Page 122 of A Dream for Daphne

Then she wondered how fair it was for her to use him to unload when he had more important things on his mind.

“Don’t ever think that,” Aster said. “When you do, it diminishes your self-worth and you’ve always struggled there.”

She didn’t need her brother to point that out to her. “I don’t think I do anymore.”

“I haven’t seen it lately,” Aster said. “Not since you’ve lived here, but that doesn’t mean you don’t feel it. You’re good at hiding things from the world.”

“I get that from my big brother.”

Aster snorted. “Don’t remind me. But I don’t do it much anymore either. You’re evading. What is going on with Abe?”

“Nothing much, I guess. I mean it’s old news, but it still kind of bothers me.”

“Are you going to tell me?” Aster asked.

There was no reason not to. “I found out that he told Reese that I was worried I was going to get fired after I got hurt. That they’d be upset because I wasn’t watching Holly carefully.”

Aster put his hand up. “Stop right there. I know you. I know how your mind works and the guilt you put there. I’m not faulting him for saying that. I would have done the same thing if you told me you were fearful of it.”

“I really can’t win with the men in my life, can I?” she asked. She didn’t expect Aster to say that.

“There is no winning or losing here. He’s protecting you the same as I would. I’d want that in any man that ended up with you. I don’t see him saying that being a big deal. When did he say it?”

“The day it happened. I was emotional and in pain. Reese called him when I was having my MRI and it came out. Abe tends to say more than he should at times and he said he didn’t even think much of it.”

“He shouldn’t have had to worry about saying that,” Aster argued. “He was putting it out there in case they didn’t know, but I’m positive he felt the same way I did, that it never crossed their minds to terminate you.”

“He said that,” she said.

“So you did talk to him about it?” Aster asked.

“I did,” she said. “The day I found out which was about two weeks ago. Julie mentioned it.”

“Julie is the one that likes to run her mouth,” Aster said. “And trust me when I say I don’t get in the middle of the girl drama, least of all with nannies, but I’ve heard it said a few times that Julie is full of gossip and always wants to know what is going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if Poppy purposely didn’t want her in the house anymore. Rose and Thomas are calmer and probably don’t talk as much to worry about things.”

She laughed. “I thought of that too. Poppy and Reese aren’t as reserved as Rose and Thomas. At least in front of people. You could be right.”

“Did you and Abe fight about it?” Aster asked.

“I don’t fight about much,” she said. “You know that. I had calmed down some by the time I saw him and we talked. He even joked about wondering if I ever got mad.”

“I’ve seen you get mad before,” Aster said. “Normally it was with Mom or Dad but not really to their faces.”

“It’s not worth it anymore,” she said. “It only works me up and Mom could care less. It solves nothing.”

She knew her mother wasn’t going to fly here for the bridal shower yesterday even though Aster had said he’d pay for the ticket. It was a long flight for just a few days and her mother said they’d be here for the wedding.

But the least her mother could have done was send a damn gift.

When her mother said that she wasn’t coming and didn’t need to, Daphne was mortified.

She didn’t want her brother or future sister-in-law upset over that, so she went out and bought something else and put both her mother’s and her name on it.

Her mother thanked her, but never offered to give her the money. Not that she expected it.

She supposed she should consider herself lucky her mother even thanked her.

But she knew that Raine would send out thank you cards and didn’t want her mother to wonder why she got one or think it was a joke.

---