Tell Me You Love Me ✓

oo7. Bad Habit

Emma looked so peaceful sleeping, Greer hated to wake her, but it was time to get ready for school. The biggest surprise had been how quickly her heart opened to the child. She'd never thought she had maternal instincts. At least not since she had gotten knocked up straight out of school, then miscarried, and that'd been four years ago.

A tear dropped onto her shirt, and once again, she didn't understand what brought them on. Since coming to Fairhope, she'd turned into a crybaby, and it had to stop. Swiping at her cheeks, she willed the emotions away. She was homesick and already counting the days until she could leave this dreadful city and get back to Atlanta.

Along with her niece and Mr. Mooney, meeting easy-on-the-eyes and good listener, Jackson was another bright spot in her life. She laughed. A sunshine trifecta. Yep, that's what she had going for her. And the padre was right, talking things out might help. His encouraging words had already lifted her spirit.

She moved to the bed and brushed Emma's hair from her cheek, then planted quick kisses across her forehead. "Time to get up, sweet girl. It's a school day."

Emma's eyes fluttered open for a second, the closed again. "Five more minutes."

"I've already let you sleep longer than usual. Hop up. I'll scramble you an egg. You want some bacon to go with it?"

"I'll get up if you'll give me a piggy back."

Greer pulled free of the embrace. Turned.

Emma locked legs and arms and Greer took off in a gallop with her rider giggling all the way. She deposited her passenger onto a bar stool, and went to fix her food.

"Why does my room feel like Hawaii and in here, it's like Antarctica?"

Greer laughed. The kid was six going on twenty with some of the questions she asked. Or, it might have to do with the geography books Grammy Collins had given Emma, as a way to keep up with where the grandparents were since they traveled so much. "I have the cooling vents partially closed in here. I'm hot natured, so I need it cooler. Are you cold?"

"No. I'm okay. I just wondered."

"I signed the form for you to attend the lock-in on Friday night. That should be fun."

She bounced in her seat. "We're gunna watch a movie and play outside and do karaoke."

"Are you going to sing?" Greer cracked an egg into a bowl and stirred it with a fork, one of the few things she knew how to cook. Her normal menu comprised of sandwiches, frozen dinners, and takeout.

"Yep. Katie and me." She slipped off the stool and shed her pajamas.

"What song?" Greer wrapped two strips of bacon in a paper towel and put them in the microwave. She might suck at cooking, but she excelled at nuking.

"Let it go."

"Who sings that?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Elsa."

"Oh yeah, is that the one from that...uhmmm. Frozen?"

She pulled a bright red shirt over her head. "Yep."

"I bet you do great."

"They're going to video it and sell copies."

"I should get you and your friend special costumes. Like princess dresses."

"No. Teacher says we should wear play clothes we can sleep in, so we don't have to change."

"That's a smart idea. Maybe matching princess pj's. Would you like that?" Greer plated the eggs and placed them in front of Emma along with toast and juice.