“Let’s get unloaded, and we can talk it through,” I suggest.
She frowns and then nods. Following me outside and into the cold.
We all say our goodbyes to our friends as we grab our luggage. I get thanked what feels like a million times and hugged and kissed by Margie and Cornelia.
“Best vacation ever!” Ava cries out as she leaps into my arms and squeezes my neck.
“Ava, don’t suffocate Mr. Hutch, please,” Carly says, mouthing “sorry” to me. I laugh and squeeze Ava back, kissing the top of her head. She smells of little kid shampoo. I’d love to have a dozen kids just like her someday, but with each passing week, that pipedream seems to get further away, until this week. I glance at Jocelyn over Ava’s head, and she has a dreamy look on her face. Is she envisioning a future with kids at this moment? I know I am. I only hope they are as cool as Ava.
“Bedtime,” I whisper to Ava, who just groans.
“But it’s only…” She trails off and turns her head to look at Bray.
“Unca Bray, what time is it?” she asks.
“Bedtime,” he agrees with me.
She puts on her best pouty face.
“Ava Maxwell, no pouting. Let’s go,” Carly says.
Bray walks over and grabs Ava from me. She wraps herself around him like a baby monkey. “Come on, peanut, I’ll read you a story,” he says.
Everyone mills inside, leaving Jocelyn and me standing there. I turn and tip the driver, and he makes an impressive K-turn in the street and drives away.
“You’re good with her,” Jocelyn says quietly.
“Who? Ava?” I ask, looking down at her.
“Yep,” she replies.
I decide we should get out of the cold and put on real winter coats to check on Cliff.
“Come on, let’s put our stuff inside. Then, Cliff needs a treat,” I declare as I pick up both our bags.
We walk inside and up to my apartment. I open the door and set our luggage to the side.
“But, first, I need a little treat,” I state as I shut the door and push her against it, kissing her deeply. Her arms go around my neck, and she laughs as our lips connect.
“I thought we were feeding Cliff?” she says, pulling back a bit.
“I guess we can,” I grumble.
“We have all the time, big boy. That trash panda probably misses you,” she points out as she walks toward my closet by the door and opens it, pulling out two big winter coats. She hands me one and wraps herself in another. She looks ridiculous, like a small child playing dress-up.
“I think it might be too big,” I state.
“That’s what she said,” she teases, and I roll my eyes.
“Come on, smartass,” I say as I grab the container of peanuts and open the door. We walk, hand in hand, to the park bench. The flowers are gone, but Cliff scurries down from a tree as soon as we arrive.
I clear off some snow on the bench, and we sit and watch Cliff eat.
“She’s hungry,” Jocelyn says as she snuggles up against me for warmth. I wrap my arm around her.
“Yep. My girl has a big appetite, just like her dad,” I joke as I toss out some more peanuts.
We’re quiet for a beat, and then she looks up at me. “You will make a great dad someday.”
