Chapter 25
“It’s not fair!” Precious pulled away from her and moved to the edge of the bed. “Everyone I love keeps going away from me.”
“Hey,” she reached out and rubbed her shoulder softly, “Precious, I know you’re hurting right now, and I care very much for you but even grown ups don’t get to tell other people where they should live. I love you too. I think you’re a very special little girl and I want very much to get to know you better and to be the best friend you ever had but I can do it from Pittsburgh, can’t I?”
The child stubbornly shrugged and refused to look at Famke. Famke glared at Royal who finally sighed loudly and spoke up.
“Precious, it’s not fair of you to ask Famke to give up her home and her friends and her job to come here to live with you. You’re asking for her to give up everything.”
The hypocrisy of his words almost made Famke snort, but it was what she wanted him to say.
“But I’m here. Doesn’t she want to be with her friend?”
“But she has other friends, other friends who live in Pittsburgh. Don’t you think all of her friends might be sad if they didn’t get to see her anymore because she was here with us?”
“They are grown ups. They can take an airplane or a train or a bus and come see her. I can’t because I’m only five.”
“Jesus Christ, can you tell her father was a lawyer,” Famke hissed under her breath.
Precious heard it and looked to her, her nose crinkling. “You know my daddy was a lawyer?”
“Famke knew your mom and dad, Precious.” Royal outed her.
Precious sat up in her bed, her eyes huge in her head. “You did?”
“I did. I knew them a long time ago. Before you were born.”
“Did you know my Mommy when she wasn’t sick?” Precious questioned her seriously. “Before she cried all
the time?”
Royal was really frowning now. “Your mom didn’t cry all the time Precious.”
“Yes, she did.” Precious looked at him with a sneer and the expression was shocking on the child. For the first time ever, Famke saw Mindy in the little girl. “She said, me and Daddy made her sad. It’s why they fighted all the time. I wasn’t supposed to hear them because they would argue in the bedroom, but she would get really loud. Mommy said every time she sees my dimple, she feels sad, and daddy said she’s been sad for her whole life, and she said only since the baby and Daddy told her she was a very sick woman.”
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Chapter 25
She made a face. “He used a bad word. It’s how I know he was mad, but he said she was sick. I believe my daddy. He never lies.”
Famke felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. What the actual hell had Mindy done to this child?
“Precious, when did you hear this?” Royal stroked her hair gently as he edged closer to her.
“The day before the car turned in circles. Mommy wouldn’t eat dinner and she kept crying and she went to bed. Daddy yelled at her, and she said she wanted us to go away because she was too sad. Daddy tucked me in and told me we would go stay with grandma for a bit the next day but then they died.” Her voice trailed off as she furrowed her brows. She looked to Famke to explain, “my mommy would get sad or angry sometimes and Daddy would bring me to Grandma’s for a visit. Sometimes we stayed just one day and sometimes a long time, but Daddy told me I couldn’t tell anyone Mommy was sad. Once we stayed so long, Daddy grew a whole beard.” She giggled with the memory. “When we got home, Mommy wanted him to shave it off and he wouldn’t. He kissed her whole face with his beard, and they were both laughing because
it tickled her.”
“He kept a beard after that,” Royal whispered quietly. “I remember when he grew it out. You went to Grandma’s then because mom was sad?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but then she was happy when we came home.” She looked to Famke. “Did Mommy cry
when you knew her?”
“I think everyone cries sometimes, Precious,” Famke said gently. “Some people cry a little bit, and some people cry a whole lot, but everyone cries.”
“Even Uncle Royal?” She looked at him with a mischievous grin so reminiscent of Prince it made Famke
shake her head.
“I bet he cries all the time,” Famke winked at her.
“I do!” He affirmed it. “All the time. My dad told me if you don’t let the tears out, your head gets full of water, and it could explode.”
This made Precious squeal with laughter.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I think, we’ve had enough talking for one night. We have a whole day with Famke tomorrow and you need to have energy to keep up with her. Did you see how much she and Granddad danced tonight? We couldn’t keep up.”
Famke smiled as Precious giggled. They’d had a fun dance party. “Uncle Royal is right.” She smiled, “get plenty of rest. We have a whole full day tomorrow to get to know each other more and have loads of fun but we can’t do it if you’re overtired.”
“You’ll be here though. You’re not going to leave?”
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“I’ll be here all weekend.”
“But not forever?”
“Let’s talk about this more tomorrow,” Royal cut in ending the argument Precious was wanting to
continue.
“Fine,” she pouted as she yawned loudly.
Famke crawled off the bed and pressed a kiss to Precious’ forehead and then left the bedroom with Royal trailing behind her feeling as if the weight of an anvil was draped around her shoulders.
