Page 92 of Finding Home

“Sorry, Lizzie I tried.”Clayton pouted, pressing a kiss to the puppy’s cheek.

Elle bit her lower lip, suddenly thinking of Summer Michaels and her little boy. The precocious Liam would adore all these puppies.

“You have your ‘I have an idea’ smile.”

“Remember how I told you about Summer’s little boy, Liam?”

“Yes.”

“If Summer is okay with it, would you be open for Liam to come to the clinic and spend time with you to learn more about being a veterinarian?”

“Of course.”Clayton’s quick response didn’t surprise her.

“You have your ‘Elle’ smile.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Moments like this just remind me why your heart is one of my top three favorite things about you.”

“But my butt is your number one,”she said cheekily.

“It is a fantastic ass.”

“Clayton, there are impressionable ears present.”Elle gasped in mock dismay, referring to the yelping puppies in the background.

After her video chat with Clayton, Elle raced to pick Uncle Pete up for their memory lane inspired solo birthday outing.

“We’re heading toward Niagara Falls.”Pete rubbed his hands together, attempting to guess where she was taking him. “We’re not going to the casino, are we?”

“When have we gone to a casino together?”

“True, that would be more your aunt.”

“She does love the slots.”

“Oh, my slotty woman,” Pete deadpanned.

“I’m so torn by that joke.” Elle fought a laugh at the word play but also, was mortified by his very bad dad and a little sexist joke.

“That was gold!” Pete said, his blue eyes twinkling with pleasure. “What could be in Niagara Falls?” He tapped his index finger on his chin.

Elle’s lips curled at his pretend perplexment of their destination. There were few options of where and what they’d be doing in Niagara Falls that would be worthy of a fiftieth birthday week date.

In seventh grade, Elle had missed a field trip to the Niagara Falls Aquarium. Her dad had already left, and her mom was in the psychiatric unit, she had no legal guardian to sign the permission slip.

Elle wasn’t sure how or when Pete found out she’d been denied the trip on a technicality, but one Monday morning in May, Elle had been called to the school office. A grinning Pete had come for her to take her for a dental appointment. Only there was no dental appointment. Climbing into his truck, Pete had pulled out the unsigned permission slip for the aquarium field trip, telling her to come to him whenever she needed anything. “Anything,” he’d repeated hitting every syllable.

The dentist appointment was just a clever ruse to take her out of school. Pete took her to the Maid of the Mist, where their raincoat-clad forms were dosed in the cool waters of the Niagara Falls as the tour’s boat ventured close the falls’ base. It had been a good day.A great day.

Now, as she pulled into the parking lot for the Maid of the Mist, Pete shouted, “I knew it!!”

His words that long ago day came back to her.I’m always here for you, no matter what.

“Thank you.”Elle sighed, gratitude filling her up. She was thanking him for all those times when he had, in fact, been there for her and all the times yet to come when she knew he’d be there.

Pete’s forehead wrinkled. “Aren’t I supposed to be thanking you?”

“No.” Elle shook her head. “I appreciate you so much. I don’t know if I say it enough but thank you for everything.”

“You show me in so many ways. I’m a lucky uncle.”

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