I crossed to them, lowering myself to the couch as Cady’s sobs lessened a fraction. Roan’s eyes collided with mine, and I saw so much pain in his—sympathy for my daughter.
“What happened?” he whispered gruffly to Cady.
She didn’t answer right away, then sniffed. “Heather’s so mean. She said my tutu is cheap and pathetic. That I’m embarrassing and will never be a ballerina.”
Roan stiffened, gripping Cady a little tighter. I watched as he struggled to keep his breathing even. “You know she’s just saying that because she’s jealous, right?”
Cady looked up at him. “She hates me, and I never did anything to her.”
Roan brushed the hair away from her face. “You’re nice to everyone. And I bet everyone at school and ballet likes you.”
“Not her, Susanna, and Lainey,” Cady grumbled.
Heather’s friends, I mouthed to Roan.
“They don’t like you because everyone else does. They have ugliness on their insides, and it means they’ll never have what you do,” he explained.
“What do I have?” Cady asked.
“You’ve got a light in you. Same one your mama has. And I bet your mom had it, too.”
Cady’s eyes shone as her lip trembled again. “You know about my mom?”
He nodded. “I heard she was super special, and I know she gave that to you.”
I squeezed her hand. “Roan’s right. Your mom had the best light. Brighter than anyone could imagine. And I think you’re gonna be just the same.”
Roan jerked his head in a nod. “You can’t let anyone steal that light. Can’t let anyone dim it. No matter how hard they try. Because that light’s magic.”
Cady blinked up at him. “Magic?”
“Definitely. It can heal hurts and make people feel safe and loved. You shine that light on as many people as possible. Even those mean girls. You don’t have to be friends with them, but you just keep shining. Don’t let them know they affected you at all.”
Cady nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t know if I can pretend when they’re that mean.”
“You gotta replace the words in your head. When they say something mean, you turn it into the best compliment ever,” Roan said.
She scrunched her nose. “Like how?”
Roan shifted her on his lap so she could see his face better. “Let’s say someone tells me, ‘You’re the ugliest person I’ve ever seen.’”
Cady straightened. “You’re not ugly. You’re handsome. Like a real-life prince.”
He chuckled, the sound skating over my skin in a pleasant shiver. “Well, that’s what I would tell myself they really said. I just replace the words in my head. Then you smile at them real big and say, ‘Thank you so much.’ It confuses them.”
Cady giggled. “I bet.” The laughter died away. “Doesn’t it hurt your feelings when people say mean things?”
“Every now and then when I’m already having a hard day. But most of the time, I realize they don’t really know me. I only care about what my family thinks about me. What the people I care about think.”
She straightened on his lap. “We’re your family now, too, and we love you a whole lot, Mr. Grizz.”
Cady threw her arms around Roan in a tight hug. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Love you, too, Tiny Dancer.”
My eyes burned, and my nose stung. I will not cry. I will not cry. I said the words over and over in my mind.
Cady released Roan and hopped off his lap. “I gots to get out of my leotard, and then can we have double chocolate peanut butter cup muffins, Mama?”
I swallowed the fire in my throat. “I saved a few just for you.”
“Yes!” She booty-shook out of the living room and down the hallway toward her bedroom.
A smile tipped my lips. That was a little kid for you. It was the end of the world one minute, and as though nothing happened at all the next.
I turned back toward Roan to thank him for all he’d done and was met by a wall of fury. He’d kept it carefully restrained while comforting Cady, but now it was out in full force.
His breaths were more labored, his fists clenched. “I am two seconds away from driving over to that brat’s house and showing her mean.”
23
ROAN
Aspen’s eyes widened in shock as she gaped at me. Then she burst out laughing. I’d heard her laugh before, but not like this. It was full-out, completely uninhibited, and wrapped around me like a warm embrace.