Chapter 4 - Daddy's Keys in the Door
I heard his keys before I saw him. That jingle he did on purpose against the front door, like he was announcing himself before he even came in. At home that sound always meant I had to sit up straighter.
The lock turned and cold air came in with him. Daddy stepped into the entryway in his dark winter coat, cheeks red from outside, carrying a paper grocery bag in one arm.
"My girls," he said, loud and cheerful, like he was already performing Christmas. He set the bag down and hugged Mom first. She made a small sound and hugged him back, her red dress bright under the hallway light. Then he looked at me.
I was still standing near the kitchen island where Uncle Daniel had knelt with me. I had my bunny pressed to my chest, both arms around it.
Daddy smiled wide. "There's my princess. Miss me?"
He reached out and ruffled my hair with his big hand. I didn't mean to do it. My shoulders shot up and I flinched hard and turned my face into my bunny's ear. The pink nose pressed against my cheek. My knee hurt where my dress had brushed it.
His hand hung in the air for half a second. Then he laughed a little. "Ticklish today, huh?"
Uncle Daniel hadn't moved from where he'd stood after Mom called me. His hands were in his pockets. He watched Daddy's hand on my head and then watched my face. He didn't say anything right away. He just took a slow breath.
Daddy toed off his shoes and carried the grocery bag toward the kitchen counter. "Grabbed the extra rolls and that cider Lauren likes," he said. "Traffic on the highway was brutal. How was your visit, Daniel? Sophia behaving for you?"
"She's been great," Daniel said. His voice was even. "Hey, can I talk to you both for a minute? In the kitchen? While Sophia's right here, maybe we can keep this calm."
Mom's smile thinned. "Daniel, we're about to eat."
"It'll just be a minute," Daniel said. He looked at Daddy, then at Mom. "I was playing with Sophia earlier and I noticed she's hurt. On her arm and her leg. She said something about a secret game that hurts. I wanted to check in with you both about it, not assume anything. I just want to make sure she's okay."
The kitchen got very quiet except for the hum of the fridge and the faint buzz of the Christmas tree lights in the living room.
Daddy stopped unpacking the bag. He let out a short laugh, the kind that was supposed to make everyone else laugh too.
"Oh, that," he said. He waved a hand. "We were roughhousing last night. You know how she gets. She launches herself off the couch. I told her to be careful and she wiped out on the rug. Right, Soph?"
He looked at me and his eyes were still smiling but his mouth was tighter. I held my bunny tighter and didn't answer. I could feel the purple mark on my forearm throbbing even though nobody was touching it.
Mom stepped in quickly. "She's clumsy," she said. "She bruises so easily. I put arnica on it this morning. We told her not to jump like that. Daniel, it's really not a big deal."
Daniel kept his hands in his pockets but I saw his jaw move. He nodded once, like he was taking notes in his head.
"I hear you," he said. "Roughhousing can leave marks, I get it. The way Sophia described it worried me, though. She seemed scared to tell me. I just want to make sure she knows she can tell a grown-up when something hurts, even if she was told to keep it secret."
Daddy chuckled again and zipped up the grocery bag. "Kids and their games. She makes everything sound dramatic. Secret game just means we were playing hide and seek and I told her not to spoil where I hid. Isn't that right, bug?"
I stared at the white marble of the island. The swirls in it swam a little. I wanted to say yes so everyone would stop looking at me, and I wanted to say no so Uncle Daniel would stay. I didn't say anything at all.
Mom put her arm around Daddy's waist. "Daniel, I appreciate you caring, but you're scaring her now," she said softly. "We handle discipline in our house. She's fine. We're about to have a nice dinner."
That was when Daniel's face changed. Not angry. Just still. He looked at Mom, then at Daddy, then back at me standing there with my bunny.
"Okay," he said quietly. "I hear what you're both saying." He crouched down a little so he was closer to my height again, but he didn't touch me with Daddy right there. "Sophia, you did great telling me you were hurting. Nothing that happened is your fault, okay?"
I nodded, just a tiny movement, and my eyes filled up again.
He stood and looked at Mom. "Lauren, I care about you guys a lot. Because I'm family and because Sophia told me she was hurting, I'm obligated to make sure someone who checks on kids takes a look. Just a check, to make sure she's okay. That's not me trying to start a fight. That's me doing what I have to do."
Daddy's smile finally dropped. "You're going to make a call over a rug burn? Come on, Daniel. Don't do that to our family at Christmas."
"I'm not trying to hurt your family," Daniel said. "I'm trying to make sure Sophia's safe. We can keep tonight peaceful."
Mom stared at him like she didn't recognize him. Then she turned and put her hand on my back, steering me toward the hallway.
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"It's bedtime for you," she said, her voice thin and sharp. "You need to go to your room right now. Take your bunny and go."
I didn't look at Daddy as I passed him. I walked down the little hallway to my room with my bunny against my chest, my socks silent on the floor. Behind me I heard Mom whispering fast and Daddy answering low, and Daniel saying he'd see himself out. My bedroom door clicked shut and I climbed onto my bed and pulled the blanket up over my dress, still holding my bunny, listening to the grown-ups' voices get tight in the kitchen while the Christmas tree lights blinked in the other room.
