Page 68 of Love, Rekindled

“Okay, any other questions before they start punching each other?” Natalie asks.

I shake my head. “I think we’re good. I’ll call or text if there is anything else.”

Aarabelle comes out from the living room. “Gretchen! Yay! Uncle Ben!”

“Hey, Peanut!”

She runs to Ben. He scoops her up and she begins to squirm with a case of the giggles. “You’re all sweaty!”

“I was exercising, which is something your Athair fails to do. It’s why he’s getting scrawny in his old age.”

I love how Aarabelle calls Liam that. Since she’s not his daughter, but he is her father in every way that matters, they wanted a name that meant something. Liam is very passionate about his Irish roots so they use the Gaelic term for father. It’s sweet and special between them.

“Athair?” Aarabelle questions Liam. “Are you scrawny?”

His eyes narrow. “No. I’m stronger than your Uncle Ben, that’s for sure.”

“Uncle Ben has big muscles.”

“And little brains.”

Natalie steps in. “Aara, why don’t you show Gretchen the movie you’re watching?”

“Okay, come on Miss Gretchen, I’m watchingprincesses!”

I take her little hand in mine and smile. I really love this kid, she’s so sweet and respectful. “I love princesses!”

“Me too!”

Natalie clutches her hands to her chest and mouths: thank you.

“Uncle Ben! You have to watch princesses too!” Aarabelle calls.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he says with a laugh.

The front door closes and Ben makes his way in. Aara and I are sitting on the couch and he sits on the other side of her. She scoots closer to him and tosses her legs up onto mine. “I love Cinderella. She’s the best.”

Ben’s gaze meets mine. “You know, Gretchen loved Belle when we were kids.”

“Really?” she asks with her eyes wide.

“Yeah, I sure did. She was smart, independent, and had goals.”

“She also loved a big beast.”

“She did.”

Aarabelle completely missed the entire reasons why I think Belle is a badass, but sure, love wins all and what not. At least to a six-year-old.

“Uncle Ben, you’re big like the Beast.”

Oh God.

He chuckles. “I think I’m bigger and scarier.”

She shrugs and looks back at me and then leaps to her feet. “We can play princesses. You can be Belle, Uncle Ben can be the Beast and I’ll be...” She seems to ponder what role she wants. “I’ll be the pretty enchantress!”

“Aara...” Ben says and almost as if she knows that he’s going to shoot down her dreams of being the enchantress, she juts her lip out.

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