Page 103 of Laws of Love
It was simple and beautiful, but she’d learned the six-year-old was far too sensible for her age and liked simple things. She wasn’t spoiled, even if she could have easily been.
They sang “Happy Birthday” as Aiva used a paper plate to block a little boy who attempted to blow out the candles. When he moved his head to try again, she moved the plate as well. When she moved it after Yasmine had blown the candles out, the little boy was clearly upset about it. Aiva cut her eyes at the little boy’s mother. A clear message that said, “Get your child before I do, and you won’t like it.”
“You want to help me pass out the cake or pour punch?” Aiva asked, her attention on Mia.
“I’m fine with cake,” Mia responded.
“That means you’re on punch duty, babe,” Aiva informed Knox. “You can get Wolfe to help you.”
Aiva cut Yasmine a generous slice with the biggest sugar flower. Mia handed her the plate, and she did a little wiggle in her seat. They continued cutting slices and passing them out to all the kids and the adults who wanted some. She passed Mia a slice before getting her own after the others were served.
“The cake was…pretty,” Mia stated after a bite. “And it tastes good. Did you help her choose it?”
“No. She chose on her own. She told Knox what she wanted, and he made it happen.”
“He was always good at that. Making sure she had what she needed and wanted without spoiling her. I hate planning anything that takes a lot of effort. So, he’s always planned her parties.”
Aiva could understand that. Everyone wasn’t a planner and liked to leave it to others. They’d do what they needed to and show up. Lila and Riquie were that way, and she found nothing wrong with that. Though she thought Mia should have sucked it up regarding planning something for her daughter, she assumed she was okay with planning smaller things for them to do together.
“I have siblings that don’t enjoy planning things, but they show up. I’m guessing you plan individual things to do with her.”
“I do. I have her tomorrow, and I’ve planned a day for us.”
Before Aiva could respond, Knox slipped his arm over her shoulders, and she didn’t miss the way Mia rolled her eyes and the small scoff she released. However, she ignored it.
“You two having fun?” he asked.
“Oodles,” Mia responded before walking off to the gift table.
“Did something happen?”
“No. We were having a pretty normal conversation. Seeing us together bothers her, and I can’t blame her because I think she’s kicking herself,” Aiva replied before taking a bite of her cake.
“About what?”
She turned to him with a raised brow. “Do you honestly not know, or are you trying to get me to stroke your ego?”
Knox smirked at her, and she could imagine he was thinking about having her stroke something else. She didn’t give him the chance to say it before she answered his original question.
“If I had to guess, I’d say she regrets some of her choices. Agreeing to a divorce being the most major.”
“Our marriage was over. It was happening either way.”
Aiva hummed. “Maybe at the time, she didn’t believe you’d go through with it, and when you did, she might have thought she didn’t care. That it wouldn’t have affected her the way it has. She still loves you. She might even still bein lovewith you.”
Knox gripped her chin gently and leaned down. “Too bad for her; she isn’t the one I’m in love with.” He gave her a gentle peck, and before she could respond, Yasmine called their attention, but it was not lost on Aiva that he’d admitted to being in love with her.
42
“This was the best first week ever!” Yasmine exclaimed as Knox pulled out of the pickup lane, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. She’d only had two other first weeks. In pre-K and kindergarten, she said the same thing both times. He was sure she’d say the same thing next year, too.
“What was your favorite part about the week?” he asked, glancing into the rearview mirror.
They had conversations every day about what she did in school and what she learned, so he was up to date on the daily things she enjoyed, but he wanted to know if one of those would be her favorite from the week or if it would be something else.
“The morning fashion shows.”
Again, Knox chuckled. He hadn’t expected her to say that, but he should have. When she’d woken up for school the first morning back, she’d requested that he take a picture of her on the way out and send it to Mia and Aiva. It was something that had continued the entire week, and she always got excited reading their responses.
