Chapter 4

A dull throb has started behind his right eye, and each exclamation she makes sends the spike of pain further into his brain. He just has to hold it together until Monday morning. Then he can trade in her dramatics for those of his students.

Maybe he should cancel his Monday classes.

In the end he settles for keeping his eyes shut tight and holding out her clothes so she can step into them one at a time. The tights get snagged on her toes, and she squirms on the floor amid giggles as he tries to straighten them out. It’s like trying to dress a cat, all legs and claws, hissing and cries, wriggling against all Gavin’s attempts. Finally he pulls off the tights and balls them up in one fist, tossing them with the wet pair. “Okay, forget it. We’ll wear something else.”

“But Dadddd-dee,” Evie cries, “this is my favorite dress! I don’t want to wear any other.”

“You can wear pants,” Gavin says, pushing himself up off the damp floor of the bathroom.