“I’ll tell your mom, yes. I’m pretty sure she’ll be happy for us, just like Auntie Sally was.”
Ella turns her head again to look up at me. “Daddy?”
“Yeah, Ella?”
“Is kissing yucky?”
I burst out laughing. “What made you think of that?”
“Rapunzel kisses Flynn.”
“Ah. Right. Well, you tell me.” I lean down and give her a scruffy, noisy kiss on her cheek. “Was that yucky?”
“So yucky!”
“Fine. I’ll just kiss Miss Ava from now on.”
“Okay, Daddy. If it makes you happy.”
I laugh, feeling lightheaded with relief. Relief and joy. “Oh, you best believe I’ll be kissing both of you for as long as I’m alive.”
* * *
I’m helping Ava change some light bulbs in her kitchen later that day when the crunch of gravel outside announces a visitor.
We meet eyes. It’s Dan and Junie.
“He won’t stay long,” Ava says. “Especially because you’re here.”
Ava told Dan that he’d get to meet me when he dropped off June this afternoon. Apparently he wasn’t thrilled about it. But like Ava said, it’s a classic case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The guy got in a shouting match with her over the fact that she didn’t tell him about me, but now he’s pouting because she did exactly what he asked and arranged a little meet and greet today.
Whatever the case, I’m making it a point to go high when he goes low. Ava doesn’t need any more drama in her life. I also plan on being around for a while, which means Dan will be a regular fixture in our lives. Might as well make lemonade out of those lemons, best as I can.
I glance across the apartment to the living room. Ella has her back to us, pretending to microwave what appears to be a wooden pizza in the miniature kitchen set beside the TV.
I turn back to Ava. “You all right to see him?”
“I’m fine. Really. He did apologize over text this morning, which is better than nothing.”
What a coward, saying he’s sorry in a text. If I had my way, I’d grab Junie, bring her inside, and then chase this motherfucker away with my rifle. But my mama raised me better than that.
So I put on a smile. “Good. I’m glad he apologized to you. I hope he learned his lesson and never talks to you like that again.”
“You’re a really good guy, you know that?” Her eyes go soft. “Thank you. For being here. And for understanding.”
I put my hands on her waist. “I’m here for you, pretty girl.”
“I know you are.”
I keep smiling when Ava opens the door. Junie bursts into the apartment, talking a hundred miles a minute while she charges up the stairs, then drops her jacket and water bottle on the floor.
“Mommy, hi! Daddy and I got doughnuts for breakfast! Then we went to the park, and after that we had quiet time, and now I’m here.”
Okay, now I’m smiling for real as I pick up her discarded jacket and water bottle. Gotta love this kid’s zest for life.
Straightening, I lock eyes with a guy several inches shorter than me. He’s wearing a flannel and jeans, a pair of sunglasses hanging from his shirt.
He’s also wearing a backward baseball hat. That fact alone makes me hate him, because I know thatheknows how much Ava likes it.
