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Chapter 25
Small Friends
Chloe
“Cee, Ceeee,” Chloe sings in the hallway.
I smile at the canvas I’m working on. This is the second day she’s gotten away from her grandmother to come looking for me. I place my brush down and wipe my hands on a towel. I’ll get back to this later.
I move to the door of the studio Brodi gave me and find Chloe sticking her head in one of the rooms up the hallway. “Ceeee,” she sings.
I watch as she comes back out of the room with a pout on her little face. That is until she looks up to find me watching her. She runs forward on her little chubby legs and holds her arms up to me. I smile down at her and bend to lift her into my arms.
“Hey, you. Where’s your grandma?”
“No grandma. Want you to play with me.”
“Okay, we can play, but I think your grandma will be upset if she can’t find you. How’d you get away again anyway?”
“Grandma nap.”
I chuckle. “Oh, I see. Well, maybe we should let her rest. We can have a tea party in your playroom. She’ll find us easily there.”
She claps her little hands. “Party. Tea. Cee play with me.”
I kiss her little cheek. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll play with you.”
My heart can’t help but melt as I look into her sparkling green eyes. The other night while I broke down in Brodi’s arms, she fell asleep in mine. Not a care in the world.
I wish I could ignore the pain the way she can. Each day I wake and mentally check to see if this will be the day the hurt stops. That day hasn’t come yet.
“Oh, thank God. There you are,” Eileen says. She looks like she was in a panic before finding us.
“She’s a quick one,” I tease.
“Yes, she is. I only dozed off for a second. I’ll take her out of your hair. I’m so sorry.”
“She’s not a bother. We were about to go have a tea party in the playroom. Want to join us?”
“I’d love to.”
I smile and place Chloe back on her feet. She reaches for my hand right away. I still get the feeling she thinks I’m going to disappear on her. I give her little hand a gentle squeeze.
She looks up at me with a bright smile. “My Cee,” she coos.
“It looks like you have a friend for life,” Eileen says.
“I believe so.”
“You know, when Gregor told me he wanted to bring you here, I wasn’t sure it was the best idea. You’re a bigger woman than I am. I still regret not being able to open my home and heart to Clooney’s other son.”
I stumble a little at her words. I’m speechless. What exactly do you say to something like that?
“Oh, dear. I didn’t mean to dump that on you. Do you mind keeping this between us? The boys still don’t know they have a brother.”
“Of course, your secret is safe with me.”
“It’s not my secret, but my husband’s. He wants to be the one to tell them. However, it’s taken him all these years because of me. Clooney walks on eggshells when it comes to his son and me.
