“What are you looking for?”
I looked over my shoulder at my daughter. “I was thinking I’d have a little ice cream.”
“That, uh, might be kind of hard,” Boston whispered. “I might have eaten it.”
I grinned and closed the fridge door. “I never would’ve thought you could put away so much food. I’ll be sure to stock extra ice cream.”
“If you’re giving me a choice on what kind you provide, I really like Blue Bell.”
I looked at my daughter. “They don’t have Blue Bell up here, kid.”
“They do!” she disagreed. “Though I found out that you can also order it online.”
“Like the pineapples you charge to my account every month when you order them directly from the Dole Plantation in Hawaii?” I teased.
“Hey.” She held up her hands. “It’s not really like I meant to find out that they were good. You were the one that had them delivered.”
“You sent me the video.” I pointed out.
“True.” She smiled. “We’ll have to keep ordering them. I’ll bet Eddy will love them.”
“She told me she hates berries, but loves citrus. So I’m assuming she’ll probably like pineapples from Hawaii just fine.”
I watched Boston walk around me to the kitchen cabinet where I kept my pantry staples and pull out a package of Oreos.
I grinned when she placed it between the two of us on the island and went for the milk.
Grabbing two perfect dunking cups down from the cabinet, I placed them on the counter just in time for Boston to fill them both to the brim.
I peeled open the package and the two of us took turns grabbing a cookie and dunking it.
“I taught you well,” I teased on my fourth Oreo.
“I’ve missed this, Daddy,” she said softly. “I love Grandma and Grandpa, but they’re not a good substitute for you.”
I tapped her on the nose before pulling another Oreo.
“I wish I could rewind and start over. Maybe stayed in the Navy so I didn’t insert myself into places I didn’t need to be.”
“Or,” Boston said softly, “you might’ve been unable to save any of us.”
She had a point.
“What ifs are just that, what ifs. We can’t change the past, we can only guide our future. Nor can we make decisions for others. We have to live the life we’ve been given—the life we’ve had a choice in making—and make the best of it.”
“When did you start sounding so wise?” I asked.
“When I realized that feeling sorry for myself didn’t change anything.” She leveled me with a look. “You really like Eddy, huh?”
“Like is too tame of a word for what I feel for Eddy,” I admitted.
“I like her a lot, too,” she said. “For what it’s worth, I’d be super happy to have her here all the time.”
“You think she knows that you’re half in love with her?” I teased.
Boston’s face flamed. “I can’t wait until she’s better and she can coach me in soccer. I’ve heard so much about her. And meeting Nettie was the highlight of my life.”
“My little soccer star, so in love with two women who have no clue how obsessed you are.” I laughed.
