Lindsay nodded eagerly.
Anne returned then, glancing at her daughter’s new pendant. “Someone’s got a present.”
“Yes, I have a magic talisman now. And Skye says I can bring all my dolls and show them to her.”
Anne laughed, glancing at Skye. “Oh, Skye. You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into. But we have to go now. We’re meeting Dawn and her mom, remember?”
Lindsay nodded, looking a bit regretfully at Skye.
I was studying my sister closely, and as I walked her and Lindsay to the car, I pulled her to one side.
“Do I have to beat someone up?” I wasn’t even joking.
She patted my shoulder. “No, just the usual. Making excuses for having no time for Lindsay. Not that much of a difference, really. She barely saw him when we were married anyway.”
“Anne....”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“Offer to talk with the dickhead, which is code for breaking his jaw, giving him a black eye?”
“Possibly.”
“See? I know you. There’s nothing you can do. Except spoil us, like today. And ask Skye over too. She’s fab.”
I agreed 100 percent.
“Have fun in France.”
“We will,” she said. They were leaving tomorrow. Still frustrated at my sister’s situation, I wanted to talk with her more, but Anne got in her car and drove away before I could say anything else.
I walked out to Skye, who was sitting, enjoying the sun. I kissed the side of her neck.
“You were amazing with Lindsay and especially Anne. How did you know just what to say?”
She shrugged. “Instinct, I guess? It’s important to be reminded what you’re great at in those moments when you doubt yourself and every decision you’ve ever made.”
She cast her gaze down. Was she talking from experience? Who’d made her doubt herself? I wanted to make sure it never happened again.
“Did that happen to you?” I asked calmly. She straightened, opening her eyes.
“Dad left when we were little, so... yes.”
“Shit.”
“Mom went through a rough time, especially because she was a homemaker. But she regained her confidence bit by bit after starting her job as a teacher and realizing she was really good at it.”
“Did she remarry?”
“Yeah, a few years ago. Mick is a great guy.”
“Do you have any contact with your dad?”
“He did pay some child support, but since the company he’d worked for had gone bankrupt and he was unemployed, that didn’t amount to much. We never saw him again though. But that was a long time ago. We moved here from Boston. He remained there.”
“Your mom moved here on her own with four kids? That was brave.”