Page 22 of Well Aware

Magnolia thought it was hilarious and had even taken up to calling her that.

I liked that I made both mom and daughter smile with the nickname.

Sometimes seeing them both smile made me feel on top of the world.

The walk across the stadium was a long one, but Iris didn’t complain.

I’d hold her if she let me, but usually that didn’t happen.

So I kept my walk slow and measured so that she could keep up.

I made it to the back of the stadium just as my phone started to ring.

I didn’t bother pulling my phone out of my pocket seeing as when I opened the door, Boone was there with his phone pressed to his ear.

“Patience, Grasshopper.”

Boone flipped me off.

Iris shook her finger at him like an affronted elderly lady.

“Whoops.” He laughed. “How’s our girls?”

Iris answered him in sign.

“What’d she say?” he asked. “I caught ‘tired’ and ‘sleep.’”

“She said that Margie had a long nap today,” I translated.

He held out his hands. “Are you going to give her to me?”

“I’m thinking about it.” I buried my nose into Margie’s chubby neck and snorted.

She squealed in delight, slapping her wet-with-slobber hands onto my cheeks to stop the tickle.

I grinned and pulled away. “Bye bye, Margie.”

“Buh.”

“Jesus Christ, man,” Boone grumbled. “Can I have her?”

I reluctantly gave her over to him, missing her warm baby heat almost the moment she left my arms.

“If you like kids so much, you should get one of your own.”

I fucking wished.

Iris’ hands moved, and I looked down just in time to see what she had to say.

“She says that she’ll miss Margie, and that she’ll see her Wednesday.”

Boone got down on his haunches so that Margie and Iris were eye level.

Though Iris didn’t make a move closer, she did sign some more.

“What was that?” he asked. “I saw ‘dog’ and ‘love.’”

“She said that she loves her and that she hopes you save all the dogs tomorrow.”