“Actually, in my experience, a mother knows least. How late can you be before you get in trouble with your boss?”
“About an hour. I picked up this shift, so they’re more lenient.”
“I’m going back into town. I’ll drive you to work.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Actually, I do. Randoms don’t come and go freely this close to my family. We’re not exactly accessible.”
“But you said we were done after you took me to Dina.”
“Changed my mind. You’re a person of interest now.” He looks up. “Here they come. Finally.” Connor checks his watch just as the sliding doors open.
“Ekatia,” Dina says. “Hi, what are you doing here?”
“Impressive,” Connor says to his brother. “You lasted more than two minutes.”
Declan’s muscles ripple as he dries his hair with a towel. “Good morning,” he says.
“Morning,” I greet him.
Dina and I kiss on the cheeks. She coos at Hanna before talking to me.
“What’s going on?” she asks.
“I picked up a shift again and went by the apartment since you didn’t answer my calls. I see why now.”
Dina blushes. “How long is your shift?”
“I picked up a twelve-hour.”
“Eleven. She will be an hour late,” Connor corrects me.
“Oh no, don’t be late. I’ll take her. Can I give her some banana bread?”
“No,” Connor answers for me.
“What do you mean, no?” We just argued about this very thing.
“I mean what I said. No, you can’t give her banana bread becauseI’mgiving her banana bread.” Connor hands Hanna a large piece.
I reach for it, but Hanna fists it, and the crumbs fall on the counter. She’s picked at cereal and bananas, so she knows how to eat by herself, just not very well. I worry my lip as she chews. I offer her some water.
Connor smiles at her again. She beams at him.
“I didn’t know you liked babies,” Declan says to his brother.
Connor shrugs. “Don’t know if I like babies.”
“Do you like this baby?” Dina asks.
He shrugs again. “Ask the Musketeers. They know everything.”
“Musketeers?” Dina repeats.
Declan sighs. “Connor has a team of three therapists he’s working with. He calls them the Musketeers.”
Most people only need one skilled therapist. The fact that Connor speaks with a team is a little unusual. Although, I didn’t grow up in this city where everyone knows the story about the Crossbow twins and their parents who mistreated them, I’ve gathered enough from the documentaries that air on TV.