Another Life (Book 3)

Chapter 6

She descends with a huge grin and runs straight up to Grace, jumping at her. "Mommy, you're back!"

"Oh, so Mommy is all you see now, huh?" I tease with a pout. "I'm invisible?"

As she slips out of Grace's hold, I hear her laugh. Grace offers Sloane a seat before she heads to the kitchen. Irelee's eyes find me, holding my gaze with a mischievous smile as she goes up to Sierra where she is sitting down on the far end of the couch. I narrow my eyes at her, daring her and she takes the dare, climbing onto Sierra's lap and wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Hi Princess," Sierra kisses her forehead. "Were you good to grandma?"

Lee nods. "Yes. I picked up my toys and I read a story for JJ."

"Yeah?" I asked with piqued interest. "Which one?"

"Peter Pan." She tells me coming over. She halts mid-journey when her eyes land on Sloane. For a long time, she just stares at her, then me, then back at Sloane.

Confusion flashes across her face as she quickly glances towards Grace, Sierra back at me, then settling on Sloane again. We all watch her, just as puzzled.

"What is she doing?" Sloane leans over and asks me in a low voice.

"Trying to figure this out."

"Lee, sweetheart, it's not like that." Grace breaks the silence, coming back over with a couple of beers.

Her little frown deepens, and she continues over, hopping at me. Her head finds my chest as she cuddles me, but her guarded eyes are still on Sloane.

"Like mother like daughter." I hear Sierra say as she switches on the TV. Grace takes a seat next to her and they are immediately cuddling under the throw blanket.

I kiss the top of Lee's head. "Baby, why are you so quiet?"

She lifts her head to look at me. "Who's that?"

"That's one of Mommy's friends. Sloane,"

"Soone?"

"Slo-nuh."

"Or just call me Steph. I prefer that anyway." Sloane tells her with a friendly smile.

"Steph." She tries it out and when she's satisfied with it, she comes close to whisper in my ear. "Can I touch Steph's hair?"

"Uh, that you'll have to ask her, babe."

She hesitates, but soon she's next to Steph, whispering in her ears. Sloane actually lets her play with her hair and it isn't even long before Irelee has a whole brush and a set of hair ties and bows decorating it.

I FaceTime Isabelle and when she picks up, I see her laying in the bed beneath a blanket. She looks me over with a chuckle. "Why are you so fancy? This is the birth, not the baptism, you know."

"Oh shush. You interrupted my dinner. How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic."

"Huh?" I'm confused. "You took the epidural?"

"Nope. All natural." She beams. "Like I'm feeling nothing. Maybe a little pressure here and there with every contraction, but that's about it. Very bearable."

My face falls and I swear the blood leaves my body for a minute before it returns with a raging anger. "you're telling me that you are feeling nothing? Absolutely nothing while I am high on painkillers! I'm not even the one having a baby!"

She stares at me, taken aback, then burst out laughing. "Well, that sucks for you. Sorry sissy,"

I pout. "I hate this. This is unfair."