Page 55 of Passing Ships

The rain hasn’t let up, and the roads are still slick, so I drive carefully across the island. We stop by the market on the way to pick up some supplies. The cashier, a teenage boy, smirks at me as I slide my card into the reader to pay.

“Looks like you’re in for a fun night,” he notes.

My eyes scan the pile of cookies, cupcakes, gummy worms, colorful coated chocolate candies, pink and purple face masks, hot pink nail polish, strawberry-scented bubble bath, and two large pepperoni pizzas.

I start to tell him that only the pizzas are for me when Amiya comes racing up to the checkout counter with an armful of animal crackers and cans of spray cheese.

“Wait,” she bellows.

She places the items on the belt and the cashier scans them before I continue with the payment.

“Geezus, I’m going to go back to Virginia with a dad bod,” I mumble.

Amiya bears up on her tiptoes and whispers into my ear. “Don’t worry, Sailor. I’ll help you work those calories off.”

The boy’s eyes go wide as he takes her in. Her golden hair, drenched by the rain, hangs in heavy waves around her face and neck. Droplets roll off her flushed cheeks, highlighting her soft natural beauty. Her shirt is wet and clinging to her curvaceous form. She’s literally a teenager’s wet dream. Then his gaze slides to me and he grins as he hands me the receipt.

“Looks like I am in for a fun night,” I say as I wink at him.

Leia and Nana are waiting on the deck when we arrive.

“Hey, munchkin,” I say as I lift her into my arms. “You ready?”

Nana stands from her spot in the rocker. “I’ll grab her bag. The car seat is in the back of my car,” she says.

“I’ll get it,” Amiya offers and heads back down the steps.

I follow Nana into the house and find Leia’s tiny dance bag resting on the kitchen counter beside a Styrofoam cooler.

“I packed you guys some juice boxes, a pecan pie, and a pint of vanilla ice cream,” Nana says.

Pecan pie. My favorite.

“Thank you, Nana,” I say as I kiss her cheek.

Amiya returns, and I pass Leia to her as Nana gives her heating instructions for the pie. Then Nana grabs an umbrella large enough to cover the three of them.

I grab the cooler and bag and follow them out the door and around to the driveway.

Nana smothers Leia with goodbye kisses as I load the car. Then, she hops up into her seat, and I buckle her in.

Amiya waves and gets in as I turn back to Nana.

Thunder rumbles in the distance, and her eyes go to the darkened sky.

“You be careful and take care of our girls,” she says as she hugs me goodbye.

“I will.”

She steps back and waves as we drive away.

Amiya turns to look at Leia. “Are you hungry, LeLe?”

“Yes! Can we get ice cream?”

I laugh.

“You can have the pie and ice cream Nana sent after dinner. First, we’re going to make Amiya’s special pizzas.”

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