Finally pulling apart after a long moment that still felt too short, Kieran leaned back and took her hand, leading her to the car. “Let’s go eat some eggs, flower girl.”
—
“Fi, Mrs. Dee is going to make us the biggest pile of eggs I’ve ever seen!” Shea told her sister excitedly.
“Oh yeah? Sounds yummy.” Fiona gently stroked her sister’s head as she stood behind Shea at the kitchen table, watching Dee fuss around preparing a late breakfast for them. She’d already offered to help several times to no avail.
“Fiona, you want some coffee, honey?” Dee asked, turning off the machine as she picked up the freshly brewed pot.
“I’d love some.” Caffeine sounded perfect right about now. “Thank you for doing this, for feeding us. We were standing out there for at least two hours, and I didn’t know what we were going to do.”
“I wish I’d known earlier, you poor girls.” Dee frowned. “You’re welcome here anytime, day or night. All my kids know that, and the way my Kieran looks at you means you’re part of this family now. I’m always just a phone call away.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling swept over Fiona at Dee’s words. To be accepted as a part of the family just like that…it was unheard of to her, but she was realizing she’d been craving it more than she’d known. She needed the support, the structure, but mostly, she needed love.
It wasn’t about her, though. It was about giving Shea everything possible, which might mean more of the Kavanaghs. Shea had already warmed up to Dee in a way Fiona had rarely seen her do before, even rivaling the way she used to be with their mother. Fiona knew she would want to encourage the relationship between them, anything to keep Shea smiling like she was now as she munched on a greasy piece of bacon, dipping it into a glass of chocolate milk.
Fiona grimaced. “Gross, Shea.”
“It’s not gross, it’s yummy.” She dropped another piece of bacon into her chocolaty drink. “Mrs. Dee said Kieran does it, too.”
“That’s true, all my boys did. Well, except Jimmy.” Dee grinned over at them. “He’s too much of a rule follower for all that.”
“I’m surprised you got her to eat it to begin with. Her routine is normally eggs every morning, and nothing else,” Fiona admitted quietly.
“I think her routine was already disrupted this morning, honey.” Dee chuckled, handing Fiona a mug of hot coffee.
Fiona nodded in agreement. That was definitely true.
“Plus, it’s about making it appealing to them. I told her Kieran ate it that way, and she was all about it after that. She’s bonded to my son quite a bit. Does she do that with everyone?”
“Not often, no. There are some people she meets, though, who she takes to inexplicably. I’ve only ever seen it a handful of times, and never since our mother died.”
“Until Kieran?”
“Yes.” Fiona bit her lip, thinking about that. Before, she hadn’t really considered how unusual that was, or why she’d kept trying to push Kieran away when clearly he was one of the few people to get through to Shea after everything they had gone through over the last three years.
“So you take care of her all by yourself?” Dee’s face showed clear concern.
“Pretty much, with some help. My friend Nora watches her while I’m at work.”
“What about in school? Does she have any help there, or therapists?”
“No, I’m working on that. She used to, but when my mother died, so did her health insurance. I’m trying to save up to have her go to a private school next year, which will provide all of those, but I’m nowhere near that yet.”
“That must be so frustrating for you,” Dee sympathized, reaching out a hand to squeeze Fiona’s arm. “Wanting to give her everything she had before.”
“It is, and I really want to. I just don’t have the money, and I’m trying to be a mother to her, or at least a guardian, but I know I’m making mistakes all over the place.” Fiona frowned at what she was saying. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m even telling you all this. I’m not complaining, really. I love having my sister with me and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“You’re not complaining, darling, and don’t worry about me. I’ve raised five boys of our own, and we also adopted my husband’s niece when she was very young. I definitely know what it’s like to mother and love someone who isn’t biologically yours, and it’s no different than if they were. You will love your sister like a sister, but also like a daughter. God put her in your life to be your child just the way He brought Casey into ours to be our daughter. And God doesn’t make mistakes, honey. Everything I do is with His Will in mind, and there isn’t anything He puts on your plate that He thinks you can’t handle,” Dee explained as if it were a no-brainer. “You’re supposed to be worried—that’s how you know you’re a mother, because you’re terrified you’re doing everything wrong. We all worry about that, and it’s only because we want the best for our children. You want the best for Shea.”