“Now you’ve stepped in it,” Walker says as I hand him his water.
“Only way to do it,” I say as I slide Eli’s water toward him.
Eventually, one of the dessert boxes is emptied. Amber starts yawning hard enough to make Eli glance at the clock, and I know our lovely family time is about to wind down.
I wish it would never end.
“Alright,” Eli says. “Bedtime is coming fast. Let’s get you home and washed up, princess.”
Amber groans dramatically but doesn’t argue.
I take that sound as my cue as well.
“Come on,” I say as I stand and offer my hand to Lia. “I’ll drive you home.”
“Let us know when you drop her off,” Walker says as he stands and gathers the dirtied dessert plates.
“Will do,” I say as Lia leans into me. I rub my hand up and down her back, speaking to her more quietly. “You ready?”
“No,” she mumbles.
Hope springs forth in my chest. “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll head out.”
“’Night, Knox,” Amber mumbles tiredly.
I smile down at her. “’Night, squirt.”
“What?” Walker asks. “No goodnight for me?”
Amber giggles tiredly. “Goodnight, Grape Man.”
That makes me laugh, and Walker joins me with a chuckle of his own. “Goodnight, Cinnamon Roll Girl.”
When Lia finally lifts her head from my chest, she takes my hand. Of her own volition. Initiating the contact instead of me offering it to her.
My eyes widen as I look over at Eli, and already there’s a smile crossing his face. Even Walker has a gleam in his eye, like this might actually be working.
Like we might actually be successful in our plan to convince her that we’re all pack.
Eli walks with us out to our vehicles with a tired Amber leaning against his side. We pack up our girls before sliding behind the wheels of our cars, and Eli gets himself turned around first. I follow behind his car until we’re all the way out to the main road that cuts The Grove in half.
He turns left.
I turn right.
And then the quiet of the night descends on us.
The drive to her place is peaceful. She keeps her head tipped against the window, eyes half closed while soft music hums through the speakers of my pickup. When we pull into her apartment complex, I watch her tense.
I hate it. I hate having to drop her off at a place she doesn’t like.
“Come on,” I say after I park the car in front of her building. “I’ll walk you in.”
“I got it,” Lia mumbles as she opens her car door.
I have to rush to get around to her before she practically topples out of the car. “You sure about that?”
I scoop her into my arms and kick the car door closed. It’s a challenge, digging out her keys so we can get her front door open, but I manage without having to place her down. Pickles is barking up a storm behind the closed door, anxious to get to Lia.
