Kaiya didn’t think so because she knew that she would keep on recollecting past incidents when Tyler was around her.
The door opened, and her breath caught in her throat. Tyler was looking drop-dead gorgeous in a plain gray shirt which showed off his broad shoulders and masculine physique and black chinos trousers. Tyler looked so good and smelt so fresh and good that memories of their time together came rushing back. She remembered how good it was between them, and the bulge in her throat threatened to choke her.
Pushing it away, she said, “Hi.”
“Hi yourself,” Tyler replied in an unenthusiastic welcome. Then he gave the little girl standing beside her a dazzling smile that tugged at Kaiya’s heart.
“Hello, Milania. Come on in.”
Smiling shyly, Milania replied, “Hi Lili’s daddy.”
Tyler stepped aside for them to come in. Kaiya had been stunned when Tyler gave her his house address; where he resided was only for the rich, and now that she was seeing the size of the house with its impressive grand foyer, she marveled anew at how far Tyler had come. The teenager from group homes was now a wealthy man. Bitterness coursed through her as she acknowledged that this could have been theirs if he hadn’t chosen Lena over her.
Schooling her features for the sake of the children, Kaiya followed Tyler to the living room. He then went to get his daughter who Kaiya was looking forward to seeing. Despite her animosity toward Lili’s father, she adored the little girl.
Lili and Milania had their tea party while Tyler and Kaiya also participated. They drank tea and played board games with the children.
Since the children were such a delight to be with, Kaiya was glad that she had come to put smiles on their innocent faces. She was so happy that she wondered what it would feel like if they were a real family. What if Lili and Milania were their children, and they were all one big happy family?
Pushing away such unfruitful thoughts that would spoil her mood, she watched as the kids played together. Their sweet innocence touched her heart. Kaiya noticed that Lili wasn’t as shy as she first thought. The little girl was energetic. She carried on intelligent conversations that marveled Kaiya.
“You know what we should do? We should have a dance-off,” Kaiya mentioned with a broad smile on her face.
“Yeah!” Lili and Milania chorused with excitement.
Tyler shook his head, but his daughter was having none of that. “Come on, Dad.”
Tyler reluctantly agreed to join the dance-off, but he was soon smiling and enjoying himself. They danced to different genres. At the end of it, by unanimous vote, Kaiya was declared the winner.
“Thank you. Thank you.” She bowed gracefully and smiled brightly. The two children clapped with excitement and giggled.
Suddenly, Tyler’s eyes softened towards her, and he said, “Dance has always been your passion, and I can see that you’re still very skilled.”
Kaiya shifted uncomfortably at the compliment from Tyler. She didn’t want him handing her compliments, yet she was touched by it at the same time. She looked away.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
When it was time for them to leave, Lili pleaded with them to stay for dinner. Milania was very excited at the suggestion.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to call Kalilah to inform her of the change of plans.”
Tyler, she noted, didn’t say a word. His face was unreadable, which made her a little uneasy.
Kalilah, of course, said it was okay if they stayed over for dinner. Finn would come for his daughter later.
Dinner was a very lively affair. For the sake of the kids, Kaiya put aside her resentment and allowed herself to have a nice time. The lasagna meal was very tasty, and she had inquired as to who made the meal.
“My mom. Since being sober and becoming a grandmother, her obsession with cooking and baking has grown. Much to my delight of course. Lili and I both get home cooked meals and desert every day.”
“Let her know that is lasagna is possibly the best I’ve eaten. Please don’t tell Jalissa I said that.”
“You secret is safe with me,” he responded and then winked. Heat travelled through her body.
When dinner was over, Finn arrived to pick up Milania. The little girls hugged and waved each other goodbye. Kaiya decided it was her cue to leave as well. She turned to father and daughter with a genuine smile playing at her lips.
“Thank you for a wonderful time. I thoroughly enjoyed myself,” she commented sweetly.
“You’re welcome, Kaiya. We also had a wonderful time. Thank you for coming,” Tyler returned with a smile on his face that she couldn’t determine if it was genuine or not.
