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She nodded hesitantly, seeming unsure about whether she could trust my assurances. This conversation confirmed that the most important place I could be right now was with my siblings.Fuck you, Robert.
“What do you say we get out of here and spend the rest of the day wreaking some havoc around the City? Let’s forget about those stupid girls and go have some fun.”
Her face perked up. “That sounds awesome!”
Hannah and I proceeded to have the best girls’ day out. I took her to lunch at a hibachi restaurant—her favorite—and then to Sephora for a makeover. I didn’t want to feed into the idea that physical beauty is all-important, but it did seem to make her feel more confident. I also bought her some much-needed new clothes.
As we walked home, she turned to me and smiled. “Thank you, Devyn. I feel so much better.”
“You’re welcome. We need to have more days like this. Believe me, I needed it, too.” I elbowed her playfully. “We Marks girls need to stick together.”
We passed the café around the corner from the building, and I noticed Lala and Billie having coffee together. Both had their babies next to them in their respective baby carriers.
Once they spotted me, I knew I had to go in and say hello. “Let’s stop in here for a bit, Han.” I opened the door to the café, and my sister followed.
Billie smiled. “Hey, Hannah. Long time no see.”
“Hi, Billie.” My sister grinned.
“What’s with the fancy makeup? Looks pretty rad,” Billie said.
“Devyn took me to Sephora.” Hannah raised her chin. “They did my face.”
“That’s the happiest place on Earth, if you ask me.” Billie winked.
“You look beautiful,” Lala chimed in.
Hannah blushed. “Thank you.”
I looked down at the two babies, who were both sound asleep. “How are they sleeping with all the noise in here?”
Lala adjusted the blanket over her daughter. “Well, in Hope’s case, it’s because she’s been keeping us up all night. So, she just sleeps at random times throughout the day.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That must suck.”
“It’s par for the course.” She moved her curly blond hair behind her ear. “Thankfully, Holden and I take turns getting up.”
I looked over at my sister, whose face had turned red at the mere mention of her crush, Holden.
“Mav sleeps through the night and also sometimes during the day,” Billie said. “We definitely have it easier than Lala and Holden do. Mav’s also a bit older than Hope, so that probably has something to do with it.” Billie turned to my sister. “Did Hannah tell you how much fun we had the other night? I’m grooming her to be our future babysitter.” She winked.
I placed my hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “You want to go get us something yummy from the counter?”
She nodded. “What do you want?”
“Get me a latte and a cookie, please.” I handed her some cash. “Get whatever you want, too.” I reached for her shopping bags and set them on a spare chair. Then I sat down next to Billie.
“She’s a great kid.” Billie looked over to where Hannah stood in line. “We loved having them over for the night.”
“Thanks again for helping out with that.”
“Of course. They’re good kids. And you’re totally a saint for giving up your life to be here with them.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Forgive my language, but I’d love to wring your mother’s neck.”
I rolled my eyes. “Get in line.”
Billie reached for my arm. “I’m sorry you guys took that trip for nothing.”
“Well, I certainly could’ve had worse company. Owen made it seem like a mini-vacation.” My cheeks tingled thinking about him.
