincoln. “Yep. I promised I’d never ever take it off. I’ll wear it forever.”
Grabbing her cheeks, he pulls her head forward and plants a kiss against her forehead. He gets to his feet but keeps his head bent to look at her. “I think your brother’s looking for you. He said something about playing Roblox.”
“Awesome!”
With that, she takes off out of the room. Lincoln approaches the couch and takes the cushion beside me. Slipping an arm around my shoulders, he pulls me to his side, and I