One look at the tiny blond holding tight to Wiley’s hand and Dani was hooked. She loved children anyway, but having this one as part of their family was going to be so special.
“Good morning!” Dani said as they came up the steps. “I’m so happy you’re here.” She led the way into the house and then the living room and sat down so they would, too.
“Dani, this is Ava Dalton, our sister. Ava, this is Dani. She’s Aaron’s wife, so that makes her your sister-in-law. That’s the same thing as a sister.”
Dani held out her hand. “I’m so happy to meet you, Ava. I always wanted a sister.”
Ava almost smiled. “Really?”
Dani nodded. “Yes, really!”
Wiley kept a hand on Ava’s back, just as a reminder that he was there, and let the two of them chatter. During a lull in their conversation, Wiley spoke up again.
“Guess what, Ava? When I have to go back to work, you won’t be going to day care. Dani has invited you to stay with her during the day, and then I’ll pick you up and we’ll go home together every evening. Does that sound like a plan?”
Ava’s heart skipped a beat. She already knew she’d have to be somewhere when Wiley went to work, and she was used to being dumped. But this felt different.
“I am invited?” Ava asked.
“Yes, please,” Dani said. “I would be so happy for the company, and I have so many fun things already planned for us to do.”
Ava’s eyes widened. “You would do things with me?”
“Yes. Like crafts and coloring books, and making cookies together, and so many fun things like that,” Dani said.
“I don’t have to be quiet in the corner?” Ava asked.
Dani gave Wiley a look and then shook her head. “Never, unless you feel like being quiet, like when we sometimes want to take a nap.”
“Do you see cartoons on your TV?” Ava asked.
Wiley grinned. “Disney Plus.”
“We’ll have Disney Plus,” Dani said, “and on Aaron’s days off, he’ll be home with us, and you’ll get to spend time with him, too. He’s ever so nice and sweet, like Wiley.”
“So, baby girl, what do you think?” Wiley asked.
“I think it’s a good idea, Bubba,” Ava said.
Dani clapped her hands. “Then it’s settled. Wiley is going to be off work for a few more days, but we’ll see each other in between. Would you like to see the whole house before you leave? Our spare bedroom will be for you when you want to nap, and there’s even a TV in it, too.”
Ava’s eyes lit up. “I will have two bedrooms!”
Wiley could only imagine what Ava was thinking. She’d gone from nothing to everything in less than twenty-four hours. “You two take your house tour. I have some calls to make.”
Dani held out her hand. “Come on, sugar. I’ll show you the house and then the backyard, too. We have a porch swing out back and two really pretty shade trees.”
Ava was immediately at ease with Dani. She thought she was pretty and had a kind voice, and she was a teacher, which was the gold standard for Ava.
“This will be your spot,” Dani said, when she took her to their spare bedroom. “This bed is where you can come to nap, and this room is where you can play if you just want quiet time. Do you like quiet time?”
Ava nodded. “That’s how I make myself go away.”
Dani was startled by the phrasing. “What do you mean, go away?”
Ava lowered her voice, as if imparting a secret. “When you don’t want people to see you, if you’ll be really still and really quiet, they forget you’re there, and then you’re safe.”
The poignancy of this child’s life broke Dani’s heart.