over and sit at that table so we don't make a mess, okay?” she says to Brenna.
Our daughter bounces away to go eat her ice cream.
“I could watch her all day long and never get bored.”
Saige snorts. “Trust me, it gets exhausting.”
I take a sip of my milkshake. “Oh, I believe you. I got a better workout today than I have in years.”
“What's wrong? Getting old?”
My eyes narrow on her. “Watch it. I'm nearing thirty. It's a very sensitive topic.”
She laughs, with a smile that I never realized I missed until now, and runs her fingers through her hair. With the brown locks out of the way, the sun hits her face and alarm leaps in my chest.
“Is that a bruise?”
Panic fills her expression for a second as she moves it back. “Uh, yeah.”
“What happened?”
“I walked into a doorway. You know how clumsy I can be.”
Her excuse kind of checks out—she was always tripping over herself and everything else in a room—but there's something about the way she says it that makes me wonder.
“Saige, are you in danger?” I ask carefully. I'm really not in the place to overstep.
She scoffs. “Yeah, right. Unless you mean that my own two feet are going to be the death of me one day, then absolutely.”
I exhale. Something is telling me she's lying. “I'm serious. Do you need help?”
Her demeanor goes cold as she turns her back to Brenna and faces me. “Look, just because you're in Brenna's life now doesn't mean you get to be in mine.”
“Saige.”
“I mean it, Colby,” she says firmly. “She's your business. Not me. Not anymore.”
A COUPLE WEEKS PASS, and we fall into a routine. The three of us meet up and do different things. Or more like Brenna and I do different things while Saige supervises. I think my favorite has been the go-carts, and Brenna would probably agree. I rented out the whole place, despite Saige yelling at me about how ridiculous it was, and we drove them for hours. The way I saw it was I wouldn't get schooled in workouts by a five-year-old if we were in cars.
A few days earlier, we went to a trampoline park, and I literally thought I was going to die. I was good for the first hour and a half, but after that, I was panting on the floor while Brenna proceeded to laugh and jump on me. Still, I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world.
Saige has kept to herself since I asked her about the bruise on her cheek, but that hasn't stopped me from checking to see if she's had any new marks. Each time we meet up, she seems to warm up a little more, but that could also be my wishful thinking. She's a lot different than the girl I left behind, and if she doesn't even want to look my way, it's no one's fault but my own.
We're sitting at a picnic table, eating the McDonald's that Brenna begged for. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I allowed myself to eat this junk, but if Brenna wants it, that's what she gets.
“I can't believe you still do that,” I cringe, watching Saige dip her fries into her milkshake.
She rolls her eyes, but there is a hint of a smile on her face. “Don't knock it until you try it.”
“No thank you,” I refuse. “There's something unnatural about that.”
Brenna grabs a fry and dips it in before shoving it into her mouth. “So yummy!”
My head falls back as I groan. “Not you, too!”
Saige smirks. “I raised her well.”
It's honestly adorable, seeing the way the two of them gang up on me. I almost let it slip out that it's my eyes and dimples that make her so cute, but thankfully I swallow it down before I wreck all the progress we've just made. Letting Brenna find out I'm her dad before Saige is ready for that could be detrimental to everything.
Once we're done, Saige stands up and gathers all the garbage together. “We have to go, Bren. Topher is waiting for us at home.”
“Okay,” Brenna sighs, looking surprisingly unenthusiastic about the idea.
We toss everything in the trash and all start walking toward the car. After looking down at my daughter, I can't help but crack a joke.
“What kind of name is Topher, anyway?”
Saige snorts. “Better than being named after a cheese.”
Brenna breaks out into a fit of laughter. “Oh, burn!”
“Ouch,” I whine and feign injury. “Whose side are you on?”
She giggles