Page 80 of Flawless

“When I said that we keep her grounded, I meant myself and my parents,” I say, shaking my head. “Thankfully, Zee Zee is who she is, so she sees through her mother’s façade. They travel most weekends, flying out on Fridays after Zee is out of school, and they travel every school break.”

The sky begins to light up with the first displays of fireworks. A panorama of blues, reds, and whites starts the show, but within five minutes, a brilliant exhibition of greens, yellows, purples, and oranges is added to the basic colors.

Everyone oohs and aahs. A dog barks somewhere in the distance, and the wail of a baby crying can be heard not too far away.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks with her eyes glowing in the dark.

I can barely take my eyes off her as I watch how mesmerized she is with the fireworks show. Her full lips part with a sigh, and her golden eyes compete with the night sky for dominance of my attention.

“Zenon?” she says, slowly turning her attention from the sky and back to me.

“Yes?”

Dani’s eyes take me in, dropping to my lips and then back to my eyes. It’s as if she can read my mind because she leans in toward me.

We don’t touch. Only our lips pass by each other in the faintest trace. It’s so light that I almost wonder if our lips touched at all.

The warmth of her breath, the scent of sunshine from her earlier romp on the beach, and the freesia fragrance of her shampoo tickle my nose.

I cup the back of her head and pull her closer wanting to make sure that I feel her this time, that we don’t miss each other after all. I trace her lips with my tongue, and she releases a soft whimper that no one can hear over the thunderous explosions of the fireworks, except for me.

“I need you,” she whispers against my lips.

“Maybe Zee will go to bed early,” I say, trailing my kiss to her earlobe.

“Not just that way, Z. In so many ways, I need you in my life. You keep me afloat,” she says.

“I know, babe. I know.”

“Z, I’ve fallen so deeply in love with you,” she says as her eyes fill with tears.

I kiss her deeply and passionately, knowing that I’ve always loved her. I never stopped.

21 – DANICA

“Turn this way, please,” I say, gripping her hair between my fingers.

“And then he asked me if I would be his partner at tonight’s luau. Can you believe it?” she squeals.

“Why wouldn’t I believe it? You’re beautiful, smart, and funny. He would have been a fool not to ask you.”

“I still can’t believe Papai said that I could go.”

“He did, as long as you make sure that you’re with Emma, Riley, Iesha, Briana, and Tiffany. You’re not to go off too far by yourself with Nick.”

“I know,” she says in a familiar pouty teenage groan.

“Good. Okay, sit up,” I instruct, tugging on the ends of her hair. “Go take a look in the mirror.”

Zee Zee hops up and takes off running to the bathroom.

“Eee!” I hear her happy screech from my seat in the living room.

Zenon, who’s just coming in from grilling on the deck, asks, “What was that?”

“Your thirteen-year-old daughter, who I am presuming, has given me the approval for her hair.”

At that moment, Zee Zee comes tearing out of the hall bathroom with her arms flailing and her long legs and feet barely skidding to a stop.

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