Page 156 of One Touch

“We’re going to Disney World!”

We cheered, and Ava punched the air, then I turned the key, and the engine purred to life.

Ethan grinned at me from the passenger seat, while Ava bounced excitedly in the back.

“Lily, can we cruise down to the beach?” Ava asked, her eyes sparkling with delight. "And when we get to the beach we can download the Disney app! And make a list of all the rides we want to go on!”

Ethan laughed. "One thing at a time, kiddo."

"Okay, okay," said Ava. "Beach first, then ice cream, then Disney app."

As Ava continued to reel off all the exciting things she wanted to do with her afternoon, Ethan’s hand found mine on the gear shift. “Let’s see what this beauty can do.”

As we cruised along the coastal road, windows down and the salty air whipping through our hair, I couldn’t stop smiling. I’d hated this car for such a long time. All it needed was a new context for me to learn to love it.

“Hey, Ava,” I said, glancing in the rearview mirror. “Did you get your constellation project back yet?”

Ava’s face lit up. “Yeah! I forgot to tell you.”

“Wait ‘til you hear.” Ethan chipped in, proudly.

“I got a principal’s award!”

“You did?” I was so happy I almost took my hands off the wheel to clap. Ava had worked incredibly hard on her project. It was the first time, so she said, that she had actually finished something like this. What made it all the sweeter was just how difficult it had been for her. Even with the overlays and the othertools she had, reading and writing would always be trickier than for other kids. But she didn’t give up. She was a star.

“It’s all thanks to you, Lily,” Ava said softly.

I felt a warmth bloom in my chest. “We’re a team, remember? All of us.”

As we rounded a bend, Ethan cleared his throat. “Speaking of teams . . . I was thinking we could do something special tonight. As a family.”

“Ooh, what?” Ava leaned forward, practically vibrating with excitement.

Ethan chuckled. “It’s a surprise, squirt. But I promise you’ll love it. A little well done present for doing so well on your project.”

“As well as Disney World?” Ava’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You're so much cooler since you and Lily got together, Dad!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re on a roll today, Firefighter McCoy.”

He winked at me, sending my heart into a flutter. “What can I say? I’m full of grand gestures these days.”

“No horses this time, please. We’ve got quite enough manure for the time being.”

“No horses,” he promised, chuckling. “Although you can never have enough manure.”

***

It was a funny-looking package.

Tall and spindly and hastily wrapped. It stood outside the condo in the middle of the yard.

“What is it, Daddy?” Ava asked.

“I can’t spoil the surprise,” he grinned. “You’re going to have to wait until after sunset.”

“After sunset?” I asked, curiosity peaked. “Is it something magical? Something that needs the light of the full moon to activate it?”

“Something like that,” Ethan said.