"I don't know. It seems like a lot of work for a temporary home," Angela said, and I could see the stress in the crease in her forehead.
"We'll get a tree for you." And I'd call my brothers in to decorate the outside of the house. I still had the decorations in the shed from when I lived there.
"A real one?" Ayla said as if it was something they'd never had.
I gave her a look. "Of course we'll get a real one. What other kind is there?"
"Ayla, I told you that a real tree is harder to get. You have to secure it to the car and then carry it into the house. I have no idea how to manage that."
"I can help," I said gently, not wanting to overstep but wanting to make things easier for her. Angela wanted to give her daughter everything but was overwhelmed with the logistics. "I'll show you how to put it in the tree stand. That way, you can do it yourself."
Angela wanted to be independent. I figured that showing her how to do things for herself would be the perfect way to get her to relax her rules about letting me help her.
"Please, Mom," Ayla said, her mouth covered in chocolate and whipped cream now.
Angela handed her a napkin. "Okay."
"Yes." Ayla pumped her fist.
I hoped I wasn't causing trouble between mother and daughter, but I was enjoying giving this little girl everything she wanted. I might not be her father, but I could make their lives easier.
I paid for dinner, and we headed outside. I should have made an excuse saying I couldn't go to the light trail, but as soon as we were on the sidewalk, Ayla put her hand in mine.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked down at her. Her straight hair peeked out of her knit cap with a ball on the end, her eyes wide and hopeful. "You're coming with us to the light trail."
It wasn't a question.
"Of course." I caught Angela's gaze over Ayla's head, hoping I conveyed how helpless I was to resist her daughter.
"I'll get tickets," Angela said, and I didn't argue with her. She wanted to pay her way, and I'd give in on this one thing. I'd taken a peek at the prices, and they were very reasonable, given that all proceeds went to the local firehouse.
Ayla tugged on my hand, pointing at the hot chocolate truck. "Can I have hot chocolate?"
"Of course." I led her to the truck and paid for three hot chocolates. We got our drinks and met Angela at the entrance to the trail.
We showed our wristbands to the little girl, Sofia, who stood next to her father, Maddox.
"You go in here, and come out over there. Feel free to go through the trail as many times as you'd like," Sofia said with a smile.
"Thank you," Angela said, and we entered the trail under the archway. We walked a short way before we encountered thefirst cluster of blow-up dolls.The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed characters blew in the wind as themed music played over the loudspeaker.
The path continued around the characters. Ayla stopped and posed in front of her favorite ones.
Then she ran ahead, and we were alone for a few seconds.
"You didn't have to come," Angela said.
I could have asked if she didn't want me there, but I went for the truth. "Did you see her face when she told me where I was going? Because it wasn't a question. Her eyes were huge, and she had this puppy-dog expression.” I shook my head. "There was no way I could say no."
Angela laughed. "Resisting is tough when she wants something."
"I don't know why she wants to hang out with me. I'm grumpy and boring."
Angela laughed at that, and I liked seeing her more relaxed. "I wouldn't say that you're either."
"Then you don't know me that well. Although I will say, you've made my life decidedly less boring. It's not every day that you walk in on a sexy photo shoot in a lingerie store."
"You weren't supposed to see that."
