“What in the hell is wrong with you?” I demand after closing the door.
“I’m just saying Mom was pretty. Am I not allowed to say that?”
“Of course you can say that, but your tone is hurtful and you’re aiming shots at Nora, trying to make her feel uncomfortable, and that’s not okay.”
“Because she’s your favorite?”
I sigh and drag my hand down my face in agitation. “No, because she’s a guest here and will be made to feel welcome. That includes you being kind, Gabby. Seriously, what’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.” She clams right up, crossing her arms over her chest, and I’m simply at the end of my rope with her.
“Either you act with kindness, or you can stay back here all evening.”
“Fine.” She plants her ass on the bed stubbornly. “I’m not hungry, anyway.”
She’s going to be the death of me.
“If you stay in here, you do so without your phone.”
She rolls her eyes and stomps out of the room, back to the couch, and shoves her nose back in the screen.
“So what’s up, buttercup?” Quinn asks Gabby from the kitchen.
“Yeah, do we need to take another trip to Martha’s Vineyard?” Finn asks. “I’m sure there are some winter activities I can put you in.”
“No,” Gabby says, shaking her head, and I give her the look that says I’m at the end of my rope with you, and if you don’t want to be grounded for a month, you’ll fix the attitude. “No thanks.”
Conversation swirls around me as we finish getting dinner ready and on the table. The girls are laughing and planning a shopping day for next week. I love that Nora fits right in, as if she’s the last puzzle piece of this family. As easy as can be.
“Dinner’s ready,” Maggie announces happily. “We really need to do more family dinners. It’s such a joy to have all my kids with me at once.”
“Yeah, with just our family,” Gabby mutters.
“So are you on your period?” Quinn asks, then gets slapped by his wife on the arm.
“You don’t ask a girl that,” she says.
“What?” Quinn asks, rubbing his arm. “She’s acting like she is, and it’s annoying. I love you, squirt, but you need to tone down the angry preteen thing a bit. It’s out of control.”
“No one gets it,” Gabby says with a dramatic sigh. “You all just hate me.”
And with that, she tosses her phone on the table and runs to the guest room, slamming the door behind her.
“So this week’s gonna be fun,” Nora says before popping a green bean in her mouth. “Carter’s leaving for a few days. Lucky me.”
“I’ll cancel the trip,” I offer, but Nora’s already shaking her head.
“I’ve dealt with this from her before. We’ll be okay.”
“Girls her age are going through a lot,” Maggie says. “Hormones and changes. And despite loving Nora, I’m sure she’s confused about how she feels about her dad having a life. Kids think our worlds revolve around them, and when something different comes into the picture, it’s tough for them.”
“Are you a shrink?” Finn asks his mom. “Because you’re pretty smart.”
“I raised three children,” she reminds him with a wink. “And I spend a lot of time with our Gabby. She’s going to be okay.”
I need to have a real conversation with my daughter, and not one out of anger. It needs to happen when we’re both calm, so I can figure out what’s bothering her so badly. It’s clear she’s suddenly having a problem with Nora’s place in my life, but just a couple of weeks ago, she was cool as can be about it.
What’s changed?
And what am I going to do about it?
I shouldn’t have come on this fucking trip. It’s been a cluster from the minute I left the house this morning.
I kissed Nora good-bye, then walked across the penthouse to Gabby’s room, expecting to kiss her good-bye as well. I thought she’d still be asleep, but when I opened her door, she was awake and dressed, packing a suitcase.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Daddy.” She smiled sweetly and continued to pack that bag.
“I have questions,” I said, leaning my shoulder on the doorjamb. “Why are you up so early and why are you packing a suitcase?”
“Well, I thought I’d just go stay with Grandma while you’re gone,” she said, as if she’s twenty-two rather than twelve. “You know, give Nora a break and all.”
“That’s not possible, Gabs,” I replied, reminding myself to stay calm. “Grandma’s going out of town for a few days with her friends. If you’d stayed at the table for dinner last night, you would have known that.”
She frowned and tossed a pair of socks on the bed. “Oh.”
“Nora’s totally fine spending a couple of days with you. It’ll be fun to have some girl time.”
“I guess.”
“Hey, we need to talk, Gabs.” I checked the time on my watch and winced. “I have to go to catch this flight, but when I get home we’re going to have a calm conversation about what’s bothering you. We need to fix this.”