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I shoot her a glare. “You’re disgusting, Casey.”
“What’s disgusting?” Izzy stops at our table and has us snapping our eyes toward the blinding sun.
It burns!
“Not me.” Tink answers and stands to hug Iz. Unraveling themselves, Iz moves to me and bumps my belly with hers. She’s growing every single day.
“I dunno,” Iz says as she flops down into the chair. We’re all flopping. We’re all dying from the heat. “Pretty sure I saw you eat your own boogers the other day. That’s pretty gross.”
Tink simply shrugs. “Whatever. All the cool kids are doing it.”
I look over my shoulder when Iz’s smirk turns to a flat-out smile. Evie runs along the sidewalk with her curls flinging in the wind and her stuffed puppy smacking her legs on every step. I don’t even bother standing for a hug. That excitement is for Izzy.
“Hey, baby girl!” Iz catches the giggling girl on the fly and pulls her in for an arms and legs squeezy hug. Tina steps up to the table only a few steps behind her daughter.
“Hi!” Evie smacks a wet kiss on Iz’s lips, then says, “Down, down, down!” She wiggles down in that way only a toddler can, turns on her tiny silver sandals and throws herself into my lap.
“Oh, hi sweet pea.” I press a kiss to her sweet hair and luxuriate in the hug. “I missed you while I was away.”
“You a princess,” she says, but it sounds more like a question. “Where’s your princess?”
I look to Tina in question. “Huh?”
“She means your wedding dress. You were a princess.”
“Oh, that’s sweet. Thank you, Evie. I felt like a princess.”
“Where’s your princess?”
“Ah, it’s at home. I don’t get to wear it anymore. It’s a special princess dress.”
“Can Evie wear it?”
“CanIwear it?” Tina corrects easily. I hope Evie never stops talking in the third person. It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard. “And say please.”
“CanIwear it?” I swear, this two-year-old already knows how to verbalize an eye roll. “Please.”
I bite my lip to not encourage the little smartass with a smile. “Sure you can, pretty girl. You come to my house anytime you want and I’ll let you wear it.”
She slides from my lap and throws herself at Tina. “We go to Kitties house, mama? Tonight?”
“Not tonight, baby. But soon.”
“Actually, that reminds me.” I sit forward as though I have a secret. “Are you dating, Tina?”
“Oooh, good question.” Tink bounces back easily from her lack-of-Evie-cuddles pout. “Are you?”
Tina scoffs. “God, no.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She glances at her daughter warily. “I have more important things to concentrate on.”
“Were you… m-a-r-r-i-e-d?”
Tina laughs. “Married isn’t actually a swear, you know that, right?”
Tink scoffs. “I bet some women would disagree with you. But don’t change the subject. Were you married?”
