“It is fine. But it’s not as roomy as this one. Plus, since it is in decent shape, I figured you could sell it, if you wanted. Hang on to the money, use it for school since you threw a damn hissy fit about me covering your tuition.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “That’s actually a good idea.”
“I know.” I say, smiling.
“But I’m not sure I can accept it.”
“Again, it’s not for you. It’s for Rose, but she doesn’t have a license. Basically, you’re her chauffeur, and this is your work vehicle.”
Willa laughs. “When you put it that way…”
“You’re gonna love it. The car seat is already in it. We can get bundled up and check it out, but first, your gift.” I make no move, but Willa heads back into the living room.
“It’s not in there, baby. It’s right here.”
She turns around and looks at me like I’m nuts. “In the kitchen?”
“Yep. Right here.”
She looks around. “Um…”
“Shhhhhh….” I press my finger to her lips. “You gotta be quiet. Ok, Rose. You ready?” I look back at Willa. “We’ve been practicing.” I smile at my little girl, still amazed every day that she’s mine. “Ok, baby, who’s that?”
“Eeeees,” she says, clearly, holding up her plastic keys and my shoulders slump. “No, baby. Who? Who’s that? That’s…?” She just looks at me like we haven’t practiced this same thing 97 times. “That’s mmmmmm…”
And then, like the freaking genius she is, my baby girl says, “Ma! Ma!”
“That’s right. That’s Mama!”
Willa stands before us, tears in her eyes. “You taught her to saymama?”
“Yea. Ian gave me the idea. I have to give credit where it’s due. Plus, I figured this would earn me some points. No matter how hard I try, there’s a very good chance her next word is going to be f-u-c-k, so... I figured this was solid insurance.”
Rose just claps and says, “K! K!”
“Yea, it’s only a matter of time,” I mutter, but Willa just laughs. We’ve come so far in less than a month. It’s crazy, but I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Chapter 25
Knox
January first ismy favorite day of the year. And not just because it’s my birthday. It’s a day I always spend with Ronin, and this year is no different. Willa’s damn near perfect, and she understands how much Ronin means to me, so I get the day with him, and the evening with her and Rose.
I’m expecting a full-fledged fight when I arrive, and I’m ready to volley back, but my mother’s nowhere in sight. Instead, Keith’s at the door, reminding me to have Ronin back by four, since he’s sleeping over at Tanner’s tonight.
I can do that.
The boys are meeting us at the arcade, while Phoebe, Willa, and Rose are enjoying a spa day at home. I have no idea how they’ll paint Rose’s teeny-tiny toenails, but I have no doubt she’ll look adorable.
“Alright, buddy, buckle up. The guys are waiting for us at the arcade.”
“The one with the good pizza and the wrinkly fries?” he questions.
“Yep,” I say, knowing he likes the crinkle-cut fries, and not the shoestring kind. Apparently, they differ vastly in taste. “You all set?”
“Yea, I’m all buckled in. The other arcade is ok, but their pizza has too much sauce.”
“It does,” I agree, gravely. We chat about the merits of wrinkly fries, and Ronin goes into great detail about the evils of straight fries and seasoned curly fries. No wonder Whit and Ronin get along so well. They both have very strong feelings about food.
