Page 45 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

She grinned, then paused, her brow furrowing slightly. “Enzo?”

“Yeah?” I said, crouching down to her level.

“Why do you spend so much time with us?” she asked, tilting her head.

The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to answer.

“Well,” I said carefully, “because you and your mom are very important to me.”

She blinked, her expression thoughtful. “Like family?”

“Exactly,” I said softly, my throat tightening.

She seemed satisfied with that answer, nodding before running off to the next booth.

By the timewe reached the food court, Ava was practically bouncing with energy despite the long afternoon. I ordered us ice cream, letting her pick her favorite flavor—chocolate with sprinkles, of course.

We found a small table by the window, the sunlight streaming in as she licked her cone happily.

“This is the best day ever,” she said between bites.

“Yeah?” I said, smiling.

“Yeah,” she said, swinging her legs. “You’re the best, Enzo.”

My chest ached at her words, and I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re pretty great yourself, kiddo. In fact, you’re my favorite scientist.”

She giggled, holding up her cone like a toast. “And you’re my favorite Enzo!”

I laughed, clinking my cone gently against hers.

As we finishedour ice cream, I glanced at the time and realized Summer would be here soon. I led Ava back to the main lobby, where she spotted a booth selling stuffed animals and begged to look.

“Do you think Bunny needs a friend?” I asked, kneeling beside her as she inspected the options.

“Maybe a dinosaur,” she said thoughtfully, holding up a bright green plush.

“Good choice,” I said, handing over the cash to the vendor.

She hugged the dinosaur tightly, her face glowing with happiness.

I spottedSummer as she walked through the entrance, her gaze sweeping the room before landing on us. She smiled faintly, her posture relaxing as she approached.

“Mommy!” Ava called, running to her with Bunny in one hand and the dinosaur in the other. “Look what Enzo got me!”

“A dinosaur?” Summer said, crouching to examine the toy. “Very cool.”

“It’s for Bunny,” Ava explained. “Now he has a friend.”

“That’s very thoughtful,” Summer said, glancing at me with a mixture of gratitude and something else I couldn’t quite place.

As we walkedto the car, Ava chattered about the science fair, recounting every detail with enthusiasm. Summer listened patiently, nodding and smiling at all the right moments.

“Sounds like you had a great time,” she said.

“The best!” Ava said, climbing into her booster seat.

I helped buckle her in, then stepped back as Summer shut the door.

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