Page 2 of Destiny

“I think we should be able to manage. Have you started your homework, girls?”

“Ugh. I hate math,” Aurora announces.

“I know. We’ll work on it together. Everything will be fine,” I reassure their father with a nod in his direction.

“You’re a lifesaver.” He smiles, runs his hand through his thick, dark hair that falls long on both sides and then climbs in.

“It’s no problem.” And I’m not lying. The more time I get around his kids, whom I genuinely love, the more attention I get from him.

“Okay, well. I’m off. My meeting shouldn’t run too long.”

“No worries. I’ll make sure they’re fed and ready for bed by the time you get home.”

“Perfect.” He starts the ignition and drives off.

As the record store is owned by my parents, they are pretty lenient with my schedule and typically have no issue with me cutting my hours a bit to help the single dad out when he has a meeting with a client after hours. He is, after all, the only attorney for miles. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he helped my folks settle my grandfather’s messy estate after he passed. For that, I believe they will always be eternally grateful.

“Come on, girls. Let’s get you inside.” I scurry them toward the front door. It’s a fall evening, so there is a crispness in the air, and I don’t want them to get chilled.

I know from experience that Marco is not exactly the best chef in the world, so I came prepared and went out again to get the groceries I bought.

“Ooh! What are you making?” Alessia asks.

“Macaroni and cheese!”

Her face contorts into a funny expression. “That doesn’t look like the mac n’ cheese Daddy makes.”

I laugh. “Yeah, well. Mine doesn’t just come in a blue box.” I prefer to make my own roux and add my own unique blend of spices. Oh, and a few minutes in the oven with extra shredded cheese on the top is an absolute must.

Then, I put all of the perishable ingredients away before guiding them to the dining table. “Okay, so let’s talk about this math homework.”

They both groan.

I throw my hands up. “Hey! I was never a big fan of the subject either, but unfortunately, we all have to go through it. Let me see this.” I scoot one of their sheets closer to me. “Oh, come on. This is simple multiplication. You two mastered your times tables ages ago.” I should know; I was the one who went over them time after time with them.

“It’s just tedious . . . having to show our work and all of that.”

“I get it. But you two are very smart girls. Just concentrate, and you’ll have it done in no time.”

With time to kill as they did their work, I found a pile of dirty clothes—which I could tell needed washing based on the grass stains on the soccer uniforms inside—and loaded them into the washer.

However, when I came across a pair of Marco’s boxers, I couldn’t help myself from sniffing them a little.

Ohhh. I could detect hints of the expensive cologne he wore and his other natural scents. It was so, so good.

“What are you doing?” I suddenly hear a tiny voice from behind me.

“Uh . . . laundry?”

I turn around and see that it’s Aurora.

“Oh. I’m stuck on a problem.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out.”

She then turned around and walked away just as quickly as she’d appeared.

I finished loading everything and adjusting the settings before I returned to address her concerns.

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