Page 49 of From Maybe to Baby

We laugh, and the space between us gets smaller. And smaller.

"Jonas..."

"I know." But I'm leaning in anyway, drawn by gravity or fate or maybe just the way light catches her hair. "This is probably a bad idea."

"Definitely a bad idea."

"Very unprofessional."

"Completely unprofessional."

But she doesn't pull away. Instead, she sways slightly closer, and I can feel her breath on my lips, and the whole world narrows to this moment, this balcony, this woman who turned my carefully planned vacation into something magical?—

"DADDY."

We jump apart as Jace's scream pierces the night.

"ICE CREAM EMERGENCY."

Of course this would happen now. Of course my daughter would choose this exact moment to remember the ice cream she'd hidden in her bed "for later."

"I should..." I gesture helplessly toward the chaos erupting inside.

"Go." Alexa steps back, professional mask sliding back into place, though it looks a little shaky. "Handle the ice cream situation."

"Be right back?—"

"DADDY IT'S EVERYWHERE."

“Coming, Jace.”

One top of everything else, my phone buzzes. Vince again:

TMZ has photos of you with mystery woman in Hawaii. Care to comment on your romantic sunset dinner? Also, Twitter's already calling her your “vacation love story.” Need statement ASAP.

I look at Alexa, still starlit and beautiful despite my screaming children and buzzing phone.

"Go," she says. "Before the ice cream claims another victim."

"We should talk about?—"

"About the very professional article I'm writing? Of course."

But her smile suggests she's thinking about the same almost-moment I am. About what might have happened if ice cream and PR crises hadn't intervened.

"DADDY THE ICE CREAM IS WINNING."

"Duty calls," I sigh. "Knight in shining armor, off to battle dairy products."

"Knight in board shorts, hoping this isn't another syrup-in-the-washing-machine situation?"

"Hey, we survived that one. Mostly. The washing machine was never quite the same, but at least it smells good."

She follows me inside, where I find Jace surrounded by what appears to be an entire pint of chocolate ice cream. She looks up at me with Genny's eyes and says, with complete sincerity, "I was trying to save it for Miss Minty."

My heart does something complicated.

Phone buzzes again because, of course:

---