Leah
Olivia walked over and set cookies on the table.
“Snack break before the art academy gets too intense.”
Bella took one and looked at Liam.
“Did Mommy like cookies when she was little?”
Liam’s hand stopped halfway to the plate.
I felt that one too.
He glanced at me, asking without words.
I gave a small nod.
“She liked crackers,” Liam said. “And bananas cut into little circles.”
“I like circles.”
“She did too.”
“Did she yell?” Bella asked.
I looked at my daughter.
“Excuse me?”
Bella shrugged. “When she was little. Babies yell.”
Liam’s face softened.
“Yes,” he said. “She yelled.”
Bella looked delighted.
“I knew it.”
“She had strong opinions,” Liam said.
“I have those.”
“You do,” I said.
Liam looked at me then, and the softness shifted into something older. Sadder.
