Page 36 of CurVy Baby

With that demand, he starts to walk away.

My cheeks flush, but I tease him instead of becoming a puddle of need. “I love you, Donnie. You’re so romantic. I swoon all over the place.”

He stops midstride with his back to me. “As long as you come all over me, I don’t care where you swoon.” He takes another step but stops. Pauses.

My heart lifts to my throat.

“I love you, Valentina.” Then he strides slowly across the lawn towards Dexter and Molly, casual, controlled, menacing, and in love. In love with me.

I smile at the three of them.

Then frown.

Where is Tyler?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

DEXTER

Molly is sitting on the edge of the trampoline with her legs making a pyramid so she can look at the tiny, miscoloured skin on her knee.Tiny.As I stroke the small red spot, a strange sense of calm falls over me. A quiet clarity. Nothing else matters but them. Not really. “Does it really hurt?”

She nods. “Yep. Lots.”

I can tell she is fibbing, but I’m enjoying caring for her just as much as she’s enjoying the helicopter dad I’m obviously going to become. “Band-aid?”

“Tyler’s gotFrozenband-aids.” Her big eyes dart from her red skin to me. “They are in the kitchen. Bottom draw with the door-stops and batteries.”

I should know this…

She shouldn’t feel the need to tell me, though… I didn’t know. And she knew that.

I have been here for three weeks now, but I haven’t movedintotheir world. I’ve merely movedaroundit. Focused on Tyler… On all the thingswrongwith him… I have—hadan opportunity to set things straight, to make amends, but— Vallie’s right. I am too late. Too fucking late.

“You seen Ty?” Donnie asks, approaching from the porch, a cigarette hanging from his lower lip, the ember chewing the paper just short of his mouth.

I shake my head, focused on Molly. “No.”

“Hm.” With that, Donnie wanders around the edge of the house, disappearing from view.

“Molly.” I clear my throat, wondering how to approach this conversation with a child. “Does Tyler buy the band-aids?”

“Tyler Baby does all the things.”

I tilt my head, dubious. “All the things?”

“Yes.” She uses her fingers to count. “He does the laundry, the book reading, the nightmare squashing, the arts and crafts, the dishes, the mummy soothing, and he is my teacher. Music. And. Math.” Her eyes sparkle with pride, thinking about him. Fucking pride… Awe, even. Like I might have looked at Dad once when he was alive. “He is real smart. Did you know that?Realsmart. And silly. He is both. Don’t you know him?”

Fuck.

He is both.

“I did.” The backs of my eyes sting. “I want to know more than I do.”

“So…” She clicks her tongue, waiting. “Tyler would have the band-aid on my knee by now.”

“Right.” I try not to laugh and tear up at the same time. This little girl is incredible. “I best go get it then.”

As I turn to leave, she says, “Elsa.”

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