Page 68 of Firefly Effect

Lucy and I follow behind them, entering the kitchen to find the round table set for four. Francine must have even deep-cleaned the kitchen. Everything looks better than when we moved in. Evie seems to be taking an appreciative glance around the room too.

I rest a hand on Evie’s back in case she’s at all uncomfortable. “Where do you want to sit?”

She shrugs and looks back at me while Lucy climbs into her booster seat. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Lucy pats the spot to the right of her. “Sit by me, Evie.”

I react dramatically. “That’s my spot.”

Evie grins and slips right into the seat. “Looks like it’s my spot now, right, Luce?”

Lucy erupts into a fit of giggles. “Sorry, Daddy!”

Laughing, I head over to where Francine is dishing out the plates and shoo her away. “Go sit. I’ve got this.”

Francine gives me an amused glare. There’s no doubt she’s onto me. Francine has seen my crush on Evie since that day we picked sunflowers at the market. Even without knowing her that well then, Francine seems to have approved. Now I’m not the only one in love with Evie.

We spend the entire meal listening to Lucy’s knock-knock jokes, most of which don’t make any sense whatsoever, but we laugh anyway. We laugh more because Lucy is so adorably confident in how she commands our attention. After dinner, I get Lucy bathed and ready for bed while Francine helps Evie get set up in the guest room.

Once I finish reading Lucy her favorite princess book, I shut off the light and sit beside her bed to tuck her in. “You comfy?”

She smiles and pulls her blanket up to her chin. “Yup.” Then she tilts her head. “Is Evie going to live with us?”

Biting my tongue, I shake my head. “I’m afraid not, Lucy. She’s just here for a short time while her apartment gets fixed.”

Disappointment flashes in Lucy’s eyes. “Oh. But I thought you liked Evie, Daddy.”

My heart seizes. “I do, sweetie. Very much. But we can’t just live with every single person we like, can we?”

Lucy’s eyes widen as she thinks about it, then she shrugs. “Why not?”

I laugh and tousle her hair. “Our house isn’t big enough.”

Her brows lower in defiance. “It’s big enough for Evie. And Evie can sleep in your bedroom, so someone else can move in too.”

There’s no arguing with this adorable four-year-old. Her big blue eyes get me every time. “Maybe Daddy should ask Evie out on a date first.”

Lucy’s entire face lights up. “And bring her flowers.”

“Of course.”

Lucy twists in her sheets to face me more fully. “And treat her like a princess. Like how you treat me.”

Chuckling, I lean closer and nuzzle Lucy’s cheek with my nose. “That’s right. And all princesses need their sleep. Sweet dreams, goose.”

She hugs my neck as she plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek. “Sweet dreams, Daddy.”

Slipping out of the room, I turn toward the guest room and find Evie curled up on the bed with a book in her hand. Everything about the image feels like a dream I never want to wake up from. She looks so at peace in my home, and I know it’s because she belongs here, just like she did back when she moved in with Patrick.

Evie looks up at me with a smile. “Hey.”

“Hey. Your room okay?”

She nods. “More than okay. It’s nice being back in this house.”

“Even without the pink, blue, and purple flowers on the closet doors?”

“I mean, you could use a few upgrades in here, but it’ll do.” She grins.

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