Page 44 of Fighter
“I'm starving,” she said as she moved toward the pot roast. “Can we eat now?”
“Yes, please.”
Anything to get my mind off you,I mentally pleaded, then whistled for Ava.
One hilarious dinner, two hungry girls, and three helpings of pot roast later, darkness had started to settle on the world outside. Twilight brought the quiet call of nesting birds, the scent of dry sage, and the gentle calm of the mountain air as it wafted inside. With a stomach full of delicious food, the promise of cookie dough later, and Serafina's rich coconut smell in my hair, I wanted to do this evening again.
And again.
And again.
Ava hopped into a quick bath while Serafina and I, without the need to converse, cleaned up dinner.
Now, the princess movie threw light on the dark room as the three of us finally settled on the couch. Serafina sat on the other side, one leg tucked under her the way she always had. Ava plopped herself in between us, a ratty old blanket in her hands. I took the other end of the extremely comfortable couch and tried to pretend I wasn't picturingmein the middle, with one girl snuggled up on either side.
Just before the movie started, Serafina whispered something in Ava's ear. She darted upstairs and returned seconds later with a brush and several hair ties. Without a word, Ava settled on the floor in front of Serafina. The movie started with the quiet purr of a brush through still-wet hair. Relief that I didn't have to be the one focusing on those braids followed a tight knot of affection.
This was so easy for Serafina.
So natural. I'd never seen anything so attractive in my life. I kept my focus on the movie so I didn't send too-hot looks to my daughter's . . . what? Friend? She certainly wasn't here to work tonight, so she wasn't a babysitter or nanny. Hardly an employee. Caretaker? That sounded too . . . old.
What would happen as Sera was seen with Ava? For the most part, the media left Ava alone. They'd come into the MMA Center to deal with me, but rarely was I pursued out of that anymore.
But if I dated someone, would that change?
While the movie played and my thoughts grew in intensity, I found myself caught in a storm of potential web of social media articles and news displays that would plaster Sera's face all over the world. The potential headlines ran through my mind like a ticker-tape.
MMA Star Dates Nanny.
Ben Mercedy Steps Into a New Ring
Classic blunder. Could have seen that one coming miles away. And I already had seen it coming. In fact, I'd thought about a relationship with Serafina way too much the past couple of days.
So why did I invite her to stay and eat with us on our day off? Why did I feel like this house wasn't quite so empty when she was in it?
Nannies took care of the kids, not the dads. Serafina was definitely taking care of more than just Ava. She'd started to turn both of our lives into something not-so-overwhelming. Which meant she wasn't the nanny. More like my life manager. I almost snorted. That was probably exactly what I needed.
Until I felt the gentle brush of a stray toe and heard a quiet sigh, I hadn't realized how deep into my thoughts I'd spiraled. My gaze had remained on the TV, but hadn't comprehended a single image. At least thirty minutes had passed and I couldn't even remember the main character's name.
When I glanced over, my heart leapt into my throat.
Ava had fallen asleep sprawled on top of Serafina. Sera hadn't noticed yet, her bent elbow propped on the end of the couch and her head resting in it. She watched the screen with rapt attention. Her fingers toyed with a curl of Ava's hair where it looped at the end of her braid.
Serafina looked up to me as if she sensed my gaze, then at Ava, and her own smile stole across her face. The movie, and the presence of my daughter, saved me from grabbing Serafina's face and kissing her breathless. The main character fell off her horse and into a well. While she wept quietly at the bottom I whispered, “So what is it with princesses anyway?”
Serafina rolled her eyes, but she smiled too much for me to take her for face value. “It's . . . I don't know. For girls this age? It's just fun to imagine.”
“The tiaras?”
“So important. Ava's six,” she said quietly. “Things like that are just . . .fun.”
“Fighting is fun.”
“For her thirty-something father, yes. But she's a little girl.”
“Please tell me there's something else besides princess movies Ava and I could do together.”
Serafina quieted her laughter. Ava didn't even stir, but Serafina hadn't stopped playing with her hair yet. I wondered if Ava liked that kind of touch. Like me, she'd always been prickly about people in her personal bubble. All those boundaries seemed to have melted away the moment Serafina appeared in her life. Maybe Ava was just waiting for the right person.
