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“Okay…” But as he said this, he looked over at me with the saddest puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen.
“Actually,” Zane piped up, “I was going to see if the two of you would like to get bundled up and go play in the snow with Kenlee and me. It would be a lot more fun if you two went.”
Luca’s eyes widened and he began bouncing again as he waited in anticipation of my answer. I didn’t leave him waiting long because he looked like he would explode if I did.
“Yes. We would love to. Thanks for inviting us,” I responded.
Luca leaped out of his seat. “Let’s go, let’s go!” He took off towards the door.
Zane and I laughed, but his excitement was contagious and we found ourselves caught up in it.
Zane squatted down so he was at eye level with Luca and told him, “Okay Buddy, why don’t you and your mom head back to your room and get ready while I get Kenlee into her coat? We can meet back here in thirty minutes. Does that sound good?”
“Sure!” he squealed.
“Alrighty,” Zane said and gave Luca a high five.
Today was shaping up to be a good day.
Chapter Fifteen
Zane
Ioriginallysuggestedthesnow day for Kenlee and Luca, but once I was out there, I had to admit I was having fun. Being outside in the snow was exactly what I needed. I think it was good for Katya too because she finally looked relaxed. I knew she was still worried about Aleks, but her features were less tense and anxious once we got outside and stood around watching our children play.
Luca and I took on the task of building a snowman and then I suggested a snowball fight. His eyes lit up like only a little boy’s can at the thought of pegging someone with snow but soon showed frustration when he realized he didn’t know how to make a fort for protection. Katya meanwhile stood far away from the line of fire with Kenlee in her arms, the two of them watching us and laughing.
“Alright, Luca,” I said, rolling up a large ball of snow. “We’re going to build your fort first. What do you want to call it?”
“The Super Mega Snowball Fort.”
I laughed. “Well of course that’s what you want to name it. That’s the best name for a
snow fort I’ve ever heard. Now, watch what I’m doing.”
Luca was eager to learn which made it easy and before long we had his fort ready to go.
Katya was playing with Kenlee who giggled every time she put her tiny hand in the snow, but after a while, I could tell that everyone was getting too cold, especially the kids. I picked up Kenz, twirled her around, and then suggested we head back inside for a while. Luca’s lower lip jutted out in a pout, but it quickly turned into a smile when I reminded him we can have hot chocolate. Once inside, I asked Katya and Luca to come back to my suite and hang out. They accepted and we headed up.
I ordered room service for lunch and Katya graciously fed and changed Kenlee while we waited for it to arrive.
I was grateful for the extra help. It might not seem like much to others but to an overwhelmed, grieving, clueless, single father, small things like feeding and changing were worth more than gold.
It gave me an idea. Scratching my head, I looked at her and said her name. “Umm, hey Katya?”
“Yes,” she said, looking up from the baby’s changing table.
“Well, I know I already asked you to babysit tonight and that is more than enough so if it is too much trouble, by all means, please say no, but would you possibly mind watching her while I get dressed for the gala also? I will pay you extra for it.”
She smiled. “Yes, of course. And I won’t hear anything about you paying me extra. After what you have done for me and more importantly, for my son, this is the absolute least I can do.”
She turned her smile down towards the baby as she gently put Kenlee back in her playpen so she was occupied while we ate.
Surprised by her unassuming humility, all I could say was, “Thank you.”
The food finally arrived and we all devoured it like it was the last meal we would ever have. I swear Luca had a full cheeseburger a second ago and now it was gone. Laughing, I messed with his hair and said, “Playing in the snow really works up an appetite, huh?”
He nodded with a mouth full of hamburger and French fries before chugging his apple juice.
