But no one joined Irene. Instead, Oriana pointed an accusing finger at her eldest sister. “You’re deserting us?”

“I—”

“You’re leaving us for your own . . . what did you call it, Aunt Irene? Your own career?”

“I thought we were your career,” Troy said.

“Exactly!” Kyle agreed. “I have every intention of making you my personal assistant when my career takes off so that you can manage my schedule and take care of my harem of women.”

Cooper smirked. “And what exactly would you do with a harem of women, Kyle?”

“Duh. Allow them to cook me dinner and do my laundry after they hunt me down a gazelle. Just like what Mom does. What else would you do with a harem?”

Relieved by that description from the eleven-year-old, Irene said, “You all had to know that this time would come. That your sister would be going off to her own life . . . her own family.”

“Why would we know that?” Troy asked. “No one ever discussed that with us. Not once. Not ever.”

“So,” Cherise suddenly asked, “you thought Toni was going to stay with us forever?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Kyle asked. “We’re special. We need the attention. She’s just . . .”

Irene folded her arms over her chest. “Your sister is just . . . what, Kyle?”

With wide eyes, Kyle stared at Toni. “She’s . . . just . . . amazing? Right. She’s just amazing at taking care of us.”

“So my special quality is being a babysitter?” Toni asked.

“You should feel grateful,” Troy said, getting to his feet. “We allow you to be part of our lives. We allow you to bask in the glow of our brilliance! And you dare threaten us with leaving for some ridiculous job?”

Fed up, Irene looked to her best friend. “Jackie . . . do you have something to . . . to . . . by the flawed logic of Albert Einstein, Jacqueline Jean-Louis—are you crying?”

“I’m . . . I’m . . .” Jackie buried her face in her hands, her sobs racking her small body.

Toni, horrified, rushed forward. “Mom, please don’t cry. I won’t—”

Before Irene could stop Toni’s next ridiculous, emotion-based words, Paul caught his eldest daughter’s arm and forcibly dragged her from the room. Irene went to Jackie and helped her stand. “Come on.”

Irene headed toward the door, telling the kids over her shoulder, “You all stay here until I come back.”

“Or what?” Oriana sneered.

Irene stopped, turned, focused on the young girl. Focused . . . and stared.

Oriana stared back at first, but then she began to look away. Irene continued staring at her until Kyle jumped in front of his sisterand screamed at Irene, “What is wrong with you? Stop it! Just stop it!”

Satisfied, Irene escorted her friend away, confident the children would wait like she’d told them to.

“I’m a horrible sister,” Toni sobbed, her face in her hands. “And an even worse daughter!”

“You do understand you’re listening to Troy, Kyle, and Oriana?”

“They’re right!”

“They’re selfish!”

“Apparently so am I!”

Paul sat down on the marble bench in their rental home’s backyard and stared up at his beautiful daughter. “You’re not doing this.”

“I know,” she said quickly, wiping her face with the palms of her hands. “I’m not doing this. I’m not taking the job.”

“No, Toni. I meant you’re not letting your siblings guilt you into giving up the chance of a lifetime.”

Toni gazed at her father. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re taking this goddamn job. You’re taking it. You’re going to do great at it. And you’re going to get your own life.”

“I can’t desert you guys.”

“Toni?”

“Yes?”

“You do know these aren’t your children, right?”

Appearing disgusted, Toni snapped, “Of course I do.”

“Then how can you desert them if you’re not their mother? We—your mother and I—can take care of our own children.”

“But—”

“We,” he pushed, “can take care of our children. We had them . . . we’re responsible for them.” He shrugged. “It’s kind of the law.”

“So I’m just being pushed out? Like a lion male pushed out of a pride? You’re just done with me?”

Okay, Paul recognized this. Toni’s mother reacted the same way when she became over-stressed. The “nothing you say will make this better” moment.

So Paul didn’t say anything. Instead he just took his daughter’s hand and pulled her until she sat on his lap like she did when that internationally famous conductor’s cat mauled her when she was seven. He put his arms lightly around her waist and smiled when her head dropped onto his shoulder.

“Congratulations, baby.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“So . . . that wolf seems really interested in—”

“Don’t even go there right now.”

Chuckling, he kissed her forehead. “Not tonight. But you know I’m not letting it go.”

“I know, Daddy. I know.”

“Sobbing?” she heard Irene sigh. “Really?”