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“You’re a great dad, Case,” Charlee says, dripping with water as she kneels beside Vivi. She takes her braids in her hands and tickles Vivi’s pink cheeks with the tips. “Right, Viv?”
“Wight! And you a gweat mama, Auntie Cha-Cha!” Vivi throws her arms around Charlee’s neck as best as she can in her bulky jacket. “You be my mama. You can kiss Daddy and we can snuggle in bed, like Auntie Claire and A’wy!”
I’m not sure who’s cheeks burn brighter—Charlee’s or Casey’s. Gavin sucks his lips into his mouth, fighting a laugh that shakes his body. Dex claps a hand to his face. Claire snickers and jabs an elbow into his side.
Deciding to put them out of their misery, I toss Vivi over my shoulder while she squeals with laughter. I try to hide my smile at the awkward way Casey helps Charlee to her feet, like they’re both suddenly terrified that lightning is going to strike the second they touch.
“Come on, pipsqueak. Into the water with you!”
“I count dem,” Vivi murmurs with wonder, tipping her head backwards over the crook of my arm. Her face screws up when she squeezes one eye shut and points her finger up to the black sky, the millions of tiny stars that paint it, making this beautiful summer night glow.
“One…two…free!” She grins up at me. “Dere’s free stars, A’wy!”
Chuckling, I hug her against my chest. I’ll never get tired of the way she speaks. “Three times a million, baby.”
“What’s dat mean?”
I shake my head softly, kissing her nose. “Nothing. Good counting. You’re such a smarty.”
“I like Smarties. Sometimes Daddy lets me hab ’em for bweakfast.”
Wyatt snorts beside me and Casey’s eyes widen.
“You’re not supposed to tell anyone, kiddo,” Casey reminds her. “That’s our little secret, remember?”
My dad pats his shoulder. “Don’t worry. All the best fathers feed their kids chocolate for breakfast. Have you gotten to ice cream yet?”
Casey groans, looking down at his lap while he stretches his legs out in front of him. “She had a strawberry sundae for breakfast on Wednesday. Why the hell is it so hard to say no to her?”
“Uh, I donno, ’cause I cute?” Vivi frowns and holds both palms up in a purely innocent shrug while she guesses at her dad’s rhetorical question. “Dat what A’wy says when he gimme i-cweam.” Which is often, because, like everyone else, I can’t say no to her.
I meet Casey’s gaze and shrug. “Sorry, dude.”
He only chuckles, pulling himself out of his seat. “Alright, Miss Munchkin. Off to bed with you. Say goodnight to Uncle Avery.”
His body tenses at the same time mine does. Maybe he didn’t mean to say it, or he’s worried I’m not going to be into it.
Claire, who’s been relatively quiet beside me, sucks in a breath that catches in her throat, her swinging leg hanging in midair. My mom quite literally whimpers.
Vivi’s fingers dig into my shoulders as she stands on my thighs with her little bare feet. She wraps her arms around my entire head, pulling me in for a suffocating hug. “G’night, Uncle A’wy.”
“Sleep tight, little princess,” I say quietly, touching a kiss on her soft pout.
“Don’t let da bed bugs bite!” she squeals, going in for a tickle on my ribs, because that’s our thing now.
When Casey returns twenty minutes later, I’m sitting alone on the dock, watching all my favorite people talk and laugh around the fire. It’s almost overwhelming sometimes, seeing the family we've made together in such a short time, the way we all fit together perfectly, like missing pieces of a puzzle. Sometimes I just need to step back and soak it all in, appreciate it from afar, my new life.
Casey sinks down to the chair beside me, handing me a cigar. “Sorry about the uncle thing. Just kinda slipped out. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all,” I assure him. “I love your daughter. I’d be honored if you two thought of me that way.”
“We do,” he says after a moment. “You’re family to us. Vivi loves you. She’s lucky to add another person to her life that loves her so much.” His pensive gaze drifts over the stars above. “Claire, too. They’re both lucky to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
“No, really.” His head flops over his shoulder and he smiles. “Thank you for loving them. You’ll be a great dad one day.”
My eyes travel over the yard, landing on Claire. She catches my eye, I think, because the fire illuminates her grin as she waves at us.
