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“Hi.” Peyton focused on his paper, dipping his paint brush into one of the color pots on the table between them.
Jay figured he wasn’t going to get more than that from him without effort. “Tell me what you’re painting.”
Layla quickly dove into an explanation of what she’d painted so far, though it didn’t look anything like what she was describing.
“How about you, Peyton?” Jay asked, shifting a little closer to the boy.
“It’s a puppy,” he said. “Mommy said she was going to get me one, but she never did.”
Oh, well… How was he supposed to respond to that?
“I should have drawn a puppy, too. I keep asking Mom to get one, but she always says no.”
Jay had to bite his tongue not to offer to get Peyton a puppy. Unfortunately, their current living situation didn’t allow for that.
“Are we leaving?” Peyton asked.
“Nope. We’re going to stay here and have pizza for supper.”
“Yay!” Layla cheered. “Are Misha and Ciara coming too?”
“Who’re they?” Peyton asked.
“Misha is Uncle Jay’s girlfriend and Ciara is her baby. She’s sooooo cute!”
Layla’s words were like a punch to Jay’s gut. He hadn’t realized that she’d picked up on the change in their relationship. Of course, she’d always been an observant kid.
“You have a girlfriend?” Peyton asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Jay.
“Not at the moment.”
“What?” Layla exclaimed, a frown forming on her face. “Misha’s not your girlfriend anymore?”
“No. Not anymore.”
“Why not? She is so pretty and so nice. I love her.”
That made two of them. “It just didn’t work out.”
Layla’s shoulders slumped. “That’s too bad. So I guess they’re not coming tonight, huh?”
“No. Not tonight.”
“Are you mad at her?” Layla asked.
“Not at all.”
“That’s good. It wouldn’t be good if you were mad at her.”
“I’m not mad at anyone, sweetie,” Jay said, as much to her as to Peyton. “Anyway, why don’t we get all this stuff cleaned up? Will’s going to be here soon with the pizza.”
“Oh, no… Pineapple on the pizza.” Layla made a gagging sound.
Jay chuckled as he got to his feet. “Only on his pizza. Peyton and I are getting pepperoni.”
“I hope I get plain cheese.”
Jay helped them clean up the mess, his thoughts on what the evening might have been like if Misha and Ciara were there with them. He hadn’t had the opportunity to introduce Peyton to Misha yet, since he hadn’t taken the boy to church the previous week. He was hoping to take him that next Sunday, so maybe he’d have the opportunity then.
