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So she smiled and moved toward Miranda, who struggled to open the trunk of her car with the wriggling Rebel in her arms.
“Can I get that for you?” Tori asked as she drew closer.
“Oh. Yes. That would be appreciated.” Miranda spoke crisply and directly, but the sunshine kept any ice from landing on Tori.
“Great.” She clapped her hands lightly together twice and then opened her arms. Rebel giggled and leaned toward the offered hands, giving Miranda no choice but to let her go to Tori.
“Hey, sweetie.” Tori hugged Rebel to her chest. Wild hair brushed her nose, and the sweet scent of baby shampoo wafted from her. Relief washed over. She was sure Miranda was doing her best. The way Aili had mentioned her need for the clothes and some mysterious situation that Tori had no idea how to interpret tickled at the back of her mind.
Rebel pulled away and pressed her chubby hand on Tori’s nose. Tori replied in kind with the familiar gesture.
“Down,” Rebel said.
Miranda spun around, her eyes wide as she stared at Rebel and Tori. Tori frowned at her, trying to read what was under the intensity. The silence crackled between them.
It happened in a flash. Miranda softened, the lines of her face weren’t as pinched, and the smile that had been there when she’d pulled Rebel out of her seat was back, but this time it went deeper, as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders.
This was the Miranda that Tori had longed to find in all their interactions, the woman underneath the armor she so effortlessly wore. Tori held onto Rebel tightly, completely entranced with the way Miranda looked right now. Perfect. Flawless. All herself.
“Down,” Rebel repeated with a giggle.
Tori shook out of her reverie and rubbed a hand up and down Rebel’s back before glancing back at Miranda. What had just happened?
“Down!” Rebel said louder this time.
“Okay, sweetie, down it is. But you need to stay with…um…your mom?” Tori knew as soon as the word slipped from her mouth that it was wrong. She could see small similarities between them, but the mom thing just didn’t sit right. It never really had, though Tori hadn’t been able to put her finger on why.
“I’m her aunt,” Miranda corrected.
“Oh.” Tori smiled wider, validation of her instincts boosting her serotonin even more on what was already a good day.
“Rebel, stay here please,” Miranda said, her tone firm but still gentle in a way Tori hadn’t heard from her before.
Rebel looked up at Miranda, laughed, and then raced away at lightning speed.
“Rebel!” Miranda called, but Rebel simply ran off laughing, chubby legs moving faster as the slap of shoes hit the concrete. “Shit.”
Tori scanned her gaze over Miranda’s pencil skirt, high heels with black toes and red heels, red blouse, and black blazer. No way was she going to catch Rebel before she vanished. Not in those shoes.
“It’s okay,” Tori said, already taking off after Rebel. “I’ve got her.”
Tori’s tennis shoes crunched on the asphalt as she picked up her speed. Thank God she’d gone to the gym that week. Rebel was faster than Tori remembered Harley being. No wonder Miranda struggled to keep up with her. She finally caught up on the other side of the parking lot, coming in hot.
Tori scooped Rebel up and swung her from one hip to the other to make it a fun game instead of a scary moment. She laughed as she once again plopped Rebel on her hip. She tickled her stomach. “See if I let you trick me into letting you down again!”
Her heart beat rapidly, and her breath came out in warm puffs. When she looked up, she gasped at Miranda’s dark stare. With as much joy as she could muster, Tori met Miranda in the middle of the parking lot.
“Wow, I’ve forgotten how fast they can be.”
“She definitely is.”
Tori handed Rebel over into Miranda’s waiting arms. Her nerves caught up with her again, and the word chickenshit echoed in her ears. “Um…I have some clothes that Harley has outgrown. Aili mentioned you might be able to use them.”
“What?” Miranda snapped, and the joy that had hovered around Tori all morning dimmed.
“They’re all washed and in good condition. She’s outgrown most of them before she had a chance to destroy them. Kids grow so fast at this age.” Why was she rambling? This was a disaster.
“You think I can’t provide for my niece?” Miranda hardened. Every inch of progress they had made in the last few minutes completely vanished.
