Chapter 6

Titus

"How'd it go?" Bas asked, glancing up from his tools as I climbed off my bike.

"Went fine," I muttered.

"Just fine?"

"It was dinner. We had burgers. Mom made that pudding dessert you like."

"Dammit," he complained. "You bring any home with you?"

"Yeah, let me just pull it out of my pocket," I replied, stuffing my hand in there and then pulling it out to flip him off.

"Heather savin' me some?" he asked hopefully.

"She said to stop by tomorrow," I replied, laughing as he put a hand to his heart and closed his eyes.

"Shit, who's callin' me?" I mumbled, pulling my phone out of my other pocket. "I just left you assholes."

The moment I saw Otto's name I took a step back toward my bike.

"Hey," I answered, one hand on my helmet.

"Get over here," he ordered. Just that. Then the line went dead.

"Fuck," I spat, climbing back on my bike.

"What's up?" Bas asked, kicking the tools away from the back tire of his bike.

"Get to Otto's," I ordered, backing out of the garage.

I turned around and practically flew back down the driveway. The sound of two sets of bikes roaring to life hit me just as I pulled onto the pavement. Good. Bas must've yelled for Cian.

We all lived pretty close to each other and it only took a few minutes before I was turning onto Otto's gravel driveway, but it felt like an hour. I didn't know what the fuck was going on, but I'd only heard that tone in my brother's voice a few times and none of them were good.

I took in the situation in an instant and my blood boiled.

Esther's car was still running and the girls sat inside it. Otto was standing near the back bumper. A car I didn't recognize was parked to the side, but I sure as shit recognized one of the three men standing beside it.

I parked a little farther down the driveway and climbed off my bike, dropping my helmet in the grass. I figured the farther apart me and Otto stood, the better chance of the men having to split their focus.

Anything to get the focus off the women in the car.

Motorcycles pulled up behind me, but I didn't bother to turn. I was too focused on the asshole who was standing next to the passenger side of his car, saying something to Otto. He turned to me, and recognition lit his face.

"You," he spat. "I should've known."

"Nice to see you again," I replied, pushing down the urge to fucking kill him. I'd dreamed about what I'd do if I ever saw Noel and Esther's brother again. I clenched my hands into fists.

He laughed derisively.

"You're on private property," Otto said, his voice dark. "Get back in your car and leave."

"I'm here to check on my sisters," Ephraim argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where are my granddaughters?" one of the other men barked. He pointed at Esther's car. "They in there?"

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked. He ignored me.

Bas, Cian and Mick spread out in the driveway. Otto had probably called all of the brothers. I vaguely wondered where Rumi was.

"Noel," the older man yelled. "Where are my granddaughters?"

"Get the fuck outta here, old man," I ordered, taking another step forward.

"Who are you?"

"He's the boy Noel was sneaking around with before we moved," Ephraim replied, glancing at me with disgust.

"Not a boy anymore," I replied, staring him down. "Feelin' froggy?"

He scoffed.

"You need to leave," Otto said again. "Now."

"We're not going anywhere until we see my brother's wife and my nieces," the third man said, bravely walking around to the front of the car. I kept the surprise off my face. He was old. Maybe not as old as my parents, but at least forty. My mouth went dry. That was Esther's brother-in-law? How old had her husband been?

"Yeah, that ain't happenin'," I said easily, moving toward Otto. I didn't like how far I was from Esther's car. It would only take moments for the men to reach it.

The man stubbornly stood his ground. Idiot.

"Your brother's dead," I said flatly. "She's not his wife anymore. Get the fuck outta here."

"What do you think is gonna happen here?" Mick asked, splitting the focus of the men—exactly what I should've been doing. "You're outnumbered." He looked around. "Very outnumbered."

"Noel needs to come home," Ephraim said, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "Her family has been worried sick."

"Her family's here," Otto replied flatly. "You're lookin' at 'em."

"Well," Ephraim said, lifting his hands as he looked back at the other men. "I think we're going to have to disagree with you there."

"What part of get the fuck outta here are you not understandin'?" I asked, my blood boiling as movement inside the car caught my attention.

"What are you doing here?" Noel asked from the opposite side of the car.

My heart dropped into my stomach. She was closer to Ephraim than me or Otto and their proximity made a bead of sweat roll down my spine.

"What in the world are you doing here, Noel?" Ephraim asked, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Lucille had to hear about Caleb from some woman at the hospital and when they went to the house, you guys were gone."

"I live here now," Noel said, her voice a little less sure. "Tell Lucille we're fine."

"You should be ashamed," the old man called out. "Get the girls. It's time to come home."

I was fucking done. Ignoring the men who watched me like they'd happily strangle me, I strode over to Noel's side of the car.

"You okay?" I asked quietly, taking her in.

Her shoulders were curled inward and her fingers were twisting together nervously in front of her belly, but she held her head high as she nodded.

"I thought we moved past this years ago," Ephraim said, his voice low and disappointed. "You know better, Noel."

Her shoulders curled in even further.

"You need to leave," she said, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. "This is Otto and Esther's house and they don't want you here."

"I'm not leaving without my granddaughters," the old man shot back.

"My daughters aren't going anywhere," Noel countered, her shoulders straightening a little.

The old man had calculated incorrectly by bringing up the girls. I could see it in Noel's expression. Ephraim may have guilted her into bending a little, but with the reminder of Ariel and Diana, whatever gumption she'd mustered up when she called Esther that night a couple weeks before was back in full force.

"You think you can keep my brother's daughters from us?" the other man said, taking a step forward.

"Tell Lucille that once we're settled, I'll call her and maybe she can come visit," Noel replied, not backing down.

I took a step to the side, moving behind her slightly. She was running the show. I wanted to make that perfectly clear. Pride settled somewhere deep in my chest.

"They in there?" the man took another step forward.

"Don't come any closer," Noel said before I could. "Get back in your car and leave."

Ephraim chose that moment to appeal to Otto. The idiot.

"You understand where we're coming from, right? Noel took off without telling anyone. We just want to make sure she and the girls are alright."

Jesus, the irony was unreal. I could still remember vividly the day I'd shown up at Noel's house because I hadn't seen her at school for two days in a row, only to find the house gutted and her family gone.

"You've got that assurance now," Otto replied flatly. "Leave."

"Well, we still haven't seen Ariel or Diana…"

"Not gonna fuckin' happen," I barked.

The thought of the girls—who I really hoped had fallen asleep on the ride home—getting into the middle of this bullshit made me more furious than I already was. Diana wouldn't have a clue what was happening, but I had no doubt that Ariel would be scared and confused.

"Not sure how that's your decision to make," Ephraim countered.

Noel shuffled back a little at the venom in Ephraim's voice, her shoulder blades brushing against my chest.

"Come here, Noel," he ordered through his teeth.

The movement was unconscious. I wasn't sure why I did it, or even noticed that I had, until Ephraim's gaze shot down to where I'd set my hand on Noel's hip. His expression filled with rage.

Then everything went to hell.

Noel flinched, her back slamming into my chest as Ephraim rushed forward.

Mick, Cian and Bas were yelling at the other assholes to stay where they were. I assumed that Otto was coming around the car, but before he got there, I was shoving Noel behind me.

The man wasn't a fighter.

I guess he was more used to bullying women.

I braced my feet as he reached me, swinging wildly at my face.

I let him get a few punches in, making sure that he couldn't claim any kind of assault. Then I went to work.

I was the youngest of four boys. I'd learned how to take a punch before I had armpit hair. I'd been getting into real fights since I was in high school and had been working with a bag much longer than that. Ephraim went down so easily that a part of me would've felt bad if he hadn't been such an absolute fuck.

"Enough," Mick barked, his hand coming down on my shoulder as I knelt above Noel's brother.

Ignoring my brother, I cocked my arm back, focusing on a section of Ephraim's face that I didn't think I'd hit yet.

"Titus," Noel called. "Stop. Please."

That got my attention. I let my arm fall.

Climbing to my feet, I cleared my mouth and spit on Ephraim's chest. My teeth had torn up the inside of my cheek when I'd let him hit me.

"This is where you want to be?" Ephraim asked in disgust, looking between Noel and Esther as he pushed to his feet. I wasn't sure when my sister-in-law had gotten out of the car, but her expression was stony. "With these animals?"

Cian laughed.

"I've always looked out for you," Ephraim said to Noel, using his shirt to wipe at his face. "This is the thanks I get?"

"You married her off to a man more than twice her age when she was sixteen years old," Esther hissed. "Get the fuck off my property before I call the cops and tell them you're trespassing and assaulted my brother-in-law."

I couldn't seem to take a breath as I looked over at Noel. More than twice her age?

Ephraim shook his head, glaring at Esther. "Trash," he muttered.

"And now, I'm done," Otto said, striding toward Ephraim.

"I'm going!" Ephraim said, raising his hands in surrender as he backed toward his car. "Noel, you know how to get in touch with me when you decide to come home."

"She's not going back to you ever," Esther spat.

We watched in silence as the men climbed back into their car and turned around, nearly clipping Cian's motorcycle as they drove past.

"Hey, fuck you," he yelled, grabbing his crotch with one hand and flipping them off with the other.

"Classy," Esther mumbled with a sigh. She turned to Noel. "Are you okay?"

"They know where we are," Noel breathed, her eyes still focused on the end of the driveway.

"We knew they would," Otto said calmly, wrapping his arm around Esther's shoulder as he kissed the top of her head. "They can't do shit about it. You're an adult now."

"They'll come back," Noel said, grimacing as she looked at Esther. "Ephraim will give up, but Carl and Cory won't."

"We'll handle it," Esther replied.

Thumping on the back window had Esther and Otto moving around the car. Seconds later, the car turned off. It was full dark, the woods around us pitch black, and I finally understood why my brother had an insane amount of lighting around the house as Noel helped get the girls out of the car. We could see everything up to the tree line, and I watched it like a hawk while the three of them carried the girls inside.

"We're gonna head back to the house," Bas told me. "That shit was intense and Noel looked freaked. They don't need a coupl'a looky-loos hangin' around."

"Thanks for comin'."

"Always," Bas replied, slapping me on the shoulder. "You know that."

As Bas and Cian strode back toward their bikes, Mick and I headed for the house.

"That family is fucked," he murmured quietly as we reached the porch. "I thought Emilia's parents were bad." He shook his head.

Esther and Noel were upstairs with the kids when we got inside, but Otto was in the kitchen, pulling down a gun safe from one of the cupboards.

"You good?" Mick asked.

"Figured they'd show up at some point," he replied, pulling a small handgun out, checking it, and then setting it on the counter. "Did expect them to ambush us in the dark, though." He grimaced.

"What do you plan on doin' with that?" Michael asked in amusement, gesturing to the way the gun was dwarfed by Otto's hand.

"It's Esther's," he replied, his smile tipping up on one side. "She likes the shotgun better, but it's harder to get to."

"You think she's gonna need it?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"I gotta work tomorrow," he replied. "I'd rather she had it close in case those dipshits decide they don't want to drive all the way home tonight."

"Fuck," I murmured.

Movement on the stairs cut the conversation short.

"Oh, your face," Noel said, walking toward us. It took a moment to realize she was talking to me. "Oh, no."

"What?" I looked at Michael in confusion.

"Got a shiner," he muttered as Noel reached me, her hand coming toward my face. She didn't quite touch it, her fingers a breath away.

"It's fine," I whispered as she started to cry. "Seriously. It's fine."

"Why did you let him hit you?" she whispered back. Fuck, she was so beautiful.

"Because I didn't want him callin' the cops." I smiled when she froze. "He hit me first, I was just defendin' myself."

"You knew he was going to hit you?"

"I was hoping like hell he would," I replied honestly.

"That is so stupid," she breathed, letting her hand drop.

"I've been waitin' over six years to teach your brother a lesson," I replied easily, watching her expression morph from concern to irritation. "Glad I had the chance to teach it."

"That is—"

"Awesome?" Esther asked dryly from across the kitchen. "Ephraim deserved it."

"The girls could've seen you," Noel pointed out.

"Did they?" the thought of it making my stomach flip over.

"No," she snapped. "They were asleep."

"All's well that ends well," Michael said cheerfully.

Noel scowled and Esther let out a small laugh.

My lips twitched as I watched a glimpse of Noel's attitude rise to the surface. When I'd seen her at that trailer, and at my mom's house earlier that night, I'd wondered if they'd somehow broken that part of her—the part that had made her fall in love with a kid she had no business even speaking to. Where she came from, women were expected to be silent and complacent. At fifteen, Noel had thought that was bullshit. I was so fucking glad that hadn't changed.

"Come on, Noel," Esther said, leaning back against Otto's chest. "You can't say you didn't enjoy watching Ephraim's butt get handed to him."

"His ass handed to him," Otto corrected.

Esther wrinkled her nose.

"Oh, are we pretending that sweet little Esther didn't day fuck out there?" Michael teased, pointing toward the front door. "If those dipshits wore pearls, they woulda been clutchin' 'em."

Esther's face turned beet red as the rest of us laughed. Even Noel let out a little giggle.

"I'm trash," Esther wheezed out, starting to laugh. "Didn't you hear my brother?"

"The best kind of trash," Noel said loyally. She made a face when she realized what she'd just said and we all laughed harder.

The relief of having the confrontation over with relatively little bloodshed had us all a little wound up and that's what Rumi found when he came in the kitchen door.

"I thought somethin' was wrong!" He threw his hands up in the air. "What the fuck?"

I laughed harder.

"You missed the party, little brother," Mick said, grinning.

"This is bullshit," Rumi bitched. "I could be in bed with my wife right now!"

"Tell Nova she can thank me later," Esther said, trying and failing to hide her smile.

Rumi gasped, his hand going dramatically to his chest as he stared at Esther. "You were my second favorite sister-in-law!"

"You only have two!" Esther tossed a kitchen towel at him.

Rumi laughed and caught the towel. His eyes landed on me and he raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"Esther and Noel's brother decided to pay them a visit," I informed him.

Rumi scowled. "I'm assumin' you let him hit you first."

I nodded.

"Good boy."

"Not just Ephraim," Otto said with a sigh. The mood in the room shifted. "Noel's father-in-law and brother-in-law came with him."

"Great," Rumi replied sarcastically, grimacing sympathetically at Noel. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," she confirmed, dropping onto a kitchen chair, her hand on her belly.

"We're hopin' they got the message that she doesn't want to see 'em," Otto said.

Rumi waved that possibility away. "You can't reason with a zealot," he said in disgust. "They're too used to livin' in delusion."

"Security in the house is top tier—"

"Woody set it up?" Mick asked. Our cousin Cecilia's husband was a security expert—if he'd designed the system the place was more secure than most banks.

"Yeah." Otto rubbed the back of his neck. Esther wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. "I gotta go in to work for a while in the morning. I just finished that '68 Cougar and the owners are comin' to get it."

"Can you guys go to Mom's tomorrow?" Mick asked, looking at Esther. "Just while Otto's at work?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

"You have that doctor's appointment in the afternoon. Shit." Otto glanced over at the calendar hanging on the wall.

"We'll go to your mom's in the morning," Noel said quietly. "Then you can come pick up Esther. Me and the girls can just stay there during your appointment."

"That should work."

"I'll go call Heather and see if she's home tomorrow," Esther murmured, smiling up at Otto before leaving the kitchen.

"So," Mick said, filling the silence that followed. "That was your husband's family, huh?"

"They're usually not that bad," Noel replied, wincing. "We didn't see them much. I'm actually kind of surprised Carl remembered the girls' names. We saw Caleb's mom Lucille a lot more often."

I stood there quietly, barely breathing as my brothers asked Noel the questions that I couldn't.

Noel's husband Caleb was the younger of the brothers. Cory had already been married around twenty years when Noel and Caleb were married. He had children that were older than Noel. She didn't think that Caleb and Cory had been particularly close because Carl had been really hard on them and the sibling rivalry ran deep. Lucille had been a nice mother-in-law for the most part but had very exacting standards, especially since Caleb was her baby and Noel had a reputation for veering off the path. Noel actually used that term. I knew how she'd gained that reputation, I'd been beside her as she'd done it. Hearing those words come out of her mouth made my body hum with rage.

Quietly, like she was confessing, Noel admitted that she'd tried to keep her distance from Caleb's family after a dinner when Ariel was three when Lucille had spanked her for talking with her mouth full.

Mick made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat and Rumi let out a huff of air but Otto's expression didn't change—like he'd already heard the story. I wondered what else he might know, and if there was anything he'd be willing to tell me. Not that night, though, I wasn't sure how much more I could take that night.

"It's not that they're bad people," Noel said with a small shrug. "They just—"

"Nope." I'd heard enough. My skin felt too tight for my body. It was a struggle to unclench my jaw so I could speak. "How old was your husband when you got married?"

"That's not—"

"How old?" I asked again, my eyes on hers.

"Thirty-six," she replied tightly.

"Good people don't let their old ass son marry a teenager," I said flatly. "Full stop."

"Do not pass go," Rumi muttered. "Do not collect two hundred dollars."

"That's how it's done there," she argued.

"Just because they're doin' it doesn't mean it's right, sweetheart," Mick said gently.

The calm way she was explaining it, like there hadn't been anything wrong with what had happened to her made me furious. "Your husband was a fuckin' pedo—"

"Enough, Titus," Otto said firmly, cutting me off. His eyes were on Noel, who'd dropped her head and was staring at the floor. "That's enough."

"I'll stay here tomorrow," I replied flatly. "While you're at work."

"You don't have to do that," Noel argued, her head snapping back up.

"Well, bad news," Esther said, striding into the kitchen completely oblivious to the tension. "Your mom has appointments tomorrow, too. So, she won't even be home."

"Then it's settled," I announced.

"What's settled?" Esther asked in confusion, looking around the room.

"Titus is gonna come by in the mornin' and hang out with you guys while I'm gone," Otto explained, watching me.

"Don't you have to work?"

"Haven't had a day off in months," I replied, holding Otto's gaze. "I can take one tomorrow."

"Okay, this might be completely out of pocket," Rumi said, grinning as he looked at each of us. "But I would also like to offer my services tomorrow—"

"No," me and Esther both replied.

"Hell no," Otto added.

Rumi sighed. "Fine."

"We're gonna get out of your hair so you can get some sleep," Mick said, shaking his head at Rumi as he shoved him toward the door.

"I'm gonna go, too," I announced. "Unless you need me for anythin' else?"

"We're good, man," Otto replied.

"Alright. I'll see you in the mornin'."

Noel was staring blankly at the table in front of her. She didn't even acknowledge me as I left the room.

I was so fucking done in that I thought I would've slept like the dead, but the opposite was true. I had a hard time staying asleep when we weren't sure if Noel and Esther's brother had left town or not. The morning came way too early and I found myself back on my bike and headed to Otto's as the sun rose.

Esther opened the door almost as soon as I'd knocked and I grinned as she let me inside.

"That's what you wear to bed?" I asked her, taking in the long granny nightgown and voluminous robe she was wearing.

"None of your beeswax," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll get ready after Noel is done."

"You guys are up early," I said, following her into the living room.

"It's the only way we have any time in the morning before the girls wake up," Esther said with a sigh, nestling into the couch. "They'll be up in less than an hour."

"Gross," I joked.

"Not a morning person?"

"Not at all," I confessed. "I'd much rather stay up late and sleep in."

"Thanks for coming over today."

"No problem."

"Otto said it got a little intense while I was on the phone with your mom last night."

"No big deal."

"Just try and remember," she said quietly, glancing at the stairs. "When you don't know any different and you're taught to obey without question… it's hard to see how strange or wrong things are."

"Yeah, I know."

"And even if you notice it," she said, her eyes sad. "You make concessions. You convince yourself that things aren't as bad as you're imagining. You have to, just to survive."

"So, I should keep my mouth shut," I replied, scrubbing my hands over my face.

"Just try and give her a little grace," she replied, smiling. "I know you two snuck around and made all sorts of plans when you were kids, but that's not the life she was actually living. The life she's been living gave her no choices. No autonomy. It's going to take her a minute to find her footing."

"She handled herself pretty well last night," I said, my own lips tipping up at the edges.

"Well, she's never been a pushover," Esther said with a little laugh. "Just a victim of circumstance. They made a mistake coming here and pushing it. I know my sister. If they would've left her alone for a while, I bet some misplaced guilt would've started eating at her and she would've reached out. Now, they're out of luck."

"You think they'll leave it alone?"

"Depends on how entitled Caleb's family is," Esther mused. "I doubt we've heard the last from them."

"Esther, we're out of bobby pins," Noel called out from behind me.

I turned just in time to see her realize that I was there and come to a startled stop.

"You're here already," she muttered.

I could barely hear her. I'd known that she kept her hair long, it was some kind of rule, but I hadn't realized just how much hair Noel had. It was long, thick, and wavy all the way down to the curve of her belly. She looked like some kind of fertility goddess that I remembered from my art history classes in college. My tongue felt like it was superglued to the roof of my mouth.

"I just bought some a few days ago," Esther replied, pushing herself to her feet. "I might've left them in our bathroom."

"Otto's in there, so I couldn't check," Noel said, her eyes darting between me and her sister.

"I'll be right back," Esther muttered.

"How you doin' today?" I asked as Noel stood uncomfortably at the entrance of the living room.

"I'm okay," she replied. I almost groaned in disappointment as she wrapped that gorgeous hair around and around her hand until she'd tucked it into a little knot at the base of her neck. "I'm glad the girls slept through all of it. Flora didn't wake up until they were gone."

"Sorry I snapped at you last night," I said quietly. "I'm not mad at you."

"No," she replied shaking her head. "I know that."

"Here's your bobby pins," Otto announced, jogging down the stairs. "Esther didn't want to come all the way back down the stairs again."

"Thank you," Noel said, catching the little package when Otto tossed it to her. "I'll be right back."

Me and Otto watched as she hurried back up the stairs, her long rope of hair falling back down her back with the movement. I couldn't look away. I was still a little dumbstruck that she was there. After all that time, she'd finally reached out.

Otto scoffed.

"What?" I looked back at him once Noel was out of sight.

"You all give me shit about likin' long hair," he mused. "Not so smug now, huh?"

"Fuck you." I laughed, pushing off the couch to follow him into the kitchen. "She could have a shaved head and I'd still look at her the same."

"Still?" he asked, headed to the full coffee pot on the counter.

"Guess so," I mumbled. Seeing Noel had always been like a sucker punch to the chest. When we were kids I'd tried to ignore it and it had only gotten worse. I knew better than to not acknowledge it. "Doesn't make a difference."

"How do you figure?" Otto asked, handing me a cup of coffee.

"Her husband just died," I replied dryly. "She's got two toddlers and a baby on the way."

"And?"

"Think she's got her hands full already," I replied with a huff.

"You've been waitin' a long time," he said quietly.

"Everyone keeps sayin' that," I replied in exasperation. "It's not like I was sittin' at home since she left. I've got a whole ass life that doesn't have anythin' to do with Noel."

"Speakin' of," Otto said, smiling. "Mom said you want to sell that huge ass house of yours."

"Swear to God," I bitched. "No one knows how to keep their mouths shut."

"Don't think she realized it was a secret."

"There's nothin' to tell yet. Emilia said she needs to get some photos and shit before she can list it."

"Might wanna hold off on all that," Otto replied. "Just sayin'."

"Uncle Otto," Ariel's voice called in a whisper hiss from the stairs. "I'm comin' down!"

Otto strode past me and a few seconds later he came back in the kitchen with Ariel in tow.

"Hi," she said, watching me curiously as she climbed up to the table. She was wearing a nightgown that was almost an exact replica of Esther's granny nightgown and her hair shot out from her head in every possible direction.

"Titus is gonna hang with you ladies today," Otto informed her.

Ariel watched me curiously, like she was wondering why exactly I'd be hanging out with them, but she didn't say a word.

"I like your nightgown," I said, finally.

Otto laughed as he set down a little cup of yogurt and a spoon in front of her.

"Flora gave it to me," Ariel said, looking down at herself. "It's got hearts."

"I see that."

"Did you tell your mama you were comin' downstairs?" Otto asked Ariel as he picked up his coffee again.

"She told me to hurry so I didn't wake up Nana," Ariel replied, a little mustache of yogurt on her lip. "She's comin' down in a minute."

"Alright." Otto looked at me. "I'm gonna run up and tell Esther goodbye."

"We're fine down here."

"You going to work?" Ariel asked.

"Yeah, and I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry," Otto replied scrubbing his hand over her head as he passed her. "Make sure you clean up your mess when you're done, yeah?"

"I will!"

"Shh," he reminded her. "Don't wake up the girls."

Ariel's mouth snapped closed as he hurried out of the room.

Without Otto in the kitchen it felt a little like I was looming over the four-year-old, so I pulled out a chair and sat across from her at the table.

"Yogurt is my favorite breakfast," she told me, breaking the silence. "What's your favorite?"

"I don't eat breakfast usually," I replied in amusement as she scraped inside the little cup with her spoon, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated.

"You gotta eat breakfast," she scolded, looking up at me. "It gives your body energy for the day."

"Your mama teach you that?"

"Yep."

"Your mama is pretty smart."

"I know."

"When I eat breakfast," I conceded. "I like eggs and bacon."

"That's Nana's favorite," she replied, wrinkling her nose. "She likes the eggs with the yellow in the middle."

"That's the kind I like, too."

"I like the mixed-up kind better," Ariel informed me, scooting off her chair. Carefully, she grabbed her empty yogurt cup and spoon and brought them over to the garbage can.

"You like scrambled eggs?" I asked, turning to watch her as I realized what mixed-up eggs were.

"Better than the other kind," she agreed, she stared down into the garbage. "Oh no."

"What's wrong?"

"I dropped my spoon," she replied, her voice wobbling. "In there."

I was on my feet in an instant. "Hey, no big deal."

"It's really far down there." Her chin started to quiver.

"Good thing I got long arms, huh?"

Noel found us at the garbage can, my arm disappearing inside it to my bicep.

"What are you doing?" she asked in confusion, looking between the two of us.

"I dropped my spoon," Ariel replied.

"Otto took the garbage out last night, didn't he?" I asked with a huff, gingerly grabbing the spoon. "Of course he did."

Noel wrinkled her nose, the exact same way Ariel had done it while she was talking about eggs. I felt my lips twitch as I pulled out the spoon.

"Ah," I muttered, lifting it out of Ariel's reach. "I'll put it away so only one of us has to wash our hands."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"Uncle Otto got you breakfast?" Noel asked as Ariel went over to her.

"He got me yogurt."

"He's the best," Noel said, grinning as she lifted Ariel into her arms.

The little girl's legs dangled awkwardly around her belly.

"His brother doesn't eat breakfast," Ariel whispered.

"No way," Noel whispered back.

"I told him he needs breakfast energy."

"That's true," Noel said, nodding as I rinsed the spoon and put it in the dishwasher.

"He likes the same kinda eggs as Nana."

I started washing my hands. They were still whispering.

"Good to know."

"I didn't tell him those kind are gross."

"That's good," Noel whispered, meeting my gaze above Ariel's head as she held back a small smile. "It's not kind to tell people the things they like are gross."

"Can I color?" Ariel asked. Apparently the discussion about my eating habits was over.

"Go ahead," Noel replied, setting the little girl on her feet. "Just crayons. No markers."

"The markers are better."

"Crayons," Noel repeated.

Ariel let out a huge sigh. "Okay."

She skipped away.

Then, for the first time since she'd come back, Noel and I were alone.