Page 79 of The Vegas Rerun
I can’t believe it’s been six weeks. It feels like it’s been only days sometimes and then other times, it feels like a lifetime has gone by. It’s been six weeks since Joshua walked back into my apartment and asked me to marry him. Six weeks since the world turned on its axis and started spinning in a whole new direction. And in that time, he’s shown up for us every single day, coming home with me after work and getting to know Autumn.
He has taken her to the park to play on the swings and feed the ducks. They played ballgames and had a picnic there, one that resulted in Autumn coming home with ice cream all over her chin and in her hair, and the biggest smile on her little face.
He has built pillow forts with her in the living room, let her do his hair with tiny plastic clips and glittery barrettes. He has read her bedtime stories with different voices for each character, and he regularly sings Let It Go in an off-key voice just to make her laugh. He has even learned how to braid her hair - badly, but with enthusiasm. He has been patient and gentle with her and it shows. She really loves having him around.
So yeah. In short, he’s been incredible.
And now we’re here in Disneyland. It’s Autumn’s first time here, and it’s our first real trip as a family. It’s everything I never dared to dream of.
CHAPTER 50
MOLLY
By the middleof the morning when we wander into the park, it’s already alive with color and energy. The air is filled with magic and the smells of sweet treats and frying burgers. The sun shines high above us, turning Cinderella’s castle into something out of a fairytale, all glittering spires and soft pastels.
I glance down at Autumn, and I can’t help but smile. She’s wearing a pink Minnie Mouse dress with a matching bow in her hair. Her cheeks are flushed pink with excitement as she grips both of our hands and skips along between us.
“Look. It’s Daisy Duck,” she squeals, pointing across the square. I look where she’s pointing, and sure enough Daisy Duck is there, waving and posing for photographs.
“Do you want to go and say hi?” I ask Autumn.
She nods her head so hard that her bow almost falls off.
“Lead the way, Minnie Mouse,” Joshua says, grinning down at Autumn.
She lightly takes her hand from mine and holds her arms up to Joshua to be picked up. He bends down and lifts her easily into his arms, settling her against his hip like he’s done it ahundred times before. She is content there, one pudgy little arm around his shoulders, the other one pointing out things she sees.
Daisy Duck is only the first of many characters who patrol the park of course, and we spend the morning meeting some of the other characters. Autumn beams in every photo - sometimes it’s a shy smile, and sometimes she is bolder, depending on who she’s with. She hugs Goofy with such ferocity that he stumbles backwards a little bit, and she tells Belle that her dress is the prettiest yellow I ever saw, which earns her a huge smile from and a big thank you from the princess.
Joshua looks at me during that one, his eyes soft and filled with love.
“She gets that from you.”
“What? Her fashion sense?”
“No. The way she lights up a place just by being in it.”
I look away, smiling like an idiot. He still does that to me; turns my insides to jelly with a single sentence.
We ride Dumbo, the carousel, It’s a Small World (which Joshua insists is a form of melodic torture), and then we grab churros while waiting in line for Joshua and Autumn to ride the teacups. Autumn gets sugar on her nose, and Joshua kisses it off, which makes her giggle and clutch his face between her tiny hands.
“You’re silly, Joshy,” she says, still giggling.
“Yeah, but I’m your silly,” he says, and she squeals with delight.
It’s after lunch, while we’re sitting on a bench sharing some popcorn and waiting for the parade to start that it happens.
Autumn is nestled between us, her head resting against Joshua’s side, her fingers and lips sticky with butter and sugar. Her eyes are drooping a little, her body fighting a nap she absolutely does not want to take.
And then she says it.
“Daddy?”
Joshua goes completely still.
She yawns and blinks up at him, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Daddy, can we go on the flying pirate ship again after the princess dance?” she says, all sweet innocence. She has no idea the stir her words cause.
