When I focused on Madison’s parents again, they were watching me with twin looks of patience and understanding. Their earlier disapproval and worries having vanished.
“I know this is fast between us.” My head bobbed in a faint nod and I swallowed past the tightening of my throat. “But this is also the girl I’ve been planning a future with since I was a teenager. This is the girl I’ve wanted to marry for . . . God, for so long. If she asked me to give her more time, I would. If she told me we needed to slow down, I would. But going any slower . . .” I let my arms fall, my shoulders sagging. “That’s what would feel wrong.”
A short hum sounded in Mr. Black’s throat before he turned and searched for his name on the cups. “Guess I’ll still be rootin’ for ya then.”
I tried to fight the smile that stretched across my face at the approval in his voice, my head dipping in thanks even though he wasn’t looking at me. “I appreciate that, sir.”
His wife clicked her tongue and swatted at him. “Don’t listen to him, he was rooting for you even when he was grumbling about you dropping off Madison this morning.”
He just shrugged and feigned innocence as he took a sip of his coffee.
My body tensed and my heart took off as the sound of Madison and her daughter coming down the stairs, talking and laughing, reached us. Just like that, I was all kinds of nervous and excited and needing to see the other half of my soul even though I’d just had her in my arms.
“But I think Red is sad he missed breakfast because he said so, and he loves breakfast. So, maybe I should make him some breakfast?” A little, curious voice said, getting louder and louder.
“Um . . .” Madison said, drawing out the word. “I dunno about feeding Red, Avalee. We might have to put him back in the ocean for that.”
“What?” Avalee shrieked, her tone getting all animated with feigned dread. “No! No. No.”
Madison’s giggle entered the kitchen just before she did, her eyes widening with surprise and excitement when she saw me there.
“Sad-mads man!” Avalee rushed over to me, nearly ripping my arm off when she used my hand to stop herself. “I knew you would come, I knew it!” She smiled up at me, all cheesy and adorable as she began swinging my arm the way she had the other times she’d seen me. “Do you know I think we’re here for you even though my mommy says we’re not?”
Madison palmed her face, her entire body shaking with the laugh she was trying to suppress.
I smiled down at Avalee, pretending to think about it. “Might’ve heard something about that.”
Her eyes widened like she couldn’t believe it. “We are here for you?” she asked softly, then gasped. “I knew it, and Red knew it too.”
I scrunched up my face and tried to figure out how I was supposed to get through telling an adorable little girl she was wrong. “You and Red are pretty smart, but I think y’all might be here to hang out with your grandparents. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.” At her falling expression, I hurried to ask, “Who’s Red?”
A soft smile that tugged right at the center of my chest crossed her face as she went back to wildly swinging my arm. “He’s my octopus. See?” She turned her body so I could see the stuffed animal tucked securely under her arm.
“Nope,” I said slowly. “Don’t see anything.”
Shock covered her face before she looked between me and the stuffed animal. Releasing my hand, she grabbed Red with both hands and presented him in front of me. “See?”
I shook my head. “See what?”
“He’s right here!” she said, amusement and joy pouring free.
“I don’t see—” I hurried to snatch the animal from her and curled him close to my side. “Hey, look. Here’s my octopus.”
Her head tipped back as a wild laugh burst from her and carried through when she said, “He’s my octopus.”
“What? No way,” I teased, earning another belly laugh.
“Then what’s his name?”
My mind blanked, and I glanced to Madison for help. Affection flowing from her as she tried and failed to hide the smile that could light up the darkest night.
“Glow,” I whispered, then focused on Avalee again. “Her name’s Glow.”
Avalee tapped on her chin a few times, her eyes narrowing on me as she thought. “I think Red needs a friend name Glow.”
Oh shit.
Before I even had a chance to look to Madison for help again, Avalee’s stare wandered past me, and she gasped. “Mean chocolate milk!”
“Did you go get drinks?” Madison asked as she stepped up to my side, awe wrapping around her words.
“Thank God for Em,” I said in confirmation. “I would’ve never figured out what Avalee was obsessed with.”
Her eyes drifted to the side, her mouth parting. “Wait, I told you!”
“You said ‘the thats,’” I reasoned, pure amusement.
She pushed at my stomach, a laugh bubbling free. “Better watch it.”
I grabbed her hand in mine before it could fall, holding it for a moment before releasing her so Avalee wouldn’t see.
Taking Red from my arm, I handed it over to Madison. “Should I buy her another octopus now?”
Her expression was at once pleading and adoring as she tossed the well-loved animal onto the kitchen table. “Gosh, no. Please don’t. That girl has so many toys.”
“Mommy, mommy, did you see?” Avalee asked, zooming up to us like a little blur of energy. “I have mean chocolate milk, and Mamaw said it’s from a hunter!” She drew in a slow gasp, her expression showing her outright shock.
Madison tried to choke back an amused huff and somehow managed to fix her expression into something neutral as she corrected, “His name is Hunter. He’s not a hunter.”
“Who’s Hunter?”
Madison and I both pointed to me, and I watched as understanding slowly washed over Avalee’s face. Just as quickly, it was replaced with the same expression from earlier with the octopus. Eyes narrowed. Carefully shifting her drink to one hand so she could tap on her chin. “I guess you can be Hunter.”
I pressed a hand to my chest, feigning relief. “I appreciate that. I guess you can be Avalee.”
A giggle burst from her. “Silly, that’s my name.” She held up a finger, taking on a more serious expression. “Only ever my daddy calls me Ava. No one else. All everyone else in the whole world calls me Avalee.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Another laugh of pure light and joy, and she was off, hurrying over to Madison’s parents.
“She’s letting me keep my name,” I murmured, a smirk tugging at my mouth as I glanced at Madison. When I noticed the unease creeping through her excitement, my smile faded. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” she said so softly I wouldn’t have heard her if I hadn’t been directly beside her. “About the Raf comment—she tells everyone. Her name’s kind of a thing with him.”
“Mads,” I said over her, voice gentle. “I know she has a dad.”
“I know, but he—” Her eyes rolled, a sigh easing from her. “Everything you’ve heard of him or from him has been incredibly awful, you’ve never seen how he is with her. He’s so great with her. And I’m sure the entire situation is weird for you,” she rambled. “Knowing he’s there. Having to hear about him. I mean, I can’t even imagine.”