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“Sure am, sweetheart.”

“Okay, start!” Roxie yelled.

“Marco!” Aiden hollered.

A chorus of “Polos” answered.

Aiden dove around the pool, lunging after different people, barely getting them, but causing the children much laughter.

“Daddy, you’re not very good at this game,” one of his sons shouted out.

“I am too,” Aiden whined. “It’s just that you’re better at it.”

“Marco!”

“Polo,” we all shouted.

Suddenly, Aiden was right beside me. I lunged sideways, but he caught me.

“I won!” Aiden cried out. “I captured a princess.”

Bella and the boys giggled. “That’s not how it works, Uncle Aiden. She’s ‘it’ now,” Bella explained. “Aunt Joy has to close her eyes and find someone.”

“Oh, that’s how it works, huh?” Aiden laughed.

“Make her close her eyes, Uncle Aiden,” Bella cried out.

“Yeah, Daddy.”

“They’re closed, I promise.” I closed my eyes and counted to ten, then I shouted out, “Marco!”

I heard them all shout, “Polo.”

I headed for Bella, knowing she would love being chased. I cried out “Marco” again. I heard her respond. I was close, but not too close.

I lunged. “I’ve got you!”

I splashed the water and came up empty. Bella’s joyful giggles filled the air. “You missed me, Aunt Joy.”

Keeping my eyes closed, I called out, “How did you escape? That’s not fair.”

Bella laughed louder. “I’m really good at this game.”

“She is, Aunt Joy,” one of Aiden’s sons shouted.

I turned around and shouted, “Marco!”

I felt something touch my leg and whipped around. Strong arms hooked around my waist. “Polo,” Graham whispered into my ear, and I melted into his chest.

“You lost, Uncle Graham,” Bella yelled.

“I’m thinking he won, sweetheart,” Simon told his daughter.

Chapter Ten

I jumped when I heard a knock at the front door of the clinic at eight o’clock. It took more than a minute for my heart to stop racing. Logic told me that everything was fine. It wasn’t the first time that someone had come late with a sick or injured pet. But still, being here by myself at night wasn’t always my favorite thing, despite all my babies.

I went over to the CCTV panel, where I could see who was out front.