“I don’t mind.” She shrugs, like it’s no big deal, when all I can do is mentally fist-pump the air. My kid wants me to play a video game with her. We’ve talked some over the past few days, but we haven’t really had the opportunity to have one-on-one time together.
I look toward the kitchen and see Ellie still puttering away on the other side of the bar. She left the room about an hour ago to go cook dinner, leaving Maisy and me somewhat alone. From the look on her face as she stares back at me, she must have heard Maisy’s question. Her expression is softer than I’ve seen it since I arrived a few days ago. Apparently, Declan came home from work while I was talking to Mae, because he’s in the kitchen leaning against the bar, his back toward me. He must say something quietly to her because she looks away from me to him.
I take a seat beside Maisy and stretch my legs out in front of me. Grabbing the controller, I hold it awkwardly.
“Okay. Show me what to do.”
She does something with her controller, and a minute later, the screen is split in two. A while later, and after instructions from Maisy, I think I’ve got the basics down. That is, until the green block zombie thing explodes and kills me. I’m kind of glad though, because it makes Maisy giggle.
“You have to build your house faster than that. You build a house to hide in from the Creepers. They only come out at night though, so you build during the day,” she informs me.
I look at her half of the screen and notice her big block house, then look at mine with its two walls and partial roo
f. I maneuver my block character to some trees and begin chopping some down to gather some wood. This game is harder than it looks.
“Who was on the phone?” Maisy asks a few minutes later, out of the blue. Her question surprises me so much that I push the wrong button on the controller and my character jumps off a big cliff, effectively killing me again. Thank goodness this game comes with infinite lives or I’d never make it anywhere.
I clear my throat before answering. “It was Mae. She’s, uh… my mother.” I decided on a simple answer.
It takes Maisy a couple of minutes before she replies. “So, I guess she’s my grandmother, right?”
My character freezes on the screen when my fingers stop pressing the buttons. This is the first time Maisy’s mentioned anything related to me being her father, so I’m unsure how to respond.
“Yeah, she’s your grandmother.” I give her the only answer there is.
“I haven’t met my grandmother on mom’s side, so it’ll be nice to meet the one on your side,” she says idly, easily moving her block character around the block world.
“She’s looking forward to meeting you.” I move over to my pathetic house and begin adding the third wall.
“Do you think she’ll like me?”
I move my eyes away from the screen and glance at Maisy. Her focus is still on the TV, but her bottom lip is between her teeth, something that I remember Ellie doing years ago when she was nervous about something.
“She won’t just like you, Maisy. She’ll love you.”
“Really?” she asks, looking away from the TV and giving me her beautiful green eyes.
“Yes. She told me on the phone she’s looking forward to meeting you. And you want to know a secret?”
“What?”
I lean closer to her and lower my voice. “Don’t tell her I said this, but she’ll probably cry when she meets you. And I bet she’ll tell you you’re her favorite grandchild.”
Her eyes widen. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
She smiles, and I feel ten feet tall at the look. A moment later, the smile slips and her eyes narrow.
“How many grandkids does she have already?”
I laugh. The girl is too smart for her own good. “She only has one beside you. Elijah. But he’s just a baby still. Even so, I know you’ll be her secret favorite even if she had twenty.”
“I don’t have to be her favorite. I just want her to like me.”
“Well, you don’t have anything to worry about. I promise.”
She goes back to her game, and I pick my controller back up. I only get two block pieces in place on my house before her next words has me freezing again.