Page 4 of A Surprise for the Holidays
This time when he slid the phone into his back pocket, it remained silent.
Passengers were beginning to trickle out through the Arrivals gate, and August straightened as Ava soon appeared, her hand tightly holding onto one of the airline crew member’s hands, practically dragging the poor woman forward. He watched as she scanned the crowd and caught sight of him, her eyes widening and a grin blooming across her cherubic face.
“Daddy!” she cried out, tugging her escort forward in her bid to break into a run, and AJ swallowed against a lump of unexpected emotion hearing the title spoken so excitedly in person.
“Ava,” he greeted, dropping to his knees as she finally wrenched her hand free from the crew member’s and flung her little arms around his neck as though she’d been doing so for her entire life. Fighting off a wave of emotions, he cleared his throat and asked, “Did you have a nice flight?”
She burst into animated chatter about the experience, still clinging tightly to him. August made all the appropriate sounds to go with her rapid-fire story, pushing himself back to his feet and settling her on his hip. She was too old to be carried this way, but she was petite for her age, and he was loath to let her go so soon.
The crew member who had escorted her was waiting patiently, and he apologised and handed over his ID, proving that he was the person nominated to pick up the child in her care. She checked it against her documents, then passed over thelarge suitcase Ava had travelled with, as well as the backpack that had served as Ava’s carry on.
Ava thanked her and said goodbye without prompting.
Then it was just the two of them, alone in a throng of people in the airport’s Arrivals Hall.
“Well,” August said, finally giving in and setting the little girl on her feet so he could slip the neon pink backpack over his shoulders, “shall we head off, then?”
She nodded and slotted her left hand into his right one, and he grabbed the handle of her suitcase with his other hand.
“I’m afraid it’s about an hour’s drive from here until we get home,” he told her, “but if you need the loo or want to stop for food, let me know, okay?”
She beamed up at him and agreed, and he led the way through the terminal to his parked car.
Chapter 3
August
Changing sheets at three o’clock in the morning, August tried to assure his sobbing five-year-old that he wasn’t upset.
“Accidents happen,” he soothed, glad that he’d had enough experience over the years with his nephews to know to use waterproof mattress protectors, “I’ve known grown men who’ve piss—er—wet the bed.”
Her little face was flushed pink —from both the sobbing and her mortification— and her eyes were impossibly blue as she hiccupped and asked, “Really?”
“Yep.” AJ shook his head, recalling the boozy parties of his youth and some of the revolting things he and his teammates had done in the early years of his career. Getting that drunk had been fun back then. Now it just made him cringe. “So don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, eh? You’re in a strange place for the first time, and it’s been a big couple of days.”
Ava was contemplative for a moment. “It’s not a strange place. It’s my home now.”
Despite her mother’s Irish brogue, Ava’s accent was all South London, just like his own. She’d grown up in the area, so he didn’t know why he’d expected her to sound like her mother. He wondered if it would change now that she was living in Australia. Children’s brains were like sponges, after all.
“It is,” he grunted as he stretched out over the single mattress, fighting with it to get the clean fitted sheet on, “but it’s going to take some getting used to, isn’t it?”
The statement didn’t solely apply to her. When he’d woken bleary eyed and disoriented at the feel of her timid hand on his shoulder, it had taken AJ a moment to remember that he had a kid living with him now. His heart had leapt into his throat at her tears. Their afternoon had gone smoothly, but he’d been expecting her to cry and scream that she missed her mother. It had never happened. So, when she had woken him clearly distressed, he had assumed the reality of her situation had finally hit her. But, no — she had been upset because she’d wet the bed and was afraid that he’d be angry.
Poor kid.
Having finished re-making Ava’s bed, August fluffed her pillow and handed her the stuffed unicorn she’d clutched like a lifeline when he’d sat by her side and read her a bedtime story earlier. “Still sleepy?”
She shrugged. Considering the difference in time zones, he wasn’t surprised. While kids didn’t seem as affected by jet lagas adults, it would still take her a little while to settle in. Used to not sleeping, he offered her a conspiratorial smile, once again relying on memories of times spent with his nieces and nephews. “Should we have hot chocolates and watch cartoons?”
He knew it wouldn’t be the sort of thing that he would regularly indulge, but it was a Saturday night (well, technically Sunday morning) and their very first night together at that. Plus, the way her little face lit up in wonder told him that it was the right decision.
Later, when she was snuggled against his side on his black leather couch, giggling madly at the antics of a certain animated coyote, his heart felt fit to burst.
This was going to have to become their weekend ritual. At least on non-game day weekends.
Chapter 4
Bailey
