Page 13 of By Your Side
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Briar said, her eyes fixed on her phone.
“Yeah,” Lark echoed too quickly. “We’re totally fine.”
“That was the least convincing ‘totally fine’ I’ve ever heard,” I said, crossing my arms. “Spill it. Don’t make me tickle it out of you. You know I’ll do it.”
They exchanged a look.
I waited. Wiggling my fingers for emphasis.
Finally, Lark sighed and nudged her sister. “Tell her.”
Briar hesitated, then muttered, “Danielle told me to quit dance.”
I gaped at her. “I’m sorry—what? You mean your father’s fiancée and my high school nemesis is tellingmy daughterwhat to do? The hell you say?”
“She said Dad’s having a hard time financially, and that dance is too expensive, and maybe I should think about stopping so there’s more money for… everything else.”
My jaw clenched. “Did your father say that? Did he agree? What did he say? Tell me everything before I lose my ever-loving mind.”
“No,” Briar said. “He just stood there. He didn’t say anything. It was almost like she was telling me that for him.”
Of course, he didn’t say a word—the weak-ass loser. I ground my teeth together so hard my head pounded. I would never say anything bad about him to the kids. Or at least I would try my hardest not to. “And by‘everything else,’” I finally asked, “do you mean Danielle’s kids?”
Briar shrugged, but her face had gone tight. “Probably. And a new couch for the living room. Um, he said he was going to come talk to you soon.”
I took a breath. Then another. I was trying to be reasonable. But my baby girl had just been told to give up the one thing that made her feel strong and joyful after going through a very hard time because her dad couldn’t be bothered to advocate for her.
“Oh, I’m going to kill him,” I said. Damn it. I slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Mom,” Lark, my little peacemaker, put her hand on my arm.
“No.” I took her hand. “It’s okay.” I tried to dial back my anger. “Not likemurder, murder. Not likeprisonmurder. Just a little bit of murder. With threats, I mean words—bad ones. And maybe some salad tongs.”Well, that was an utter failure.
Briar cracked a small smile. Lark did too, but quietly.
“Dance is not optional,” I said. “You hear me? I don’t care what Danielle says. That’syourthing, Briar. And you get to have your thing. The court and a freaking judge said you get to have your thing.” My voice rose along with my temper. “So you’re keeping it no matter what I have to do.”
She nodded, blinking quickly. “Okay. Thanks.”
I took her hand too and looked between both girls. “Next time, just tell me, okay? Don’t sit over here like you’re in a spy thriller. The Darlington girls do not keep secrets.” Except for me, who was keeping a huge one about Hunter, but whatever.
Lark snorted. “We weren’t very good at it.”
“No, you were terrible,” I said. “Remind me never to cast you as spies.”
I stood up and brushed the grass from my jeans.
“Also,” I added, already plotting a truly impressive rage-text to Eli, “remind me never to let Danielle speak to any of my children ever again.” I decided I could badmouth her, maybe just a little.
I was muttering murder scenarios under my breath when we made our way back to the firepit. I’d nearly decided that rusty salad tongs were my weapon of choice when Briar slipped her hand into mine.
“You okay?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Mad. But also kind of hungry.”
“Fury burns calories,” I said solemnly. “Let’s feed it.”
