Page 73 of Worth the Fall

Clara started clapping. “Yes! Grilled cheese with your brand-new bread! Yum!”

Mrs. Green looked at me, and I told her I was sorry.

She waved me off. “It’s no big deal. I’ll put the soup in a Tupperware. You can bring it over to your dad if you don’t think you’ll eat it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want it? You could take it home with you,” I offered, feeling like a wasteful ass.

“I already have some. You go see your dad tonight, right? Bring it there. One of you O’Grady men will eat it.” She smiled.

“You’re not wrong about that,” I agreed.

“Okay. I’m going to head out. Have fun tonight. Make sure you stop by my house so I can give you your special goody bag,” Mrs. Green said to Clara.

“I will. I promise!”

I walked with Mrs. Green toward the front door. “Thank you. I’m sorry again about the soup.”

“Thomas, it’s okay. Stop worrying so much. I’ll see you later,” she said before walking outside.

I waited at the door until she got into her house, turned on the light, and waved at me through her window.

My brothers both came barreling into the house about thirty minutes later. Clara and I had already eaten our dinner, and I was in the process of attempting to do her good-witch makeup, which I had absolutely zero experience with, thank you very much.

It was helpful that she didn’t want anything except for some sparkly blush and sticker jewels around her eyes. But my heart pinched when I added the black lipstick, seeing my daughter with any kind of makeup on her perfect little face.

It was too soon. I had a feeling it always would be.

“We’re upstairs!” I shouted as I heard the two of them making a ruckus downstairs, followed by pounding footsteps that didn’t sound human.

“Jasper!” Clara shouted as soon as the dog found us in her tiny bathroom. She wrapped both arms around his neck, and he stood there, letting her do it while she nuzzled and kissed him, ruining her lipstick in the process.

“I brought the dog,” Patrick said as he walked in, eyeballing the scene in front of him.

“I see that.” My tone came out annoyed, but it was due more to the fact that I needed to reapply the damn lipstick than anything else.

“Don’t be grumpy about it. You have Clarabel, and now, I have Jasper,” Patrick said as soon as Matthew entered, beer in hand.

“And what do I have? Nothing and no one.” He pouted as Clara stuck out her hip to pin him with a disapproving glare.

“You always have beer,” she announced.

I bit back a laugh as he ran to her and scooped her in his arms.

“You little devil,” he said, and she wiggled away, out of his grasp.

“I’m a witch, Uncle. Not a devil. I’ll put a spell on you,” she teased.

“Oh no, not a spell,” he said with a smile as he threw up his hands in surrender.

“It would be a good one though since I’m a good witch. A loooove spell,” she said, dragging out the word. “On a person though. Not for beer. I already put one on Daddy.”

I whipped my head around, my eyes wide with shock. “You did what?”

She grinned and giggled. “I put a love spell on you and Waffle Princess, Daddy.”

Patrick reared his head back at the same time Matthew hollered, “Who is Waffle Princess? Does she have a sister?”

“Brooklyn. She means Brooklyn,” I said with a grimace.