Aleena wiped the tear that ran down her face. “I was living on my own when we met so I can take care of myself.”
Larkin looked down at her lap. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m glad you told me. It’s just … I thought I could be my real self with him, you know?” Aleena asked.
Brylee and Larkin nodded.
“Maybe Kaleb and I aren’t meant to be together,” Aleena said. Her breath caught painfully in her lungs. That thought made her feel like her heart was being torn from her chest.
“You don’t know that,” Larkin said in a rush. “I just don’t want you to lose him if you love him. I think we all have to make adjustments. We’re all new to this.”
“I should try, at least.”
“All three of us should,” Brylee said.
“I agree,” Larking said. “We’ll all act less needy, and maybe they’ll like us better.”
Aleena picked the doll back up and smoothed her hair. “The last thing I want to do is disappoint Kaleb.”
“We don’t have to make it obvious. When we go downstairs, I say we sit away from the men and maybe call them by their names more,” Larkin suggested.
“Yes.” Brylee nodded. “We all can do this, but we have to be subtle.”
The girls jumped when Darian yelled up the stairs to tell them it was just about time for dinner. They all stood and grabbed each other’s hands and marched down the stairs. When they got to the living room doorway, they paused until they found chairs away from their daddies.
All three sat and waited with their hands in their laps and no expression on their faces.
“What are you doing over there?” Darian asked Larkin.
“I’m sitting waiting for dinner, Darian.”
All three men’s eyebrows rose.
“What’s going on?” Kaleb asked.
Aleena shook her head and tried to smile. “Nothing, Kaleb. We’re just trying to be patient.”
Kaleb narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
Aleena looked over at the other two girls. Her shoulders relaxed when they both smiled at her, giving her the support she needed. “I … we want to … be less…” She paused as she tried to think of the right word.
“Needy,” Brylee injected helpfully.
“Who’s says you’re needy?” Gage asked.
“Um, we don’t think anyone said it lately,” Larkin began. “But it’s always a good idea to grow as a person. Don’t you think?”
The other two girls nodded.
****
Kaleb looked at Darian and Gage, confused. He saw the same puzzlement on his friends’ faces, and it made him feel a little better.
“Sir, dinner is served,” Elder said from the doorway.
Darian stood. “Thank you, Elder. Let’s eat. We’ll figure everything out later.”
Kaleb stood and grabbed Aleena’s hand as she passed. Aleena pulled her hand from Kaleb’s grip and walked away.