Page 34 of Dancing in the Dark

“I’m hungry, Daddy.” Mia jumps to her knees and flashes a bloody, gap-toothed grin. “What do you fink we should have for dinner? Fifi was gonna make me somefin earlier, but I wasn’t hungry yet.” She exhales a thrilled gasp. “Can we have hot dogs on sticks?”

“No, baby, we ca⁠—”

“We could make hot-dogs-on-a-stick salad! Fifi doesn’t like meat, cos it comes from the cow’s butt, and she finks that’s gross, but she likes salad, and I never thought to put the hotdogs in the salad before! Don’t worry, Fifi.” She turns to her best friend and cups her cheek. “I’ll only put the hot dogs in my part of the salad, not yours. I would never make you eat somefin you don’t like.”

“Mia!” I clap my hands and scare her into spinning back around. “Go wash your face.”

“But, Daddy⁠—”

“Right now.” I snatch up her tooth and pinch it between my fingers. “Wash this, too. Put it in your room. You’re already in your pjs; did you shower or just change like a total trash gremlin who enjoys bathing in her own sweat?”

She folds her arms and hits me with her grumpy face. “I showered, cos me and Fifi baked cupcakes and I got messy.” Stumbling off the couch and onto shaky feet, she stalks across and takes her tooth with a vicious swipe of her hand. “We made extra cupcakes, and Fifi let me eat three all by myself. We made milkshakes too, and they were delicious! We were saving the rest for you, but ya know what else the Tooth Fairy does?” Her nostrils flare like an angry little bulldog’s. “She doesn’t let mean dads have yummy cupcakes. I’m gonna give them to Cato instead. He’s never mean.”

Everything is okay. Everyone is safe.

Lowering into a crouch and getting on Mia’s level, I inch closer, closer, closer until her nose and mine almost touch. Then I snap my teeth and make her jump. “Wash your face so I don’t have to look at that blood anymore.”

“Cos it’s gross?”

“Cos it makes me think you’re hurt, and thinking of you hurt makes my tummy hurt. Go.” I swat her butt and send her scampering away. “Be quick so we can have dinner and settle in for the night.”

“Don’t leave, Fifi!” She sprints across the room and skids into the hall. “I’m not ready for Fifi to leave!” She slams the bathroom door and wrenches on the faucet until pipes rattle in the wall. “Don’t leave!”

“Now I’ll deal with you.” I rise to my full height and stare down at the woman who fucking slays me. She owns me. She controls everything I am, second only to Mia. “I thought something awful happened.”

“I-I’m sorry. The tooth surprised me.” She wipes her face with shaking hands. “Do they normally bleed that much?”

“Don’t leave, Fifi!” Mia slaps the tap off again. “I’m gonna be SO mad if you leave while I’m in here.”

“Probably bled more because she was already worked up about Mufasa’s fuckin’ death.”

“Oh, God.” She jams the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. “I messed up so friggin’ bad. I’m sorry, Charlie.” She groans. “How could I be so stupid? Her mom’s already gone, and her dad has a dangerous job… and she’s already such a sweet, empathetic little girl… and you trusted me… I showed her a movie about parents dying! I’m an idiot!”

“I’m nearly finished!” The towel rail squeaks in the bathroom. “Is Fifi still here, Daddy?”

“You wanna puke at the sight of a lost tooth?”

She gags again and claps a hand across her mouth.

“Daddy! Answer me!”

“She’s still here!” I stare down at Sera’s fast-moving chest, her heaving breaths, and the way her hands tremble. Her skirt rides a little higher than usual, which means I get a delicious view of her thighs and, further up, her too-proud chin. “You look really fuckin’ beautiful right now.” I shrug and take another sip of my beer. Thinking my entire world was dying a minute ago means I get to be a little fanciful now. A little more daring, because why the fuck not? “I like this after-work, dressed-down, almost-relaxed look you’ve got going on. Makes my heart skip a beat.”

Her thick bottom lip pops forward in a deliciously seductive pout. It says bite me. Come closer and suckle on me, Charlie. Or maybe that’s my brain making shit up.

“Did you girls have fun?”

Wordless, not so proud anymore, she simply dips her chin in confirmation.

Snickering, I lift my nose to the air and search for the scent of icing sugar. Baking. Something other than the absolute fucking torment of Seraphina Lewis. “You made cupcakes for me?”

She shakes her head from side to side. “We made cupcakes for ourselves. We were going to let you have the leftovers.”

“I didn’t even know you could bake.” Or that you’re the Betty Crocker baking type. Lowering my gaze, I study her all over and allow myself this moment of weakness. Looking at her is my gift to myself, so I luxuriate in every moment I have and breathe her in until I feel her at the very base of my lungs. “You need eggs to bake a cake, right? We didn’t have any.”

“I sent out for eggs and one of those box mix recipes.” She swipes her tantalizing tongue across her lips and teases me with what could be. If only I weren’t such a fuckup all the damn time. “Tastes the same in the end. I’m sorry we freaked out and scared you.”

“Is Fifi still here?” Mia swings the bathroom door open and barrels across the hall into her bedroom. “Fifi!”