Etsuko ended up in Tom Alan’s arms the moment she arrived with Billy at lunchtime. They were all going to Skype with Kyoko in Japan a bit later.
“Dada.”
Everyone froze.
“Over there,” Tom Alan said after a moment. “See.” He tried to turn Etsuko toward Billy, but she only had eyes for the man who held her. “Go see dada? Go see dada?” He tried to hand her over, but her shrieks indicated she’d rather stay where she was.
“She’s been stuck with me all day,” Billy said. “She missed you. I figure half the reason she can’t sleep at night is ‘cause she misses Fisher, too. I know she’s been morning cranky because of that. He was the one who usually got her up, right? The first person she sees. The one she…she wants.” Billy looked from Tom Alan to Erika.
“She didn’t mean it.” Tom Alan made his ca
