Mia shoves a wooden spoon into my hand just as “Hooked on a Feeling” starts, and I huff out a quiet laugh, glancing at Lexy.
Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.
Of course it is.
I shake my head and step in anyway, because there’s no way I’m staying out of this now.
The music fills the kitchen, warm and loud, and Mia is already jumping in place, dragging me into it with her energy. I scoop her up, spinning her once before exaggerating the next move on purpose, throwing my shoulders into it and singing off key into the spoon, making the most ridiculous face I can think of just to get a reaction.
It works.
Mia bursts into laughter, clutching my shirt as I keep going, adding another over the top move, then another, each one worse than the last until she’s giggling so hard she can barely breathe.
“Uncle Dex!” she squeals, laughing harder.
I dip her dramatically, spin her again, then throw in another stupid move, pulling a face that would get me kicked out of my own bar if anyone else tried it.
And that’s when I hear it.
Lexy laughing.
Not the quiet kind she usually lets slip when she’s trying not to draw attention, but something fuller, brighter, completely unguarded, the kind of sound that fills the space and lingers in it. It hits me before I even realize I’ve stopped moving, like my body just pauses on its own, caught somewhere between the noise of the music and the pull of that sound.
I look up.
She’s leaning back against the counter, her head tipped slightly, eyes shining as she watches us, and for a second everything else fades into the background. The music, Mia’s laughter, the ridiculous moves I was just pulling all blur at the edges until it’s just her, just that smile, just that look on her face.
Something in my chest shifts, sharp and sudden, like I just stepped into something I won’t be able to walk back out of.
She notices.
Of course she does.
Her laughter softens, her cheeks flushing as she turns back to the stove, suddenly very focused on the pancakes like they demand her full attention, but I already saw it, and I can’t seem to look away as easily as she just did.
The song fades out, and I set Mia down, dragging my focus back where it should be.
A new song rolls in, slower this time, smoother.
“Bring It On Home to Me.”
Sam Cooke’s voice fills the space, warm and steady, settling into the room like it belongs there.
“Uncle Dex, it’s Lexy’s turn now!”
I glance down at her. “Lexy’s turn?”
Mia grins. “Yes. To dance with her.”
I look up.
Lexy freezes, eyes darting between us like she’s trying to find a way out of it.
“I… uh, Mia, I…”
I don’t give her time to finish. I just hold my hand out.
Her gaze drops to it for a second too long before she takes it.
