I sit on the edge of the mattress, leaving some space between us. “Hey.”
Nothing.
“Bri.”
She sniffles. “You lied.”
I close my eyes for a second. “Yeah, I did.”
“You didn’t have to,” she fires back, whipping around. Her eyes are wet and furious. “You could’ve told me. I would’ve understood. I’m not a baby.”
“I know you’re not, Brianna. It wasn’t because I thought you were a baby.”
“Then why? Why did you pretend it was real and, like, romantic?” She grimaces like the word tastes bad. “You let me think we were a family.”
“Because wearea family,” I say instantly. “That part wasn’t pretend.”
Brianna blinks, thrown off. “But you started it for court.”
“Yeah.” I drag a hand over my face. “When we first did it, we were trying to make everything look clean for the judge. I wantedto make sure no one could say I wasn’t giving you a stable home.”
Bri is quiet, so I go on.
“But… If I’m being really honest, even at the start, in the back of my head, I didn’t think it was fake. Not really. I liked having Mya with us. I liked how you two clicked. I think a part of me just grabbed onto it and didn’t want to let go.”
She studies me, eyes red. “So, itwasreal.”
“It is real. For me.”
“Then… are you and Mya gonna stay together?”
The question hits exactly where I knew it would. I breathe out. “No.”
Her brows crash. “Why?”
“Because Mya wants to go her own way,” I say quietly. “She didn’t sign up for being dragged in magazines and judged by strangers. She didn’t sign up for lying to you. She wanted to help. Now that it’s done, she wants to leave.”
Bri gapes at me like I’ve said the stupidest thing ever. “Really, Dad? Anyone can see she loves you.”
A choked laugh slips out of me. “That seems to be the consensus. Henson and Griffin think so too. Herwordsdon’t match, though.”
“Then make them match,” Bri says, like it’s obvious. “Convince her.”
“I can’t force her, Piglet. If she stays, it has to be becauseshechooses it, not because I boxed her in.”
“You have to at least tell her how you feel,” she says, jabbing at me with my own logic. “Mya can’t choose if she doesn’t know.”
I look at my kid—my too-wise, too-soft kid—and something in my chest twists. “Yeah, you’re right.”
She sniffles again, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “I’m still mad.”
“That’s okay. You’re allowed to be. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was trying to make it cleaner. Safer. I didn’t want you dragged into a grown-up mess.”
Her mouth trembles, but she nods. “Just don’t lie next time.”
“Deal.” I squeeze her knee. “Can you come back to the house? Grandma will start worrying.”
Bri hesitates, then sighs. “Yeah.”