That hits me in my heart and my gut.
Can’t protect someone forever if we’re not here, and we need to move.
Ginny squats in front of Lav. “Elizabeth and I are going to the salon. If it’s okay with your dad, you can come with us.”
Elizabeth.
She helped Lav make the pink shirt that matches Cricket’s.
Arts and crafts time.
And now I’m thinking about waking up next to Cricket, and how it felt to have her body pressed against mine?—
Knock it off, dumbass, I order myself.
Have a last hurrah before you leave, my dick replies.
I ignore it.
Lav’s wrinkling her nose. “I hate haircuts.”
No shit.
But she needs one. Combing her hair this morning—no, yesterday morning—was brutal.
“Oh, we would never cut your hair.” Ginny tugs gently at one of my daughter’s two braids, which one of the women must have done for her today. “But wecouldask your dad if we can put some trophy color in your hair.”
I left Lav all day yesterday.
I should be parenting her, not turning her over to the ladies for one more day. Especially since I’ll need their help tomorrow too.
Breaking my rule.
Making up a job on a Saturday.
Lav can help me here today.
But she should have as much time with them as possible before we leave.
So I nod to Ginny while Lav asks what trophy color is.
“It’s when we put a streak of color in your hair for every dragon that you’ve slayed,” Ginny tells her.
Lav laughs. “I don’t have a zillion jillion hairs, Ginny!”
“Huh. That’s a problem, isn’t it? Do you think Ms. Peg at the salon might have some ideas?”
Lav looks at me. “Can I go get trophy color, Daddy?”
“Only if you give me hugs first.”
She flies into my arms and squeezes me tight, then plucks at the hairs on my head. “Can we color your hair for my trophy too?”
“Unfortunately, I need your dad to finish this project,” Mabel says. “My bad. Maybe he can get trophy color another day soon?”
“Before my birthday.”
“Before your birthday,” I agree.
