Page 155 of The Right Sign

“What lady?”

“The deaf one.”

Something in her hard tone catches me off guard so I drop to one knee. “She’s not ‘the deaf one’. Her name is Yaya. And yes, I do.” I bop my niece on the nose. “I like her a whole lot.”

“More than me?”

I blink a couple times. “I like her in a different way than I like you.”

“What different way?”

I rub the back of my neck. How do I explain this in a way that won’t hurt Talia? “You like ice cream, right?”

She nods.

“And you like Ms. Murtle, our next-door neighbor’s dog, right?”

Talia squints at me, undoubtedly trying to figure out where I’m going before I get there.

“You can eat ice cream, but you can’t eat Ms. Murtle. One is cute and cuddly and one is your favorite snack. You can pet one and you can uh…” I’m about to say lick and realize I probably shouldn’t, “share the other with your friends.”

“Which one am I?”

I blink rapidly.

“Am I the ice cream or the dog?” Talia asks.

She’s way too smart of a kid and I have no idea how to answer that. Tugging my collar away from my neck, I give it a few seconds of contemplation and decide my best course of action is to avoid the matter.

I scoop her into my arms. “I think you need a bedtime story.”

“Ice cream.”

I laugh. “No ice cream tonight, Tals.”

“No, I mean I want to be ice cream.” She pushes out her bottom lip and says resolutely, “let her be the dog.”

* * *

10: 20 YAYA:Sorry. I was lecturing the ladies on why betting on people’s love lives is bad.

I’m in my office, re-reading the Ru-Carpsel takeover documents when I get the text. I immediately pounce on my phone.

10:21 YAYA:By the way, you can bring Talia over anytime. These guys love a crowd.

10:45 DARE:Talia’s asleep now. Just got her to settle down. What was the bet?

10:55 YAYA:You don’t want to know.

10:56 DARE:Now I’m even more curious.

10:57 YAYA:You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.

10:59 DARE:We had a cat once. Cynthia. She regrettably perished after not getting the answers to her questions.

11:10 YAYA: *laughing emoji*You made me choke on toothpaste. Lmbo

11:15 DARE:Lambo?

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