Page 88 of Over Time Advantage

My heart just about melts seeing the two of them together. I can’t help but imagine them as sisters one day.

Harper grins widely. “Which steakhouse are you going to?” she asks. “Daddy says everyone likes Del Frisco’s, but we like Barclay Prime. Both are super hard to get into. You have to make reservations really far in advance, but Daddy got one for Bails—my bonus mom—and him last week. Did you make your reservation far in advance? If you did, get the back room at Barclay Prime. It’s more private. Daddy prefers it there because it’s not as loud. And we usually see famous people there, but none as famous as you.”

Sometimes my daughter speaks a mile a minute.

Kennedy lifts her head and looks at Harper. “Let me teach you something beyond your toilet paper. There’s a little something called pretty privilege. When you’re pretty, like you and me, people bend over backward to do things for you.”

“Kennedy,” I warn.

She holds up her hand. “Harper needs to understand the real world, Fallon. She’s pretty. That’s a fact. She will have advantages in life because of it, like easily being able to get a good table at a nice restaurant without a reservation.”

Harper scrunches her face. “Daddy says people should like me for my mind, and Aunt Kam told me I shouldn’t care about being pretty. I should care about being iconic.”

I smile with pride.

“Uncle Daylen,” Harper continues, “told me I’m pretty, but I told him I prefer to be smart.”

Kennedy rolls her eyes. “Uncle Daylen is a moron. He’s not pretty or smart.”

Sulley groans in annoyance. “Don’t listen to Kennedy, Harper. She’s not a people person. That’s why she doesn’t like Daylen. He’s such a good guy.”

Kennedy scowls. “It’s not that I’m not a people person. I’m not a stupid people person. Uncle Daylen is stupid.”

Harper pouts. “Stupid is a lazy word. Don’t be lazy, Kennedy.”

Sulley and Shay giggle at Harper putting Kennedy in her place.

God, I love watching my daughter interact with this team.

Harper and I are visiting her favorite ice cream shop. I order my usual, rum raisin, and she orders a scoop of dark chocolate with chunks of fudge brownie. I brought her here to talk about meeting Jett.

We’re sitting on a bench outside when I build the courage to broach the subject. “Sweetie, before I drop you at Bails and Daddy’s house, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Her curious eyes meet mine, though her mouth remains blissfully buried in her ice cream.

Why am I so nervous?

“So…you know how happy Daddy and Bails are, right?”

She nods. “Yes. And I’m getting two new sisters.”

The ultrasound last week revealed Bailey is having twin girls. Tanner nearly passed out when the doctor told us.

“Yes. It’s very exciting. Before you get married, you date several people until you find someone you like a lot. Someone you love.”

“Daddy tells Bails he loves her all the time.”

“Yes, they’re married. They love each other.”

“You were married to Daddy. Do you love him?” she asks with genuine curiosity.

Oh crap. I cornered myself into this one. “Yes, of course. It’s a little different from the way he and Bails love each other. Anyway, Mommy sometimes goes on dates with boys. I want to find someone to love like Daddy found Bails.”

Her eyebrows pinch together. “When do you go on dates with boys?”

“When you’re with Daddy. Like Daddy and Bails used to go on dates when you were with me. There’s a boy who I like a lot⁠—”

“Like the way I like Luke?”