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“Then I guess you’re too distracted to try the apple pie? It’s one of their specialties but if you’re?—”
“I like apple pie.” I wasn’t too upset. “With ice cream?”
It had to have ice cream.
“With ice cream and some kind of caramel sauce with a fancy name.” Daddy frowned and shrugged. “But if you’re too worried, it’s okay. We can have it another time.”
They had ice cream too.
“You…you’re not worried and you deserve dessert. You…you’ve been in a good mood today and you got a lot done and you…you helped me not worry.” Yes, he deserved dessert…we both did.
Lots and lots of dessert.
Chapter 18
Elias
“What else is your surprise, Daddy?” Peeking around the entryway, Milo wasn’t impressed with the new keys on the hall table, but that was probably because he hadn’t remembered yet that one was for him. “You said you had surprises.”
And he was little enough at the moment that it was all he could focus on.
“I do.” And the text I’d gotten from Grace said it was all set. “Would you like to see it?”
Nodding excitedly, Milo took my hand and started dragging me through the house. “Where is it? Is it a box? Is it alive? Is it a treat?”
His list was fascinating, but I was happy to be able to shake my head at each one.
“Where is it?” He finally stopped by the stairs, turning us in a circle. “I don’t know where to go. Daddy?”
“Upstairs.” That was all he needed to charge up the stairs, tugging me behind him. “Be careful.”
He wasn’t exactly being reckless but he wasn’t thinking about anything logical like safety. “If you fall, you’ll have to wait to see what the surprise is.”
“I’m careful.” His words did not match his behavior, but we made it upstairs without too many problems and only one slight issue with a railing that he said reached out and poked him.
My house was evidently vicious and had an attitude, according to Milo.
“Where…” Milo finally stopped at the top of the stairs, turning us in another circle on the landing. “Daddy, something is…”
I waited to see if he would figure out on his own what had changed. He hadn’t spent too much time wandering around upstairs, so I wasn’t surprised when he couldn’t quite place it. “Do you want a hint?”
Milo huffed and puffed but nodded after a second. “Yes, please.”
“Close your eyes.” When he obeyed, I squeezed his hand. “How many doors are upstairs?”
“Five? No. Six.” His free hand came up and he started listing them on his fingers. “Daddy’s room. Big bedroom. Big bedroom. Closet. Big bedroom. Bathroom. Yes. I did it. You have a big house, Daddy.”
Probably too big but I liked the neighborhood.
“Okay, open your eyes and now tell me how many doors you see.” I managed not to laugh as his finger pointed and he counted, but when his mouth dropped open, I had to chuckle. “Are you sure there were six doors?”
“Daddy. It’s magic.” Tugging on my hand, he inched us down the hallway. “Six. There were six doors, Daddy.”
“Yes, there were.” Kissing his head, I pointed to the wall that was now blank. “I took a door out but let me show you why.”
Milo looked slightly awed as he studied the now-blank wall. “Daddy has magic.”
Well, construction magic and lots of money.
