Sandra leaned against the doorframe, watching Terry fold his conference clothes into his overnight bag with military precision. The sight of him packing stirred an unexpected flutter of anxiety in her chest. Two nights wasn't long, but the thought of him being away while they were still figuring out this relationship made her hope she hadn’t volunteered more than she was ready for.
"Dad, do you have everything?" Emma appeared in the doorway, her long hair pulled back in a neat ponytail.
Terry glanced up from his packing and smiled. "I'm sure, sweetheart. It's only a couple of days."
Toby bounced into the room with his usual energy. "Are you gonna learn some cool new stuff to catch the bad guys? Like secret cop techniques?"
"Hope so." Terry laughed. "I’d hate for it to be boring."
"Boring's like my history class. Mr. Carter makes the Revolutionary War sound like the most unexciting thing ever," Toby said matter-of-factly.
Sandra bit back a smile as Terry lifted a brow. "Well, make sure you study that unexciting history anyway."
He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on, let's go say proper goodbyes."
They all trooped to the front door, where Terry set his bag down and opened his arms to Emma first. "Come here, Em."
She stepped into his embrace, suddenly looking much younger than her twelve years. Terry wrapped her in a tight hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Now, I know you're going to the community pool tomorrow," he said, pulling back to look at her seriously. "And I want you to remember that you're a beautiful girl who's growing up fast."
Emma's cheeks flushed pink. "Dad, that's weird."
"It's not weird, it's true. So when those boys start showing off and trying to get your attention, you just remember what we've talked about."
"What boys?" Emma asked, genuinely confused. "There aren't any boys at the pool who'd notice me."
Terry and Sandra exchanged a look over Emma's head. His daughter truly had no idea how pretty she was.
"Trust me, kiddo, there are boys everywhere. You just haven't noticed them yet."
"They don't pay attention to me," she said, her voice slightly wistful. "I'm still all legs and braces."
"Keep thinking that for about ten more years, okay?"
Emma rolled her eyes but hugged him again. "Fine. I promise to ignore all the supposedly interested boys."
Terry turned to Toby next, ruffling his hair. "And you, buddy. I know you're a good swimmer, but listen to the lifeguards, okay? And to your sister. And especially to Sandra."
Toby nodded solemnly. "I will. Can I still do cannonballs?"
"As long as you're not splashing random people or landing on someone."
"Sweet." Toby threw his arms around Terry's waist. "Bring me back something cool from the conference. Like a badge or something."
"What kind of badge?"
"I dunno. Maybe one that says 'Future Drug Task Force Captain' or something awesome like that."
Terry laughed and kissed the top of Toby's head. "I'll see what I can do."
He straightened and looked at Sandra, his expression shifting to something softer. "Walk me to the car?"
She nodded, her heart doing that fluttering thing again. They stepped outside into the warm morning air.
Terry tossed his bag into the back seat, then turned and leaned against the SUV, pulling her to stand between his legs. Sandra felt the familiar rush of heat as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yeah, they're watching," Terry said, grinning at her obvious concern about an audience. "But they know we're together, and I'm not hiding it."
