His words mesmerized us. We soaked in the glow of his smile and, like kittens, purred in his arms. Daddy could explain anything, could meet any challenge, and could keep us forever safe. Anyone looking at us could read the words on our lips. We are his daughters. We are the Patios. Step away. Don’t touch. Just enjoy what you see.
“Hey,” I heard, and broke free of my reminiscences. Buddy was right behind me.
“I thought you might not find me easily in this crowd,” I said as he approached. He was wearing a light blue jacket, a darker blue shirt, and jeans, and he looked spry in his bone-white sneakers. I hadn’t noticed before, but his light brown hair was long and floated over his eyes. He swept it back.
“Are you kidding? You would stand out in any crowd,” he said. He looked around. “And it is kind of crowded here. Want to take a walk on the beach?”
“Okay,” I said. He reached for my hand, and we started off the pier.
“So, what made you decide to make this my lucky day?” he asked.
I nearly laughed aloud, thinking, You have no idea how true that might be. “How do you know it’s your lucky day?”
“Hey,” he said, leaning closer to lower his voice, “don’t you see those envious guys w
atching us?”
I looked around. Once I had dreamed of drawing attention the way Brianna and Ava did. Had my dream come true? They certainly never revealed being as self-conscious about it as I was as we stepped off the sidewalk and onto the sand. I paused to slip off my shoes, and he did the same. The sand was warm, but not so warm that we couldn’t walk barefoot, and as we drew closer to the water, it cooled.
“Where do you go to high school?” Buddy asked.
“It’s a private school in Bel Air.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“It is.”
“What do your parents do?”
“I have only my father,” I said. “My mother died when I was born.”
“Oh, sorry. What does he do?”
“He buys and sells very expensive things all over the world.”
“Jewelry?”
“Anything expensive.”
“Elsa is really your sister, then, right? This business about blood relation was just some nonsense.”
“Yes, she’s my sister.”
“Is there just you and Elsa?”
“No. I have a younger sister, too.”
“Oh, your father remarried?”
“No.”
“But how did you get a younger sister?”
“He didn’t marry her mother. She deserted him after my younger sister was born.”
“Oh. Sounds like your father’s had it rough.”
“Yes. That’s also why he’s so protective of us.”