Eden smacks the back of his head, and he just chuckles as he rubs the spot.
Maisy, on the other hand, isn’t fazed. “My daddy is very handsome. More handsome than you.” She snickers, mirth twinkling in her eyes.
The room erupts in laughter. I fucking love my daughter.
DINNER IS OVER AND EVERYONE has moved to the living room. Mae’s in the recliner she always sits in—it was Dale’s chair before he passed. She refused to give it up when we moved her to Malus, even though it’s ratty and needs to be tossed in a dumpster. Emo’s in the newer recliner we tried to unsuccessfully bribe her with. Trouble and Remi are on the love seat, with Elijah sitting on a blanket chewing on a toy at their feet. Thea’s down there with him, her back to the couch, reading a book. JW has Eden on his lap on one end of the couch, and I’m sitting on the other end. Ellie, who was sitting beside me, just took Maisy to the restroom.
For the first time in weeks, I feel genuinely happy, settled. I like having Maisy and Ellie here with my family, and I’m glad they all get along. Not that I thought they wouldn’t. I knew Ellie and Maisy would find a place amongst my family.
Feeling their presence, I look over just as they come out of the hallway. Ellie comes back to the couch and retakes her seat, but Maisy stops in front of Emo’s chair, her eyes landing on the bandage on his hand. He hasn’t said much tonight, not that he says much any other time, but he’s been unusually quiet.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” she asks innocently, grazing the tips of her fingers over the cotton of the bandage.
&
nbsp; The room goes quiet, and we watch as Emo stiffens in his chair. He would never harm or act rude toward Maisy, or any child for that matter, but he’s not much of a people person either. Everyone tends to steer clear of him, especially children. Apparently, Maisy can see past the troubling persona that he portrays.
“I hurt myself,” he grunts.
“Did you put peroxide and Neosporin on it?” she asks. “Mom always puts it on my scrapes. She said it keeps it from getting an infection and scarring.”
Scars are something Emo has in abundance, both from his father’s abuse and self-inflicted.
“Should I get her?” Ellie whispers out the corner of her mouth.
I put a hand on her thigh. “No. He’s okay.”
She nods. She doesn’t know the full story of what Emo went through as a child, but enough to know he was greatly affected by it. He hasn’t changed much since we were together twelve years ago, so his current behavior is nothing new.
He doesn’t answer Maisy, just continues to look at her fingers running over the bandage with a frown pulling his brows low.
“Does it still hurt, Uncle Emo?”
Something passes over his face when she calls him uncle.
“No,” he rasps.
Her eyes lift up to his. “How did you hurt yourself?”
He carefully pulls his hand away from her and squeezes his fingers into a fist. “I cut myself.”
Her little brows wrinkle as she thinks. She looks down at his other hand, free of a bandage, and sees the multitude of scars. Her eyes widen and her hands dart out to clasp his, turning it over to get a better look.
“You cut yourself a lot, huh?” she says, sounding worried. “And I guess you didn’t put peroxide and Neosporin on this hand. Grandma Mae might have some. If you want, I can get it and put some on your other hand so it doesn’t look like this one. Mama lets me do it sometimes if she hurts herself.”
My lips twitch into a small smile. Maisy’s only just met Emo today, but she already cares enough that she wants to ensure my brother’s wounds are taken care of. Has there ever been a more precious and nurturing child? I couldn’t be more proud of her. Or her mother for doing a damn good job of raising her.
Emo’s eyes flicker to me, a frown still marring his face, then he looks back to Maisy. “I promise to put some on when I get home.”
I have no idea if he’ll actually follow through with that promise, but I silently thank him for appeasing her worry.
Pleased with his answer, Maisy gives him a beautiful smile.
“And you should be careful, so you don’t hurt yourself anymore.”
He nods.
She puts his hand back down on the arm of the chair and turns away to walk over to sit next to Elijah, unaware of the powerful emotions radiating throughout the room. She laughs when he waves his toy at her, and it makes him giggle.