Page 151 of How To Not Need You

The next couple of hours pass quickly. Kids climb through the engine. I answer about four hundred questions, including whether I've ever rescued a dinosaur, whether firefighters are allowed to arrest people and whether the truck can beat a Lamborghini in a race.

No.

No.

And according to Ben, yes, which is why I'm no longer letting him answer questions.

Luca gets progressively more invested in the raffle. By the fourth draw he's demanding applause before announcing the winning number and accusing the crowd of lacking passion for charity.

Natalie sells enough cupcakes that she has to go back to the bakery for more. Harper signs books. Elsie spends most of the afternoon retrieving Milo from places he has no business being.

Wren somehow keeps the entire thing running while Popcorn insults the people funding it. And Tilly has appointed Liv as her personal assistant. Every time I look over, they're doing something different.

Liv is carrying three drinks. Liv is holding Tilly's discarded jumper. Liv is being introduced to a dog that Tilly apparently considers a close personal friend. Liv is standing beside Natalie while Tilly talks at both of them with enough hand gestures to direct aircraft.

At some point she catches me watching. Her eyebrows lift.

“What?” she mouths.

I shake my head and mouth back. “Nothing.”

She narrows her eyes because she can't hear me from here and apparently assumes I'm being an asshole anyway. Then Tilly grabs her hand and drags her off again.

I can’t believe it was only a few weeks ago that I was sitting in my house wondering if Liv would ever walk through my front door again.

Today she's been ordered around by my daughter for the better part of four hours, she's called me a smug bastard twice, and I caught her checking me out in turnout gear before I'd even finished my first coffee.

I'll take it.

“Dad!” Tilly waves frantically from across the lawn.

“WHAT?”

“LIV SAID YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!” Liv folds her arms.

I grin. “I'M LISTENING.”

“SHE SAYS YOUR FACE IS ANNOYING!” Ben snorts beside me.

I look at him. “Not a fucking word.” I say to him whilst pointing at his face. He holds up both hands. Across the lawn, Liv smiles. Yeah.

I'll definitely take it.

I spot Megan before Liv does. She’s coming across the lawn carrying a cardboard box of donations, already looking around for Tilly. Liv is beside me at the coffee stall, drinking from my water bottle because apparently bringing her own was too much effort.

“You know,” she says, handing it back, “you could take the coat off.”

“I could.”

“But you’re not going to.”

“Kids like the full gear.”

Her eyes drop to the coat. “Right. The kids.”

I look at her and can’t help the smile as she blatantly checks me out again. Liv catches my eyes and gets that stubborn look which is completely useless with her blazing cheeks. I smile wider at the thought of my fiery redheaded girlfriend’s stubborn streak.

She catches it and tilts her head at me. “What’s that look for?”