Page 136 of Always Been Yours

As soon as I do, a high-pitched squeal rips through the air at the same moment Daisy runs from her dad’s side. Straight tome.

I crouch down, catching her in my open arms as she springs into my embrace. “Vivi!”

“Daisy,” I murmur into her hair, holding her close. “I missed you, little lady.”

“I missed you so much. Are you still fighting with Daddy?”

I pull back to look at her as Stella quietly slips into the spot next to us. I open an arm for her, and warmth fills my chest when she slips an arm around my neck and settles closer to my side. “No, we aren’t fighting anymore.”

“Oh,good.“ Daisy lets out a big breath, and I can see her shoulders relax.

Stella nods in agreement. “You’ll visit again?”

“Whenever you want me there, Stella girl.”

“Tonight!” Daisy shouts. I can hear Lexi and Grady’s chuckles off to the side. “Come overtonight.”

I glance up at Grady, looking for confirmation thathewants me there tonight. “I don’t kno—“

“Christmas Eve is tomorrow. You have to be with us,” she whines.

Grady finally moves closer to kneel in our small huddle, joining the reunion. “She’s right, love. We’re making new traditions, and thatincludes you.”

“Yeah! You’re our new tradition!” Daisy nods empathically. Laughing, I pull Stella a little closer when she rolls her eyes at her sisters’ misinterpretation.

“You said whenever we want,” Stella whispers after a second.

I look her in the eye and can feel more than just a fondness radiating off of her. “There’s nowhere else I’d want to be.”

“Then you’re coming home with us,” Grady states.

“But first,Santa,“ Daisy emphasizes.

“We can’t miss Santa,” I promise. “But I need to go check on the Yearbook’s photo booth first,” I admit regretfully.

“We’ll go with you,” Stella instantly says, grabbing my hand tightly. Daisy interlaces her own with my other hand.

I turn to tell Lexi I’ll talk to her later, but she cuts me off by leaning over my shoulder to place a quick kiss to my cheek and winks at me.

After a pit stop at the hot chocolate station—even though all three of us girls agree it’snowherenear as good as Grady’s—I make sure that my assistant supervisor on the Yearbook club has it under control and that one of my editors-in-chief are there too. We’ve agreed to a staggered schedule, so I have the first half of the evening to wonder the booths with the girls and Grady.

Stella’s surprisingly great at darts, winning herself the largest stuffed polar bear among the baseball team’s prizes. Daisy, on the other hand, is still learning hand-eye-coordination so she hasn’t won anything for herself, but she hasn’t given up. While I’m playing a couple rounds of skee-ball with Daisy, Stella and Grady make their way back from the bathroom… but a smile tugs on my lips when I see what Stella’s carrying, and that she didn’t really need to go to the bathroom.

“Another one?” Daisy asks when she sees the giant penguin thatStella’s carrying. Her voice tries to stay excited, but I can hear the undertone of jealousy that her sister wontwostuffies.

“Do you like it?” Stella asks, softly and tentatively. Daisy nods, trying to hide her disappointment. “I won it for you, Dais.”

“Really?” She instantly lights up. Instead of grabbing for the toy, she reaches for her sister’s free hand.

Grady’s arm snakes around my waist, pulling my back to his chest. “These are my favorite moments to watch,” he whispers. “They’ve always reminded me of you and Lyp.” I smile at the scene playing out before us, knowing Calypso would’ve done the same for me growing up.

“Of course, I did. It’s only fun when we can play together,” Stella confirms.

“You. Are. The.Best. Sister,“ Daisy swears, emphasizing each other.

My lips pull impossibly wider as I watch the girls share a hug.

After we finish at that activity, we make our way to the cake walk because Daisy’s determined to win something for herself tonight and this one lookseasy peasy.

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