Page 147 of Falling Into Forever
“Yup.”
“How come?” I can’t believe I’m asking a four-year-old a serious question, but my heart rate picks up speed, and I need her answer.
“’Cause pictures show wub.”
I stare down at the one in my hand. Shannon, Ainsley, and I sit on the top step of the porch while Dante sits between my legs on the step below us.
Damn it. Poppy’s going to make me cry because she’s right. This picture is love.
“Where is your pictures?” she asks innocently. I watch as she sticks a purple heart onto a foam frame.
I shrug, but she’s too focused on her craft to care. “Um, well, for a while they made me sad.”
She whips her little head in my direction so fast her pigtails bounce. Her face is full of concern as she gets up onto her knees and grabs my cheeks with both pudgy hands.
“It’s okay to be sad. I can fix it. You need sprinkles.” She reaches down, plucks a pink glittery heart from the table, and presses it to my forehead. “There. Per-fix. Happy?”
I swallow hard. The picture in my hand is forgotten when this sweet, innocent face that’s mere inches away from my own kisses my cheek. “Yes, squirt. I’m happy now. So, tell me. What do I have to do?”
“We’ve gots so much work to do.” I laugh because exasperation sounds funny on a four-year-old. She hands me some foam picture frames and stickers, already shedding glitter all over the floor. “We’re makin’ your house happy.”
So, I get to work using stickers and glue and so much flipping glitter that I’ll never get it off me. But we make my house happy, and that’s more than I ever thought I’d have.
* * *
Dante
“She’s not answering her texts,”I say as I climb into the driver’s seat of my SUV. Our meeting with Grady took twice as long as we were expecting.
“I’m sure they’re fine, Dante. The last time I spoke to her, she said she couldn’t text because she had glitter fingers.”
I pause with the key almost in the ignition and openly stare at Lena. “Glitter fingers?” I’m already picturing how much Saylor will hate that, but I love her because she’ll do it for Poppy.
Lena smirks. “Lots of glitter. Ainsley dropped off some supplies for their special day together.”
Chuckling, I start the car. “It’s probably best if we don’t tell Saylor where the supplies came from then.”
She laughs, then buckles her seat belt with a sigh that has me doing a double take.
“You’ve done good, Lena.” She turns to me with a smile that spreads from ear to ear.
“So have you.”
I catch my reflection in the rearview mirror when I pull onto the street, pleased with the man I find there.
“We haven’t talked about your living situation,” I say. I’ve tried not to pry, but I want her to know she has options.
“I talked with Grady,” she says shyly. “I think for now, we’re good where we are. He doesn’t mind, and I don’t want to uproot Poppy again. It’s been a lot of change for her.” She’s quiet for a minute, but her hands twist like she’s contemplating something, and I don’t want to push, so I wait for her to continue. “It’s been a lot of change for me too.”
I reach over and squeeze her hand. “I only asked to make sure you were comfortable. I want what’s best for you both, whatever that ends up being.”
I pull up to a stop sign in time to witness her cheeks tinting pink, then she turns her face to the window. “Thanks, Dante. We’re good.”
Giving her hand one more squeeze, I release her and turn onto Saylor’s road. “Have you heard from Trent?” I ask gently.
She shakes her head. “Not recently.”
I nod because I haven’t heard from him either, and it’s probably for the best.
