Page 31 of Burden to Bear

“I wish I could say that I do, but I don’t.”

I decided to jump in and explained, “Izzy is an animal lover. She always asks her dad for a dog, but I think she’d be happy with any animal.”

“I want chickens, too.”

Confusion washed over Mia’s expression. “Chickens? That’s unusual, don’t you think?”

Izzy was clutching the last bite of her sandwich tightly between her fingers and returned, “The babies are so fluffy and soft. They’re so cute.”

Mia laughed. “I guess they are. So, it is safe to say you like animals that you can pet, because they’re soft and cuddly?”

“Turtles and sharks are two of her favorites,” I shared.

Mia’s head snapped back in my direction. “What?”

I nodded, confirming she hadn’t heard me wrong, and said, “Izzy’s always been a big animal lover, but she has tons of books about turtles and sharks. They are her very favorites, and she thinks they’re cute, too. But since she’s less likely to convince her dad to get her a turtle, and a shark is completely out of the question, she’s decided a dog or a chicken will do.”

Turning her attention back to Izzy, Mia said, “Cute? Sharks?”

Izzy didn’t see what made that absurd and confirmed, “So cute.”

For the remainder of lunch, my niece filled Mia in on all things animals—most of her focus on the different species of sharks and turtles and which she liked best and why. She also made mention of her love of movies, dancing, and of course, coloring.

I loved Izzy dearly.

And while I participated in the conversation all throughout lunch, there was no question I had the thought lingering in the back of my mind when I’d be able to have this kind of time with Mia on my own. Surely, the conversation the two of us would have with one another was likely to not involve any animals.

Long after we’d all finished our lunches—I’d even had time to clean up our plates and cups while Izzy was entertained with Mia—Mia announced, “Well, I should probably get going now. This was so much fun, and I’m pretty sure I’m now an expert on sharks and turtles.”

“Will you come back the next time I’m here?” Izzy asked her.

Mia glanced at me for guidance, so I offered a gentle nod and smile in return. She turned her attention to Izzy again and said, “I’d be happy to come back and spend time with you again. Once you know when you’re coming back for a visit, make sure to remind your Uncle Brock to let me know, and I’ll mark it on my calendar.”

“I will.”

“Alright, buttercup,” I said. “How about you go get yourself ready to watch that movie we talked about earlier while I walk Mia to the door?”

“Okay. Bye, Mia.”

“Goodbye, Izzy. I hope you enjoy your movie.”

Izzy skipped off toward the living room, a clear bounce in her step. I jerked my head in the opposite direction and urged Mia toward the front door.

As she walked there ahead of me, I allowed my eyes to drift down to her ass. It was the first opportunity I’d had to take in the sight of it. To say it felt like a reward would have been an understatement.

Damn.

She was beautiful, funny, outgoing, intelligent, and had a great ass.

I lifted my gaze just as she made it to the door and turned around. She looked so happy, maybe even appreciative.

“This was so much fun, Brock. I really had a wonderful time this afternoon with you and Izzy. She’s a delightful little girl,” Mia said.

“Thanks. She is a sweetheart. We had a great time with you, too. If I know anything about my niece, she’ll be asking her dad as soon as he comes to pick her up when she can come back to spend time with you again,” I replied.

“I’ll be more than happy to join the both of you again. Thank you for inviting me today. It was really nice. In fact, I don’t think I’ve laughed or smiled this much in months, so thank you for giving me this today.”

I sent a sympathetic look her way. “I’m sorry to hear about your breakup.” Even if I believed she was better off without the guy, I could still appreciate the fact that she’d been hurt by what she went through. “But I’m glad we were able to brighten your day today.”

---