Billie's POV
I never thought I'd be the type of person to sit on the floor and try to build a block tower.
But here I was, knees aching, fingers fumbling with bright plastic pieces that refused to click together the way I wanted.
Skylar was watching me, eyes wide and curious, but still a little guarded.
"Like this," I said, forcing a smile and stacking two blocks. "See? Boom. Tower."
She didn't say anything. Just picked up a red block, turning it over and over in her small hands.
After a moment, she reached out and added it to my tower.
It wobbled dangerously.
"Whoa, careful!" I said, my voice softer than usual.
Skylar giggled a tiny, honest laugh that felt like sunlight breaking through a storm.
I wanted to tell her I didn't know what I was doing. That I had no idea how to be any kind of mom or guardian or whatever this was supposed to be.
But I didn't.
Instead, I just kept building blocks with her.
Mackenzie came in, clutching a crumpled drawing she'd made earlier.
"Look," she said, pressing it into my hands. "For you."
It was messy scribbles and colors everywhere, but there was a big smiley face in the middle.
"Thank you," I said, feeling my throat tighten.
For the first time since this all started, I felt like maybe, just maybe, this was okay.
Like maybe these kids these little tornadoes
weren't the problem.
Maybe I was.
And maybe that wasn't so bad.
YOU ARE READING
Unexpected Family
Non-FictionBillie Eilish doesn't do kids. She doesn't like them, doesn't understand them, and definitely never wanted any of her own. But when her management team sets up a temporary foster care publicity stunt two toddlers, a camera crew, and a whole lot of c...
