Casey’s mouth fell open. “Wow.”

Simon was shocked. He’d been trying to distract her, but he also hadn’t watched what Alex was doing, and he wondered if the doctor planned it that way. He was apprehensive to see the thread come out of her delicate skin.

“Simon, if you’d like to put her shirt back on, I’ll turn my back and clean up my mess,” Alex said, turning his back again.

Simon smiled. He didn’t think she knew she’d had all her stitches out.

“Wait, Daddy,” Casey looked down at her torso and chest. “They’re all gone.”

“I know. Alex is very good, isn’t he?” Simon said and slidher shirt on.

“I think he’s magic,” she whispered.

From the shaking of Alex’s shoulders, Simon guessed he’d heard that.

“Maybe.”

Alex turned around. “Since she’s now a part of our club, I’ll need more information on her. Can you take some papers home and send them back to me?”

Simon lifted her off the table. “Sure.”

Alex walked them out to the waiting room. After talking to the receptionist, he handed him a file.

Simon didn’t want to release Casey when she clung to his hand, so he stuck the file under his arm to shake Alex’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough. My girl has been through so much already that I was dreading this.”

“I understand that. That’s how my little one and I met. She’d been very ill, and I took her home. It’s a long story I’ll tell you sometime,” Alex said.

Casey tugged on Simon’s shirt. “Bend down,” she whispered. When his ear was close to her mouth, she murmured again, “Can I hug Alex?”

“Of course you can. I’m sure he’ll love it,” Simon told her.

He released her and let her go to the doctor. He could tell Alex was a bit surprised but also pleased. He hugged her.

Alex released her, and she came back to him.

Alex smiled. “I would love it if you met my girl sometime. I think the two of you would hit it off.”

Simon glanced down at her as she bounced. She looked up at him. “I can, can’t I?”

“Absolutely, Baby. It will be good for you to be around the littles as much as possible,” Simon told her.

Casey clapped and bounced on her toes. “Yea!”

Both men chuckled.

“Thank you again. You made it easier for both of us.”

Alex laughed. “That was the plan.”

“You’re a bit sneaky, Doc,” Simon said. He had guessed the distraction was not only for his girl.

Alex threw his head back, hooting.

Simon couldn’t take the smile off his face as they walked out of the clinic.

“How about we stop for food somewhere and then head home?” he told her as he buckled her into her seat belt.

“Okay.” She nodded.