“Come in.”
She stepped beside him.
Vanessa moved again.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked.
Vanessa laughed lightly.
“This one should just be us.”
Tiana stared.
Marcus did not understand.
“What?”
Vanessa placed one hand on Tiana’s upper arm and guided her away from the group.
Not hard.
But not gentle.
“Just one with the four of us first.”
Silence arrived so quickly that Tiana heard the soft jazz playing from the kitchen.
Marcus looked from Vanessa to his daughter.
“The four of you?”
Vanessa’s smile remained fixed.
“You know what I mean.”
“No.”
The smile tightened.
“Marcus.”
“Explain it.”
People nearby had begun pretending not to listen.
Eli lowered his camera slightly.
Vanessa glanced around.
Then leaned toward Marcus.
“Can we not make this weird?”
“You just moved my daughter out of a family picture.”
“I said one picture.”
“For what?”
Vanessa’s eyes flicked toward Tiana.
That was the moment Tiana wished she could disappear.
Not because she wanted to leave.
Because she hated being the reason adults became quiet.
Marcus noticed her expression.
His voice softened.
“Tee, come here.”
She moved toward him again.
Vanessa’s hand landed on her shoulder.
“Not yet.”
Tiana stopped.
Marcus stared at Vanessa’s hand.
“Take your hand off her.”
Vanessa froze.
Something passed between them.
Then she withdrew it.
Her smile returned for the room.
“I just wanted one picture with my children.”
The sentence landed harder than the shove.
Tiana looked at Maya.
Then Jordan.
Neither child moved.
They looked confused.
Marcus’s face changed.
“She is my child.”
“I know.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“You’re twisting my words.”
“You said ‘my children’ while pushing mine out.”
“I did not push her.”
Tiana stared at the floor.
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“She’s making this dramatic again.”
Marcus turned.
“She hasn’t said a word.”
“That’s what she does. She stands there looking wounded and suddenly I’m the villain.”
Tiana felt something close around her throat.
She had heard this before.
Never in front of Marcus.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“Can we please take the picture?”
Marcus did not move.
Eli asked quietly, “Want me to give you a minute?”
“No,” Vanessa said.
“Yes,” Marcus said.
The photographer stepped away.
Guests scattered politely, creating the illusion that nothing had happened.
Tiana started toward the hallway.
Marcus caught her hand.
“Where are you going?”
“Upstairs.”
“No.”
“I’m okay.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
She looked up.
Her father’s expression was not angry with her.
That made it worse.