Page 90 of Free Agent

A goofy grin spread over her face, an immediate sign that she’d been figured out. And as if I had talked it up, I suddenly heard Dennis’s voice in the background, calling for her.

Her eyes went wide.

“Yeah, you’re definitely caught. Just turn yourself in,” I urged, laughing as she turned around.

“Daddy, wait, I didn’t ask yet!” she pleaded as I watched him approaching in the background. Seconds later, his face was peering at the screen, smiling when he saw me there.

“Rori, hey,” he greeted. “My bad for the early call. Mini Mouse has been dying to talk to you. I tried to tell her you were on a much-needed vacation, but she wasn’t hearing it.”

“I appreciate the attempt.” I laughed. “She told me you talked her down from calling last night.”

He frowned. “Last night?” He gave Mini a side-eye. “It was one o’clock this morning, and I have no idea what this girl was doing up. I just woke up to her shaking me, whispering about cows.”

“Daddy, I told you! I had a dream I needed to talk to Titi Rori about. A question about the cows.”

It was my turn to frown. “Okay what’s up with the cows? What cows?”

Amina looked at the screen with her face twisted up. “Aren’t you on a farm?”

“A ranch, baby,” Dennis corrected, and she screwed her face up even more.

“You said that was like a farm!”

“It is a lot like a farm,” I told her, laughing at how disgusted she was with us. “But sweetie, I don’t know much about the cows. You probably know more than I do. There are definitely cows here though. All different kinds, and then all together, they call them cattle.”

“You said you didn’t know anything about them!” Mini accused, sounding quite exasperated, and me and her dad both hit her with a raised eyebrow.

“Watch the tone,” Dennis gently scolded. “Go ahead and ask Auntie Rori your question.”

“Oh yeah!” she said, instantly brightening. The smile was back on her face in full effect as she turned back to the screen…and then tilted her head, confused. “I think I forgot. Are the pancakes ready?” she asked, and then without waiting for the answer she skipped away, leaving Dennis and I dumbfounded.

“I… did she really just do that?” I laughed, and he shook his head.

“She absolutely did. When she remembers in the car, one of us will write it down or something.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Uh… speaking of plans,” he said, glancing behind him to make sure Mini hadn’t snuck back into the room. “How are you? Like… for real?”

I smiled. “I’m okay. Really,” I insisted when he gave me a skeptical look. “It’s been a stressful few months, but… you know how we do. Keep pushing.”

“Fair enough. This time away doing you some good?”

“Yes, actually. It’s beautiful out here, and I’ve only stepped in shit once.”

“Don’t jinx it,” he laughed. “But uh… the reason I asked was to kinda… check your temperature for when you get back in town. I want to get everybody together so that I can introduce you to Amanda.”

My eyes went wide. “Oh.”

“Is that weird?”

“No!” I quickly answered. “No, not at all. I’d hoped you’d have us meet her, given how important it seems she’s become?”

The smile on his face told it all, even though he quickly tempered it as he nodded.

“Yeah, she’s definitely important to me. And she adores Mini. It’s… serious, between us. Enough that it feels like time for the village to congregate.”

“Then we will make that happen. I’m happy for you,” I told him, and his expression immediately after made me glad I had, instead of just keeping it to myself.

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