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She ran over to the door as fast as her little legs would carry her. I opened it just in time to catch her running into my arms. She giggled as I smothered her chubby cheeks with kisses.
“Hey, Princess. I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Guess what?”
“What?”
“I’m here to pick you up. You get to spend the whole afternoon with me. How does that sound?”
“Like fun! Look, Ms. Mary! Uncle Cay came to get me!”
Ms. Mary was an older Black woman with grandmotherly vibes. She walked over with a smile and shook my hand.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ellis. How are you?”
“Happy to see my favorite person. Has she been behaving?”
“She’s been an angel as always.”
“Well, I think that deserves a treat.”
Precious’s eyes lit up. “Can I get ice cream?”
“Just don’t tell Mommy.” She pretended to zip her lips. “Go get your things, baby.”
I set her down on her feet, and she took off to her cubby.
Ms. Mary smiled. “She’s always so happy to see you. I hear about you more than anybody else. It’s ‘Uncle Cay this’ and ‘Uncle Cay that.’ I’d think you were her favorite if I didn’t know any better.”
“According to her, I am. Probably because I don’t have any kids, so she doesn’t have to share me with anybody.”
“Oh, Lord. What is she gonna do when you finally get married?”
“Give my wife a run for her money.”
We shared a laugh as Precious came back over.
“I’m ready! Bye, everybody! Bye, Ms. Mary!”
“Have a good weekend, Precious. I’ll see you on Monday.”
We waved goodbye and headed back up front. Ms. Gaines avoided eye contact with me as I signed my niece out. It wasn’t until Precious said goodbye to her that she spoke. I, on the other hand, didn’t say a thing. Maybe our conversation would do something to quench that thirst.
Precious and I sat in Scoops Galore, the local ice cream shop, munching on small waffle bowls of cookies and cream ice cream. We’d grabbed something to eat since I picked her up before lunch. I didn’t want to hear anything about me ruining her appetite.
“Here, Uncle Cay,” Precious said, holding up a spoonful of her ice cream for me to try.
While I ordered my plain, she wanted chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream. I wasn’t a fan of toppings, but how could I say no to her? Reluctantly, I opened my mouth and allowed her to feed it to me.
“Is it good?”
“It’s amazing,” I lied with a straight face.
“You want some more?”
“No, thank you, baby. You enjoy it.”
