“So, you’re going out with Brandon again?” Kayla says knowingly.
“You must be getting so tired of babysitting.” I’m dressing Emmy in a new outfit, one of several that Pat dropped off for her. The clothes belonged to David’s sister’s children, who are all over the age of ten now, and Pat acted like it was no big deal to give them to me because there was no established place for them to go. There are no more children on David’s side of the family. Still, I appreciate the effort. Every little thing my family does makes me more and more aware of the fact that I haven’t had a support system for most of Emmy’s life, and that now I do.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have stayed away so long. Not just because I could have used the help, but seeing them again is making it blatantly clear to me just how much they care about me. Just how much they’ve missed me too. It isn’t right the way I’ve left my family behind—they deserved better from me. They deserved to know Emmy.
The moment I get Emmy’s clothes on her, Kayla reaches out to scoop her up.
“Kayla!” Emmy flings her arms around her.
Kayla laughs. “Emmy! Ready to hang out with me again tonight?”
“Yes, and color.”
“We’ve been digging the crayons,” Kayla explains.