I mean no harm

DEIRDRE

The next morning, I was awakened from my slumber by Kendall. She kept jumping on my bed, tugging at my robe.

She wasn't the only one, although she was the major reason. I heard voices outside my door, making me wonder if there was a special visitor in the penthouse.

"Mama!" Kendall exclaimed, her hands tangled in my hair, and she pulled, making me wince.

"That hurts, Kenny," I groaned, gently removing her hand. I sat up straight as a knock followed by Matteo's voice sounded.

"Daddy has a woman over," Kendall whispered, making me frown.

"What do you mean he has a woman over?" I asked.

"There's a woman waiting for him outside," she said, her nose wrinkling.

Kendall surprised me most of the time. For a child her age, she was much more eloquent than I would have imagined. Most of the words she used surprised me even more. I believe she learned them from her friends in the playgroup she attended, perhaps from one of her teachers.

"Darling," Matteo's voice called from outside my doo