“He said if you need help, I should help you,” she added, standing up and abandoning her toys in the grass.
“Sure, I’d love your help,” I said, smiling at Shiloh. I wanted to spend time with Tristan, but hanging out with Shiloh was a lot of fun, too.
Plus, maybe she could tell me a few things about her dad.
“Uh oh, now Shiloh, don’t scare the poor girl away. I couldn’t help but notice how messy your supposedly cleaned room was. Don’t make Arya pick up too much of your slack,” he said with a wink for his great-granddaughter.
“Pop-Pop,” Shiloh fake whined as she went over for a hug. He kissed the top of her head and tousled her hair as they both laughed, with Grace joining in. I loved how playful William and Grace, and apparently Shiloh, were. They didn’t take things too seriously, and playful banter was a constant in the house.
I desperately wanted that for myself.
“I’m sure Shiloh will be wonderful and helpful as always,” I said, extending my hand toward her. She enthusiastically placed her tiny hand in mine as we walked back into the house.
“What do you want me to do?” Her voice still had a slight toddler quality to it, high-pitched and sweet. But she seemed to have an excellent grasp on language. No doubt she was in the fanciest school in New York.
“We’re going to fold some laundry,” I said, clapping, trying desperately to make it sound exciting. Luckily, Shiloh squealed in delight. “Can you pass the clothes to me as I fold them?”
I picked her up and sat her on top of the dryer. The basket of clothes sat on the counter between us and I set an empty basket on the other side of me.
“That sounds too easy,” she said, giggling.
“It sounds easy. But it's actually quite tricky, and you need to be pretty smart to get it right. It’s all about the timing of when you pass me the next piece of clothing. Can’t be too soon or I won’t be ready. Too late and our folding job will take longer than it has to,” I said seriously, giving her a confidence boost.
We fell into silence for a few minutes. Shiloh concentrated on passing me each piece at the right time and I folded with my usual precision and carefully placed the clothes in the empty basket.
I wanted to ask Shiloh about Tristan, but I didn’t know how. And it probably wasn’t wise to use a four-year-old to snoop on someone, especially her dad.
“Do you like it here?” I asked instead.
“Yes. It’s more fun here than in New York. My daddy can play with me here. And so do Pop and Gram. Grandma and Grandpa don’t play with me as much, but they always have treats.” Shiloh’s eyes sparkled as she talked about her family.
“Did you grow up with my daddy?” Her legs were swinging back and forth and she looked so curious.
“Kind of. He was more of my brother’s friend than mine. But I grew up in the house next door,” I said, pointing to the side where my house would be if you could see it through the walls.
“Uncle Mason!” she said, her eyes lighting up.
“Yep, he’s my brother.” I smiled at her. It was so sweet to see how much she loved Mason.
“I like Daddy better here.”
“Oh yeah. Why’s that?” I asked, hoping I was about to learn more about Tristan.
“I think he’s happier. He used to fight with Mommy a lot. But now when we FaceTime with Mommy, we all laugh. I miss Mommy, though. I wish she was here, too. Maybe she would be happier like Daddy and we could all live together again in one house.”
My heart clenched as I thought about the pain this little girl was feeling from her parent’s breakup. It was clear she loved them both so much.
“That does sound hard. Did your mom say anything about visiting?” I asked. I wanted to know so I could keep my distance.
“She said she'll visit soon.” Shiloh looked excited at the thought. I wanted her to be happy, and I knew nothing would be happier for her than her parents reuniting. And I felt a stab of jealousy at that. Would Tristan and Regina consider getting back together for Shiloh? Maybe that was why he had decided to keep his distance from me.
A soft tap on the open laundry room door broke my thoughts. I looked back and saw my best friend Katie standing at the door. She sometimes stopped by so we could have lunch together. But I wasn’t expecting her today.
“Hey you,” she said, walking into the laundry room and giving me a quick hug. “Did you get my text? And who is this cutie?” She smiled at Shiloh, who gave her a warm smile back. Katie was a second-grade teacher and was amazing with kids.
“My name is Shiloh Adler,” she responded confidently. I was surprised. She sounded more like an adult than a four-year-old. Her high self-esteem must have been a by-product of living in such a massive city. Meeting new people all the time must have been the reason she had so much confidence and such a bubbly personality.
“I’m Katie Morris. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Katie extended her hand to shake Shiloh’s.