“I’m ready!” She was dressed in her uniform, her face clean, and her hair done.
“Wow. Look at you,” I said, smiling. Her hair was in two little buns like Princess Leia. A warm, gooey feeling melted in my chest, a feeling that made me want to scoop the both of them up in a big hug. It took me by surprise.
“Harrison gave me space buns!” Collette shouted.
“Very cool,” I said genuinely. Meanwhile, my insides continued to flip. It was a battle to brush through her hair most days, and he’d managed to style it. I imagined him intently focused on smoothing her fine curls with product as she squirmed, incapable of keeping her head facing one direction. I wished someone had taken a photo.
Harrison leaned against the doorway, giving a modest shrug. He’d gotten dressed in jeans and a fitted tee. His biceps bulged where his arms were crossed in such a manly man way.
“She told me she wasn’t allowed to wear her cat ears,” he said. He smiled softly up at me, and I blinked away, aware that I may have been studying him a little too closely.
“Uniform rules,” I said with an eye roll.
“It’s okay. I’m over being a cat. Harrison was telling me about Star Wards.”
“Star Wars,” he corrected.
“Can I watch it tonight? Please, Frankie?”
“Maybe after dinner. If you don’t have any homework,” I said.
They both made the same face of annoyance.
“Okay! What time is dinner?” she asked.
I smiled up at Harrison. “What time?” I asked sweetly. I could actually get used to this.
“Right. Well, uh, eight?” he asked rather than said.
I widened my eyes and shook my head. “Collette’s bedtime?”
“No. That’s too late. Obviously. Six?” he corrected.
“That sounds good. What’re we having?” I asked.
Harrison scrunched up his face. “It’s a surprise.”
“Can’t wait,” I said.
“Your confidence in me is simply awe-inspiring,” he said with cheek.
Maybe my tone had been dry. I smiled again before looking pointedly at the wall clock. “This is about the time we leave. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in the drop-off line all morning.”
“All right, kitty, let’s roll out.”
“I’m Princess Leia now.”
“Of course. How could I forget?”
They made their way, and I fought the urge to call after to make sure she had her lunch. Collette would remind him.
Sure enough, I heard her distant voice ask, “Did you make my lunch?”
There was a long pause before Harrison covered smoothly. “Ah, well, I think you will have to buy today, is that an option?”
“Frankie always makes me lunch with healthy food and one little treat. She said the food at school is filled with per-pre-parservartives. Junk.”
“Okay. Noted. Tomorrow, I will pack you the best, most brain-fueling, preservative-free lunch that ever there was.”
