"I'm all yours at home," Brandt adds quietly.
We continue to go back and forth, the four adults taking turns on playing with Vivian in the sun. She has an unending energy source. At one point, I convince Brandt to push both of us on the swings. Vivian, I discover, is not scared of heights. Brandt pushes her to double the height I'm swinging. She's kicking her legs and laughing the entire time. Vivian tells me all sorts of halfstories of past times hanging out with Brandt. She's only four so her stories leave out a lot of details, but the intensity she has when talking keeps you paying attention.
By the time all of us are red faced and beyond sweaty in the late summer heat, Philip and Deana call it a day. We all slump down at the picnic table and take the last sips of the waters they brought.
"You'll have to come by the apartment one day," Brandt says as we start packing up. Vivian is munching on the last of the watermelon we brought, but jumps up and down when Brandt mentions coming over.
"Yes, please! I want to go to the pool!"
"It's only open for a couple more weeks, but I'm sure we can find some time for you to come over." Brandt looks over at Philip. "I'm off on Tuesday, if you want to bring her over. She can hang out with me during the day and then we can go to the pool when Tyler gets home from the coffee shop."
"Coffee?" Her eyes go wide and she looks right at me. "I want coffee."
"Absolutely not," Deana says. She scoops Vivian up and tosses her in the air. "You are not allowed to have coffee this young."
"I can bring you some hot chocolate or a smoothie,” I offer.
"Oooh, you love smoothies." Deana turns her head to look at me. "She will go wild for a strawberry smoothie. Also coconut."
"I could do both together?" During the summer months, we have all kinds of flavors. We keep a strawberry mix and mango mix, but the syrups can be added in too.
"Strawberry and coconut?" Vivian looks like her mind is being blown. It's adorable. "Mommy, can I please go to Uncle B's house? Please, please?"
We're up the hill at the parking lot now. Deana puts Vivian down and instead of going to Brandt like I expect, she wrapsher arms around my leg. She tilts her head back to look at me, squinting against the sun.
"Can you please bring me one?" She is adorable and I can't say no. Those big eyes and sweet face, with the curls falling across her forehead, is too much to resist.
"I pinky promise," I say. She must know what that is because she immediately holds out her pinky and I lock mine with hers. She squeals and then moves to say bye to Brandt before her dad puts her in the car seat.
It isn't until we get back into the car that Brandt starts laughing. He takes a couple of seconds to compose himself before looking over at me. "What is that about?"
"You now understand the power of the puppy dog eyes and adorable face." He reaches across and holds my chin between his fingers and thumb. He pulls me closer and kisses me. "There was no chance you were saying no to her."
"I wouldn't have said no anyway." I shrug. Then I get an idea and turn on my own puppy eyes. "Does that mean I could maybe convince you to stop by the ice cream parlor on the way home?"
Brandt stares at me for a second. I pout my bottom lip and open my eyes a little wider. He still doesn't say anything. I double down. I really want some ice cream. I reach out and lay my hand on his thigh.
"Please, Daddy?"
It's still a few more seconds before he sighs and rolls his eyes. "Fine, but just a single scoop okay? We're going to be having dinner soon enough."
"Yay, thank you! I'm going to get the rainbow ice cream."
We order the ice cream, but sit in the car to eat it. I snap a picture of us with our cones and send it to the group chat. I caption it with 'best ice cream ever' and send the picture. My phone starts dinging with incoming pictures from the others. Everyone is doing something different today. Brandt's phonebuzzes just as I'm finishing my ice cream. He opens it, is quiet for a second, and then laughs. I'm about to ask him what's funny, but he tilts his phone to me.
Three texts saying that Aussie, Quinton, and Luke are now asking for ice cream. A text from Garrett pops up that Orion would probably be asking for some too if he wasn't taking a nap.
"Oops." I don't mean it and both of us laugh.
"Let's get home and get your medicine. Then we can spend the rest of the day inside where it's cool."
"Sounds like a plan to me," I say. "I had fun today with your family. Your brother is nice."
"He is," Brandt says. We're both quiet for a few minutes while he drives. I'm enjoying being in the cool air of the car. It’s almost lulling me to sleep. Brandt reaches over and squeezes my leg. "Have you talked to your family recently?"
"I haven't," I say. "Dad texted me a couple days ago just asking how moving in has been. Mom and my brother haven't though."
"Did you respond to your dad?"
