“What girls, baby?” The braid I’d put in her hairst night had fallen so loose, and her hair was a wild nest. I pulled the stic out of the bottom and tried to form it all into a ponytail, tying it together.


    “Hannah and Syd.”


    I chuckled, trying to think of a way around this.


    “Daddy, I’m going to help you make a big batch of chocte chip pancakes. And wear my sparkly pink dress. And they cane over and eat them. Okaaay?”


    “Eve, I don’t think Hannah is avable today-”


    “Just call her. Pleeease.”


    I nced at the tablet on my nightstand to check the time. My cousin was certainly awake at this hour. She barely slept. Hell, when I had been her age, inw school, I hadn’t either.


    “You want me to call her right now and ask her?”


    She nodded so furiously that the ends of her long curls hit her eyes.


    I grabbed my phone next to the tablet and found Hannah’s number, holding my cell to my ear.


    “Put it on speaker, Daddy.”


    This child was far too smart. Soon, it would be impossible to get anything past her.


    I hit the button for the speakerphone and set my cell on my chest.


    “Ford,” Hannah started as she answered, “if you’re calling me to babysit-”


    “Hannah!” Everly shouted. “Come over. I wanna have a pancake party.” Her sparkly pink nails were now ying with my fingers. “I will be the flipper. We can make them super gooey with a whole bunch of chocte chips.”


    “Oh, my little bestie, that sounds amazing,” Hannah replied.


    “They will be so yummy. Because chocte is our faaave. Besides, Daddy doesn’t make the gooey ones right. You have toe. Pleeease.”


    “How can I turn down an offer like that?”


    “Yay!” She pped her hands together, her dimple so pronounced that I had to lean forward and kiss it. “Will Syde?”


    “Who?” Hannah asked.


    “Your cookie friend,” Everly responded.


    “The friend you gave a ride home to,” I added, reminding her of the clusterfuck she’d helped me get out of. “Isn’t she going out of town to visit family today?”


    “Ohhh,” Hannah groaned. “Yes, you’re right; she is.”


    Everly’s bottom lip stuck out. “She can’te to my party?”


    “No, bestie, but I’ll be there. Won’t that make up for it?”


    “What about Uncle D and Uncle Jenner? Can theye?” Eve asked us. “And Mimi and Papa?”


    “Mimi and Papa are in San Diego this weekend,” I said. “They won’t be able toe.”


    “But I think you should call Dominick and Jenner,” Hannah suggested. “If they’re free, I bet they’d love some of your pancakes.”


    “Can I call them, Daddy?”


    I chuckled.


    Only my daughter could put together a breakfast party at eight in the morning. But if this was what she chose to do-to spend time with her family over everything else-I knew I had one special kid.


    “We’ll hang up with Hannah and give them a call, baby. How does that sound?”


    “The bestest!” Eve sang.


    “Good.” I took the phone off speaker mode and held it to my ear. “Hannah, you’re also the bestest.”


    “You owe me. Again. I’m thinking a new car sounds like the perfect-”


    “See you soon,” I said,ughing, and I hung up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “Daaaddy, I need to go put on my dress.” She wiggled her leg off me and pushed her little butt to the end of the bed, jumping onto the floor.


    “Don’t you think we should call your uncles first to make sure they cane over?”


    “You call.” Her tiny, bare feet started to run. “I have to go get ready.”


    “Don’t run!” I yelled as she rushed out of my room. “Be careful on the stairs. One at a time, and use the railing.”


    “I knooow.”


    That girl, I thought, shaking my head.


    I didn’t want to call the boys in case they were still sleeping, so I pulled up the group text we constantly had going between the three of us and started typing.


    Me: Your niece would like to cordially invite you to the breakfast party she’s having this morning. She’s in her room right now, putting on her party dress. She’ll be terribly disappointed if you can’t attend. No pressure.


    Dominick: Is she doing the cooking?


    Jenner: Because if it’s you making those pancakes and not her, I’m noting.


    Me: Dicks.


    Dominick: Chef Craig is due at my ce around 9. I’ll text him and send him to your house instead, letting him know we’re switching days.


    Me: It’s just pancakes. I think I can handle it.


    Jenner: Dom, send him over. Ignore Ford.


    Dominick: Done.


    Me: Does that mean you’re alling? Say around ten?


    Dominick: Kendall and I will be there.


    Jenner: Jo and I will too.


    Dominick: What’s going on with the girl from the bar? Is she joining in on this morning’s family feast?


    Me: Eve wanted to invite her, but I shot that down before it could be a thing. They met-by ident. Fuck me.


    Jenner: Oh fuck, how’d that introduction go?


    Me: Shockingly … perfect.


    Jenner: Then, what the hell are you waiting for? Invite the girl for breakfast.


    Me: Don’t start.


    Dominick: Brother, you know we haven’t really even gotten started.


    Me: It’s too early for this shit. I’m not going there with you two.


    Jenner: Pussy.


    Me: See you bitches in a couple hours.


    After Hannah had taken Sydney home yesterday morning, whenever there was a slow second in the day, when Everly wasn’t upying my every move, my brain was filled with memories of Sydney.


    Of the night we’d spent together.


    I couldn’t get her out of my head.


    And even though I had her number, I hadn’t reached out.