Page 183 of Small Town Firsts

She pouts. “Oh. Why? You not like her?”

Jesus. This kid.“I like your mama just fine, pretty girl. Where’s all of this coming from?”

She sucks in a shuddering breath. “I see udder kids with mamasanddaddies. And I want a daddy, and if you?—”

Our server chooses that exact moment to bring our food—thank fuck—because I was two seconds away from breaking down and telling her the truth. This sweet girl sure knows how to bring me to my knees.

The food is enough of a distraction that she lets our earlier conversation drop. And while it may be out of mind for her, it’s all I can think about. One thing’s for sure, Natalie and I need to have a long talk.

“You still wanna try mine?” I ask, grabbing a napkin and wiping the ketchup from her face. “I saved you a bite.”

“Mmm. Okay, I try.”

I fork up the bite and extend it toward her. She gives it a little sniff before touching the tip of her tongue to it. After a few more licks, she finally snags it off of the fork. She spits the mushroom into her palm and happily swallows the rest—not bad for a three-year-old.

Our server returns and clears our plates, and I order us a chocolate shake split into two glasses. “Alden, why you call my mama Small Fwy?”

“Well, when I met your mama she was a tiny little thing. Shorter than all the other girls her age. It just slipped out one day, and it stuck. Why does she call you Tater Tot?”

“Her says it’s a special name from my daddy.” I swallow roughly. Because,Jesus…I may not have given her the nickname, but I may as well have. It’s a play on what I call her mother and couldn’t be more perfect.

When I speak again, my voice comes out scratchy. “Speaking of special…” I reach into my pocket and retrieve another small, organza bag. My girl already knows what it is and wiggles around in her seat making grabby hands.

I pass her the bag and she uses her little fingers to pry it open, spilling the charm onto the table. This time it’s a whisk, with little stones embedded in the handle of the whisk. “Oooh. I love it! Thank you so much!” She thrusts her arm my way, presenting me with the bracelet. “Hooked it?”

I oblige and we both admire how pretty it looks next to her crown. After we finish our shake, I pay the bill and we head back to my car. I buckle her in, all the while wondering how Natalie makes it look so effortless.

“You ready to go home?”

“I guess.”

“You guess? Don’t you miss your mama?”

“I do. But when you go, I’ll miss you.” And with those seven words, my heart cracks wide open.

“I’m not going anywhere, Tatum.”

“Pwomise?” she asks, her voice small.

“Promise.”

I take the long way, driving the backroads, simply to prolong our time together. Still, all too soon, I’m pulling into Natalie’s apartment complex.

I put my car in park and kill the engine. I exit and come around to get Tatum, only to find her snoozing far too peacefully for me to wake her up. With great care, I unbuckle her, finding it a little easier this time around. I grab her bag and pick her up, cradling her to my chest. Walking far slower than what’s probably necessary, I head for their unit.

I lift my fist to knock, but Nat opens the door before I get the chance. She reaches for her, and I transfer our sleeping beauty from my arms to hers. “Let’s talk,” I mouth the words, and she nods, leaving the door open for me.

She returns from laying Tatum down and drops down onto the far end of the couch. I follow suit, claiming the opposite end.

“What’s up? Did y’all have fun?”

“Yeah, Nat. We really did. She’s such an amazing kid.”

“She is, huh? Every day she does something that blows my mind. She’s so smart, Alden.”

“She’s the best of both of us,” I say to her, meaning it.

Natalie smiles so brightly, which makes the next words a little harder to say. “She asked me if I was your boyfriend today. Wanna know why?”

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