Page 182 of Unruly

Cece smiled a blinding sight, and did as her mother said. In the softest baby pink dress, she twirled wide, showing off little kitten wedge heels, and black tights underneath. Her little fingernails were painted the same pink as her dress, and matched her mother’s. Catherine had even let her sneak a kiss worth of pink gloss on her mouth.

But only because it was a special day.

Cross, on the other hand, did not think it was a special day. “We still have time to back out.”

Catherine ignored him.

Cece was the girl of the hour.

“Am I pretty, Ma?”

Catherine dropped down to a crouch, and caught her little girl’s hands in her own. “Cece, you are the most beautiful girl. Right, Daddy?”

Cross forced a smile on his scowling face. “The most beautiful. Like Ma.”

Cece’s happiness didn’t falter, but Catherine could still see just the slightest hint of nerves in her girl’s face. She swore that if Cross saw Cece’s anxiety, he would pull the plug on this whole shebang. Catherine couldn’t let him do that to Cece. She needed this. Their girl was ready for this.

Kindergarten was a rite of passage.

And the law.

The principal of the private school—Bishop Academy—waved at Cece from the other end of the walkway. For now, they stayed at the gate. The school had policies for the young ones. They wanted the kindergarteners to take their first steps into school alone. The parents could take them to the gate, say goodbye, but let them walk the rest of the way on their own.

Sure, if a kid was having trouble, then the policy allowed for changes.

Cece, however, had no trouble.

Even with her little nerves.

“You have fun,” Catherine told her.

“And punch any boy that bothers you,” Cross added.

Catherine shot him a look.

He shrugged.

“I loves my ma, Ma,” Cece told Catherine.

Okay, that broke her heart a little bit. Cece still told them she loved them how she used to as a little girl. She grew bigger, older, and her vocabulary matched, but she still used that old, sweet phrase to tell them her love.

Maybe Catherine could understand why Cross wasn’t ready to let go of their girl quite yet.

Still, Catherine took a deep breath, and willed the oncoming tears away. “I love you, too, my girl. You’re going to be amazing.”

Cece flipped a small hand through her perfectly curled, loose hair. “Of course, Ma. I’m me.”

And there she was.

Catherine’s little mini me.

All that swagger was Cross, though.

Perfect.

Cross chuckled as Catherine stood. He took her place, kneeled down to say goodbye.

“Daddy loves you, huh?”