Feeling compelled to explain why she didn’t really talk much, I said, “Ava has Down Syndrome. That’s why there are some speech delays and?—”
Mrs. Latrina lifted a hand to stop me while smiling warmly. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to explain anything to me. A child speaks when they feel safe and when they’re ready, and that’s good enough for me. Besides, that extra chromosome doesn’t change anything except that she may need some extra love, and that’s fine with me because I have plenty to give.”
Ava peered up at me again briefly before giving her attention back to Kiyan’s mother who tapped her nose softly and smiledcausing Ava to do the same. It really warmed my heart to see it because sadly, that wasn’t a norm for us. Usually people, children and adults, would stare, point, and whisper when they saw someone that looked different from them, and despite Ava being only six, she noticed. It was why she chose to cling to me most of the time because she knew that I’d always be her safe space.
“Thank you for that,” I finally voiced. “Most people… they don’t usually respond like that.”
“Well,” she lifted and touched my arm gently, “then they’re missing out.”
She walked back over to the stove to finish up whatever it was that she was cooking, while Ava and I walked toward the table. I got her situated in a chair with her iPad in front of her, and Kiyan’s father immediately started to engage with Ava, asking her what she was watching and if she minded if he watched with her. In true Ava fashion, she looked to me for approval, so I nodded and let her know it was okay before preparing to take a seat next to her.
“Leila, can I talk to you for a second?” Kiyan requested.
My eyes locked on his briefly before I nodded and told Ava to come on, but Mr. Keith assured me that she was fine and they’d keep an eye on her for me. I nodded and excused myself from the table, very shocked that Ava didn’t whine, but with the tablet and his parents, she appeared to be occupied and just fine.
Kiyan and I stepped out of the kitchen and made our way a down the hall a little, I assumed for privacy.
“Is everything okay?” I asked right away.
“Yeah, everything’s fine, just wanted to check on you. Did you sleep well?”
“I did. The wine had me sleep all the way through the night,” I chuckled. “I usually wake up around three or four every night, but I was out like a light last night.”
“I’m glad to hear your sleep was uninterrupted.” He laughed lightly. “We’ll have to work on a way to make that happen every night without the wine though.”
We?
And every night?
“R-right,” I stammered while laughing awkwardly. I was positive that he wasn’t saying that in a sexual or inappropriate way, but the words still had my body reacting in ways that it shouldn’t have.
“I wanted to apologize for just springing this on you too,” he pointed down the hall. “It wasn’t my intention to just bum-rush you with my parents, but as soon as I explained to them that we’d be going to get a tree and my reasons why, my mother was booking a flight.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” I chuckled and waved him off. “This is your house?—”
“But you’re here for now,” he cut me off, “and I want you and baby girl to be okay while you’re in my home. My mom just has a really big soft spot for women and children, plus you took to Mel pretty good, so I figured maybe you’d be more comfortable with a woman here.”
“While I really appreciate you considering me in that way, I’m comfortable with and around you. I don’t know you from a can of paint, but you’ve been very kind to me and my daughter, so I really appreciate that and you.”
He nodded. “Mama wants to go shopping too, so if you’re cool with that, they’ll be coming along with us this morning.”
I smiled. “You don’t need my permission, Kiyan.”
“I promised today to you and Ava, so it’s whateveryouwant, Leila.”
Just okay it, Leila!
“I’m okay with them coming, Kiyan.”
“Good.” He smiled as he lifted off of the wall that he was leaning on. “Let’s go eat then we can head out.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
He pointed and waited for me to walk ahead then followed me back down the hall to the kitchen.
As we were making our way inside, I heard him mumble, “I like your hair like that. You should wear it down more if you don’t already.”
I was glad to be walking ahead of him because I had a goofy smile on my face, and I was blushing like a fool. It was a shame because after being married for ten years you’d think that something that simple wouldn’t get a reaction out of me, but Aldrick hardly noticed when I did something different to my hair, or it could have been that he barely cared.
