“Mom!” Nova shouted.
“Danielle?” I said.
“In here,” my sister called from the den.
Nova skipped ahead, proudly showing me off as if I was something she had recently invented. “Look, it’s Damien.”
“Hey.” I took a seat on the couch.
Danielle was sitting at her desk, paying bills. I turned on the television and sat watching nothing for a while. Danielle continued what she was doing, shuffling papers around on the desk, typing occasionally into her laptop.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked finally.
“I almost ran Nova over when I was pulling in,” I blurted out.
“Nova!” Danielle stood up, leaving the den to hunt her daughter out. A moment later, she returned with Nova in tow. “Why don’t you watch some TV? Damien, put something on that she can watch.”
“She can watch MMA,” I said.
“My little ponies,” Danielle replied stubbornly.
I switched it over to the streaming service that held all of Nova’s favorite shows. The bright colors and high-pitched voices of the characters were just too much, and I stood up. “I’m going to get a drink.”
“It’s only eleven,” Danielle complained.
“Then I’ll drink juice,” I said.
“Can I have some juice?” Nova piped up.
“Will you get her some juice?” Danielle asked.
“Let’s go get some juice, kiddo.” I escorted my niece back out of the den.
Pouring two cups, I sat at the kitchen island and commiserated with Nova. We pretended we were at a bar and were griping about our lives. She told me there was a kid who buried her favorite toy in the sandbox.
When I asked if she beat him up, she turned away and shouted, “Of course not!”
Danielle finished with her task and came to join us. She studied me with an astute gaze before making up an excuse to get Nova out of the room. “I have to make lunch. Maybe you want to help?” Danielle asked.
“Can I go to my room?” Nova countered.
“Sure thing,” Danielle said with a wink.
As soon as the child was gone, my sister looked back at me. “What’s up?”
“Are you sure you want to hear this?” I countered.
“Is it why you’re here?” she asked.
“No,” I objected. “I came to see you and Nova.”
“Mm-hmm.” Danielle reached for a frying pan.
“Okay.” I didn’t need any more prompting. I got her quickly up to speed on all the things that were going on in the office, concluding with Kent’s transgression and the fact that I hadn’t heard from Meara since.
“I don’t like her,” Danielle exclaimed.
“You don’t know her,” I argued.