I nodded. “I did. Over the next few days, he came over to see if I wanted to play, and I said I didn’t. I guess he got sick of having no one to hang around with because a week later, he started wearing the friendship bracelet at school. We never talked about it, but I started playing with him again.”
“I’m going to give the first one I made to Jonathan at school.”
“Oh? Is he your best friend?”
“No. But Suzie Redmond likes him, and he told Brendan Andrews that he doesn’t like her, because he likes me.”
Oh wow. Boys? Already? She was only ten. “Do you . . . like Jonathan, too?”
Birdie wrinkled her cute little nose. “Definitely not.” She shrugged. “Plus, Dad said I can’t like boys until I’m thirty anyway.”
I chuckled. That sounded like something Sebastian would say. Oddly, I was thinking maybe he was right about this one.
“Can I ask you something, Sadie?”
“Of course, anything.”
“Dad’s your boyfriend, right?”
“Yeah, I think he is. Why do you ask?”
“So . . . if Dad is your boyfriend and I call you Sadie, what would I call you if you and Dad got married someday?”
My hands had been weaving a bracelet and froze. “Umm. Dad and I aren’t getting married anytime soon.”
“I know. But if you do, what would I call you? Would I still call you Sadie?”
God, I had no idea what the right answer was to that question. “I’m not really sure, sweetie. I guess you, your dad, and I would sit down and talk about it all together. And it would probably come down to whatever you felt most comfortable with.”
“But you’d be my mom, right?”
Heaviness settled into my chest. This . . . this was the reason why I’d always felt so connected to Birdie. I knew what it was like to long for a mother.
“Well, your mom will always be your mom. Technically, if your dad and I got married, I’d be your stepmom. But I don’t have to be married to your dad for you to be special to me.” I leaned over and brushed my hand down Birdie’s hair. “You know you’re special to me, right, Birdie?”
She forced a smile, but I could see she was still troubled.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Well, what happens if you and Daddy don’t get married and you meet someone else and marry him?”
“Oh, honey.” I shook my head. “Please don’t worry about that.” It was on the tip of my tongue to say I’d always be here for her. I felt that strong of a connection to Birdie. But honestly, that kind of a commitment was something I’d need to run by Sebastian before making. I wouldn’t want to make her an important promise like that unless I knew I could absolutely keep it. “Would it be okay if we talked about this again another night? I want to think about some of the questions you asked me. Because they’re important questions, and I want to give you the right answers.”
Birdie smiled. “Sure.” She went back to weaving her friendship bracelet and then stopped again. “Sadie?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“As long as you’re going to be doing some thinking, I have another question.”
Oh boy. “Sure. What’s up?”
“How does Santa get into our house? Daddy puts one of those caps on our chimney so the squirrels don’t get in, remember?”
I laughed. “You’re filled with tough questions tonight. Let me give that one some thought, too.”
And just like that, our serious conversation was over and things went back to normal. An hour later, we packed away the arts and crafts, and Birdie went to get ready for bed. She brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas and then came back out carrying one of the bracelets she’d made.
“That one came out really nice. I think it’s my favorite of the five you made. You said it’s for your best friend, right?”
She nodded.
“What’s her name?”
Birdie held the bracelet out to me. “Her name is Sadie, silly. It’s for you.”“Hey, sleepyhead.” Sebastian pushed a lock of my hair from my face. I must’ve fallen asleep on the couch watching TV.
I stretched my arms over my head. “What time is it?”
“Almost one. I’m sorry. I really need to find a new manager. I can’t keep doing this to you and Magdalene.”
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”
“I know you don’t. But I hate you trekking home at such a late hour. I was actually thinking earlier . . . Magdalene has slept over before, on nights that I had an event or an emergency at the restaurant. She slept on the pullout couch in my office. What if I talked to Birdie and told her that you’re going to stay over sometimes, at least on the nights I have to work late? I’ll sleep on the couch, and you can take my room.”