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“I’m heeeeere! Where is he?” She stands before me with her shoes in her hand and an expectant smile on her face. “Quick, Mommy. Put these on,” she says, shoving the pink boots in my direction.
I raise an eyebrow, and she laughs. “Pleeease.”
As soon as I bend down to help her, there’s a knock on the door, and Dylan pokes his head through without waiting for a response. “Where’s my favorite little girl?” he says with a beaming smile.
“Uncle Dylan!” Katie screams, jumping to her feet, shoes abandoned. She takes off in a run and throws herself into his open arms, snuggling her face into his chest. He was traded to San Francisco last year, and the move has been a godsend. We’ve loved having him closer to home.
When Katie was first born, Joel kind of took on the father figure role for her, without even being asked. He was there for me from the second I called him, and his support has never wavered. On top of that, Delilah and Summer have been my guardian angels. They’re always showing up randomly for one reason or another, making sure we’re both good. Even after Summer moved to Denver, she’d still help as often as she could. Then I’ve had Logan and Dani, and Cory and Nate. And Thomas…
But Dylan and Katie…they have a special bond that can’t be rivaled. Just like Dylan and I had when we were kids.
“Hi, little bug. Are you ready for a fun day?” Dylan asks, bending down to talk to Katie face-to-face.
She nods dramatically as she grips Dylan’s shoulder, giving him the smile she’s reserved just for him, letting it light up her features. “Is Aunty Summer coming?”
Dylan ruffles her hair. “Not today, bug. She’s resting. But your mom’s coming with us.”
Katie shrugs, unfazed by that information—she could take it or leave it—and I can’t help but laugh. This beautiful little soul is my whole world, and she’d rather be with my little brother.Kids.
“Can you please go and get your water bottle?” I ask Katie, then watch as she runs away. “You’re going to have to stop calling her your favorite soon,” I whisper, turning to Dylan with a stern expression, arms folded in front of me.
Dylan mimics my stance, crossing his arms over his chest as he stands up. “Actually, I’m not. She’ll remain my favorite girl for a while yet,” he says, fighting a smirk, and his meaning hits me.
My hands fly to my mouth as tears prick my eyes. “It’s a boy?”
“It’s a boy.” He nods.
Unable to hide my excitement, I squeal and pull Dylan into a hug, squeezing him so tightly that he pushes me away. He and Summer got married a year ago after deciding to try for a baby. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but three months ago, it finally happened, and I couldn’t be happier for them both. And for Katie. Even though she’s got plenty of other kids in her life, she’s going to love having a cousin.
“Oh, Dylan, I can’t wait to meet your little man. How’s Summer feeling?” I ask, reading between the lines of his earlier “she’s resting” comment.
“She’s still struggling, but says today’s better than yesterday, so that’s a bonus.”
“It definitely is.”
Katie runs back into the room with her water and backpack in hand, pushing my legs toward the door. “Let’s goooo!” she whines, like it’s our fault we’re still standing in the doorway, never mind the fact she’s still without shoes.
“Okay, little bug, let’s go.” Dylan smiles and nods, always letting her get away with everything.
Ice creams in hand, we pull up at Katie’s favorite park, and Dylan collects the football from the truck. He’s been teaching her how to play, and she’s obsessed, telling me regularly that she wants to be a football player like Dylan when she grows up. And she very well could be, because I have to admit, for a four-year-old, she’s pretty freaking good.
I curl up on the grass with my latest read and listen to the sounds around me. I don’t need to be here. Dylan’s more than capable of looking after Katie alone, but I’m catching up on lost time. We’ve always been close, and having Dylan in Denver was hard for me, especially when Katie came along.
Although, at least that meant he was in another state when I told him the news about my pregnancy and the anger that Joel and I predicted hit with full force. That wasn’t a fun day.And he doesn’t know half of it.
While I may not have seen him as often as I liked whenImoved from our hometown to the city, he was still only an hour away. It wasn’t that easy whenhemoved, and now, sometimes, I just need him around. He settles me.
The sun dips as the afternoon rolls on, and I’m just about to call it a day when my phone rings, and Dani’s name flashes on the screen. She and I have been friends since we both worked together for Heartwood University’s football team years ago. While I left to have Katie, she’s still working there. She’s also married to Logan. It’s a long complicated story, but despite me warning Dani to stay away—with Logan being Summer’s playboy best friend at the time—Dani was apparently his undoing and he completely changed his ways.
“Hey, Lovely, are you back from your vacation?” I ask with a smile. She and Logan headed to Australia for an action-packed getaway. Logan lived there for six months during his time as a pro surfer and talks about it all the time. So, of course, now we all want to visit there.Maybe one day.
Dani huffs out a laugh and sighs. “What vacation? I spent the weekend catching up on laundry, and today, I’m back at work. It feels like it never happened.”
I frown even though she can’t see me. “That’s a shame. I was really hoping you’d come back relaxed, despite how much you had planned.”
“Me too,” she laughs again. “Maybe next time. And maybe if we went in warmer weather. Anyway, I want to catch up with you properly, but right now, my call regards work.”
Sitting up straighter, my brows furrow as my book falls from my lap. “Okay,” I say, curiosity lacing my voice.
