like pink starfishes.
“Well, and I guess princess Lu here.” Pressing my lips to Fee’s temple, I round the couch. “Morning, princess.” I hold out my arms and she launches herself into them. “Did you sleep well?”
“’Sept for the giggling,” she mutters.
“Norman kept you awake, huh?”
“No, Mommy did. Did you eat cheese before bed?” she accuses, turning her head to Fee.
“Yes. cheese. That must’ve been it. It gave me such funny dreams.”
“I’m not even gonna ask,” I murmur. “You Frenglish types are a little weird. But I should go.” I bend to set Lulu down when her hands tighten on my neck.
“No! I don’t want you to go!”
“I’ll be back in time for breakfast, sweetheart.”
“Really?” The mixture of worry and distrust on her face makes my heart pinch.
“And then we can come back home?” Her voice is so small and there’s a tiny wobble of vulnerability that gets me right in the feels. I have houses. Apartments. Places to live. But it’s been a long time since I had a home.
“I . . . would like nothing better than that.” I know it’s wrong to have this conversation in front of Lulu but, “My girls back under my roof? Any roof. I’d even take that yurt in Outer Mongolia.”
“What yurt?” Fee asks, askance.
“Any yurt. Any place you want to live, as long it’s with me.”
“You wouldn’t like to live in the new ’partment,” Lulu intones seriously as, hand on my cheek, she steers my attention her way. “The heating is fucked.”
“Lulu!”
Even I know you’re not supposed to laugh, but I do. Hell, do I.
“Well, that’s what the man said who came to fix it. It’s true, Mommy, remember? The man with the fat bum hanging out of his pants.”
“Okay, so that’s true.”
“I told you. The man with the big bum said—”
“Lulu, enough. I need to speak to Uncle Carson.” The little girl quietens in my arms. “The heat isn’t working, but that doesn’t mean we should rush into things.”
“Rush?”
“Yes. This really has been a whirlwind, but it’s only been a few weeks.”
“Months,” I argue.
“Okay, a couple of months,” she agrees. “Which is technically also a few weeks.”
I don’t give a fuck how long it is but if she wants to play it this way, okay.
“Fine. Then you and Lulu will move back in. I’ll go live under some other roof. Maybe a canvas one. Or maybe under a bridge, if I have to.”
“Right,” Fee jeers. “Maybe you’ll get a room at the Y again.”
“Or maybe a shop doorway.”
“Like the people with no homes we learned about at school?” Lulu’s expression is the very picture of concern.
“You play dirty, Mr Hayes,” Fee mutters, unamused. Her eyes sweep rapidly over me before she schools her expression again.
“And that’s why you love me.” And why you look at me as though you want to ride my face.
“Look, we’ll all go back to your fancy apartment together and figure this out. But only,” she says, brandishing a finger my way, “because it would not do for Lulu to announce at her very exclusive and private school that her Uncle Carson lives under a bridge. Even if he’s more troll-like than unfortunate.”
“I can assume the demeanour of unfortunate, if it helps.” When I do, I can see she’s trying very hard not to laugh.
“Innocence!” she cries. “He tried it on, but it just didn’t fit.” I try another expression only to hear her say this time, “Now you just look more troll-like than ever.”
“And like a troll, I’m gonna let this billy goat gruff go over the bridge because I have a bigger billy goat in my sights!” Lulu giggles as I drop her to the couch, quickly rounding it to grab hold of Fee. “You know what trolls do to billy goat’s right?”
“I believe they eat them,” she whispers, biting back a grin.
“When the littlest billy goat isn’t around,” I whisper into her neck, relishing her shiver. “Come live in sin with me, Fee. I don’t think I can wait long to make an honest woman out of you.”
“Uncle Car,” says a little voice from behind. “I think you can be the daddy now. And then we’ll get a puppy and a maybe a baby brother.”
Fee body shakes against my own as she begins to giggle. “See what you’ve gotten yourself into now?”
“Just one baby brother, huh?” Glancing over my shoulder, I shoot Lulu a wink. “You don’t think Norman would like a brother, too?”
“But he’s a rabbit. I think Mommy would need a daddy