Page 25 of A Cozy Holiday
“I warned you she loves pranks.” He gestures to his daughters. “Girls, be nice. Introduce yourselves to Dr. Winters.”
“Hi, Dr. Winters. I’m Kiki,” the first girl says, smiling up at me and twirling her braids.
“And I’m Honey.”
“We’re twins. We’re ten.” Kiki wraps her arms around her sister. “But I was born four minutes before her.”
Ten. The same age I was when my parents split up and Mom cried in the bathroom while Dad packed his Mercedes.
I stare at them, completely frozen. If they were house cats, I’d know exactly what to do. But actual human children?
I always thought I wanted kids. Someday. In that vague, theoretical future where I have my shit together. But now that there are two children in front of me, waiting for me to say something normal, I’m completely useless.
“Uhh, nice names.”
“Mom and Dad loved Studio Ghibli movies, so they named us after their favorite characters,” Kiki explains proudly. A pang of sadness hits me when I think about them losing their mom. Jamie’s gaze shifts away. “I’m fromKiki’s Delivery Service.”
“And I’m fromHowl’s Moving Castle,” Honey adds, her red nose wiggling. “Have you seen them?”
“I haven’t had a lot of time for movies.” I turn to Jamie, ready for him to save me.
“No!” Kiki exclaims. “You have to come over and watch them with us.”
“Maybe,” I say.
Honey stares at me, wide and unblinking. It’s a little unsettling, like she’s trying to peer into my soul.“I wish I could do my eyeliner like you.”
Ha! I probably look like a mess, but I know for certain that my waterproof eyeliner didn’t budge. A win if there ever was one. “As a vet, my steady hand is not only good for surgery but also for drawing a perfect cat eye in under a minute each morning,” I boast.
“So cool,” Kiki breathes.
Honey’s face falls. “For the Cranberry Social, all the girls will have their moms to help them with their makeup and hair.”
Oh.Oh no.
“Auntie Winn tries,” Kiki adds quickly, “but she’s better at baking than the girlie stuff.”
“And Grandma doesn’t even own lipstick,” Honey says quietly.
God, that hit me right in the chest. I can’t imagine growing up without my mom teaching me how to braid my hair or sneaking into her room to try on her lipsticks.
From my peripheral, I see Jamie frown. “Girls, let’s get going. I got your favorite for dinner tonight. Trudy got a new batch of sweet potatoes, so we can roast them.”
He’s obviously trying to change the subject.
Honey stares at the ground, fiddling with her backpack straps, and before I can stop myself, the words just tumble out. “If it’s all right with your dad, I could help you with your makeup for this social. If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s dresses and makeup.” I give Jamie a tight-lipped smile. “And animals.”
They light up and bounce on their toes.“Oh my god, please! Please, please, please!” they say in unison.
I beam at them.“Wow, I didn’t learn that move until I was at least thirteen.”
“You don’t have to do it,” Jamie says.
“I don’t have to do a lot of things,” I say, following them to the truck. I’m happy to get away from the small crowd that gathered to see my downhill performance. “But here we are. Another thing to add to my résumé. When is the dance, girls?”
“Saturday!”
They take off running, already debating whether they want smoky eyes or glitter, and I’m hit with this weird, unexpected flutter. Like maybe I could be good at this. The kid thing.
