I was shaken by thepresumption, by the intensity brewing in his eyes, and I swallowed around thefeeling of being in over my head.
Kylie struggled not tosmile. “Dev doesn’t know how to back down when he wants something,” she saidsoftly, laying a hand on her husband’s arm. “Easy, babe. Don’t scare him offbefore he says yes.”
I laughed. “No, it’sfine—”
The melodious sound ofTess’s laugh stole my attention. It echoed, bouncing off the glass, and Iturned to see her stooped down to watch along with the two little bewilderedgirls flanking her sides. They were dipping their hands into a pool swarmingwith stingrays, and the girls were giddy with nervous excitement as the wavingfish swam by, brushing against their fingertips.
Her smile couldoutshine the sun.
“Daddy,” Annabel’sstrained voice wrenched me away from my trance, and I felt my arm being tuggedtoward Tess and the other girls.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Imumbled, and caught Devin’s acknowledging gaze before I let Annabel pull me tothe shallow pool.
“Hey guys,” Tessgreeted us with a grin. “Annabel, youwannatouch astingray?”
Annabel shrieked as sheshook her head fervently. “No, no, no!” she chanted, and turned to look up atme. “Daddy do it?”
“Me?” I laid a handagainst my chest.
Lilly noddedenthusiastically. “They feel so cool, Daddy. Touch it.”
“Yeah!” Shelly nodded,corroborating with her sister.
“Oh, God,” I grumbled,passing Annabel to Tess. “How do I do this?”
“Just put a couple offingers down into the water,” Tess explained, hoisting Annabel onto her hip.“They’ll brush right against you. You’ve never done this before?”
“Nope,” I muttered,lowering my hand into the warm water.
She pushed against myside and whispered, “Scared?”
“I’m notsca—whoa!” I pulled my hand from the pool at the touch of aslippery fin. “God, that feels so weird.”
“I knew you werescared,” Tess teased, bumping her elbow against me.
“You shut your mouth,”I laughed, putting my hand back into the water, Lilly and Shelly at my sides.
“Like this, Daddy,”Lilly instructed, lowering her fingers into the water and remaining still asstone as one of the fluttering rays skimmed past her. She giggled and turned tome, a wide grin cutting across her face. “See?”
Looking at mydaughters, petting stingrays and hugging Tess’s neck, I wasn’t sure I couldremember the last time they looked this happy. The last time they hadthismuch fun. Hell, I couldn’t rememberwhen I’d last been able to have fun with them. I was always so busy, alwaysworking, and always too sad to step away from the norm and do something withthem outside of our little apartment.
But we were having funnow. We were making memories, and with that knowledge came a bitter sweetness.This was a memory Beth wasn’t a part of, and a piece of my heart ached. But Iknew, that when the girls looked back on the firsttimethey touched a stingray, Tess would be there. Laughing, smiling, and adding herown touch to the happiness.
I looked to her, eyesstill crinkled with teasing laughter, and I blurted, “I’m glad you’re here,Tess.”
The halo of amusementaround her eyes faded with the warmth of her sincerity, and she nodded as herarms tightened around my daughter.
“There’s nowhere elseI’d rather be.”
***
“Okay, so here’s what we’regonnado,” Devin announced, as he closed the door to hisat-home studio in the garage. He picked up his acoustic guitar from its standand sat down on a stool. Grinning at me, he gestured toward the seat at theunfamiliar keyboard. “We’regonnaplay a song.”
I swallowed, slowlynodding as I edged toward the foreign instrument. “Can I make a confession?”
Devin hummedthoughtfully and said, “Jon, right now, let’s pretend you and I are dating.”
“Oh, that’s not weirdat all,” I chuckled awkwardly, sitting down on the vinyl seat.
