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As if on cue, the baggage carousel began to move, and Bri immediately started to squirm, pushing at Cass’s chest. “Down! Down!”

Cass glanced at Ash for permission, and Ash nodded.

“Alright, here you go,” Cass said, gently setting Bri on her feet. He took her hand to keep her from running off, and then he followed as she tugged him toward the baggage carousel like she knew exactly what was going on. “Are you going to find Uncle Ash’s bag?”

“Da! Boo!”

Cass narrowed his eyes. “Boo?”

“Boo!”

Ash laughed, and Cass glanced back over his shoulder to where Ash stood. “Blue,” he said, adding, “It’s a black bag with a bright-blue tag on it.”

“Da! Boo!” Bri declared again.

Cass grinned and nodded, holding Ash’s gaze for an extra couple of seconds before he turned back to the baggage carousel. A few smaller bags came out first, and Bri jumped up and down excitedly with each one.

“No,” she said as the first one passed by them. Then again, “No . . . no . . . no.” A blue luggage bag was next in line, and Bri giggled. “Boo! No. No Un-ca Ash!”

“Oh, are you sure? It’s not that one?” Cass asked, kneeling down next to Bri.

Bri turned to Cass, and then dead serious, she said, “No. Not boo. No Un-ca Ash.” She shook her head and turned back to watch the carousel.

Cass pursed his lips to hold in his laughter, and he glanced at Ash again, who now stood with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused look on his face. Cass’s heart felt almost too full, and for a moment, he didn’t breathe.

Then Bri made a very loud, very high-pitched sound right in his ear.

“Boo! Boo boo boo! Cass boo!” She jumped and pointed with her free hand and then started dragging him over closer to the carousel, where there was, indeed, a black luggage bag with a blue tag on it. Bri was much, much too excited, and when the bag got close enough, she tried to lunge forward to grab it, but Cass stopped her, scooping her back up into his arms.

“Ahhh, let me, okay?” he said, holding the squirming toddler while also bending over to pick up the luggage. It was a good-sized bag but not overly heavy, and he easily lifted it off the carousel. Bri stopped wiggling around as he set the bag on the ground and pulled up the handle. “There we go, all done.”

“Ah done! Ah done! Un-ca Ash! Boo!” Bri clapped, happy and bright, and Cass grinned right along with her. He turned them around to face Ash, and Bri clapped again and reached out toward him with both arms. “Un-ca!”

Cass held her tight so she didn’t fall and stepped closer to Ash, pulling the luggage bag behind him. When they were close enough, Ash took Bri from him, and her arms immediately wrapped up around his neck.

“Did you help Cass get the luggage for us?” Ash asked, settling Bri on his hip. He smiled so softly at her, like she was the most precious thing in the world to him.

She nodded enthusiastically and pointed at the luggage. “Boo!”

“Great, thank you so much!” Ash said. He lifted his eyes back to Cass, and this time, Cass thought his heart maybe skipped a beat. Or several.

Cass inhaled a slow breath and then blinked and looked down. “So . . . ready to go, then?” He hooked a thumb toward the exit. “My car’s parked just outside. I can carry the car seat for you.”

Ash ran his free hand through his hair and then glanced down at the diaper bag and car seat sitting next to him. “Yeah, sure, that would help a lot. Thanks.”

Cass smiled, then picked up both the diaper bag and the car seat, ignoring Ash’s weak protest, and led the way out through the double doors and across the narrow road to the parking lot. Neither of them talked this time, though Bri babbled a bit and then giggled at herself.

They took a few minutes to install the car seat in the back of Cass’s car, and then Ash got Bri strapped in and settled—with her adorable blue octopus stuffie named Ollie—while Cass loaded the luggage and diaper bag, along with Bri’s small purple backpack, into the trunk of the car. He shut the trunk just as Ash shut the car door.

Then, for what Cass knew would be much too short a time, they were alone. Sort of.

Ash stood there almost awkwardly, staring down at the ground with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. And even though Cass’s heart was hammering in his chest, he took a small step closer, swallowed, and said, quietly, “So . . .”

Ash nodded slowly and pulled his hands out of his pockets, like he knew exactly what Cass was thinking. “Please.”

There was a desperation in the single word, reminiscent of how Ash had sounded much of the time when they’d been on the phone the week before. It broke Cass’s heart.

He took another step closer, and then they both closed the final distance together, Ash’s arms slipping easily around Cass’s midsection as Cass wrapped his arms around Ash’s shoulders. They were nearly the same height, Ash maybe only an inch or two shorter, and his head fit perfectly right there on Cass’s shoulder. After half a second of hesitation, Ash’s body shuddered, and he melted into Cass with a long, deep sigh, as though finally letting go of whatever tension he’d been holding. Cass squeezed gently and closed his eyes, tilting his head to rest against Ash’s.