Page 79 of Catching the Captain

“I want the regular kind.”

“I want one of each,” Kaiden chimes in, and all the kids giggle.

“You can’t have too many, or you’ll get a belly ache,” Tillie says sagely. Something tells me she’s speaking from experience.

It’s not long before the adults wander over and begin working on making their own s’mores.

Kaiden wraps his arm around me. “Are you having fun, baby?”

“I am. This party has been perfect.”

“How are things with you and Valentina?” he asks.

“Not perfect by any means, but I’m happy with how today has gone. We spoke and she listened to me. I didn’t sense any judgment coming from her.”

“That’s fantastic.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of miraculous, and I owe it all to you.”

“How do you figure?”

“You invited her. If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have talked at all and things would be no better between us.”

“All I did was present the two of you with an opportunity that you made the most of. Now maybe family get-togethers won’t be so stressful for you.”

“I think you’re right. Even Stella couldn’t believe how nice Valentina was being. She jokingly asked her if she was dying.”

Kaiden laughs. “I remember Stella having a dry sense of humor when she was a teenager. It doesn’t seem like she’s changed much.”

“She hasn’t. She’s quiet, but she comes out with some zingers when she wants to.” Fortunately, they’re never aimed at me.

“Are you two ready to hit the road?” Darius asks Tillie and Three.

“No!” they shout together.

“It’s getting late. By the time we get home it’ll be dark.”

“We’re not tired,” Tillie explains.

“What about Brutus at home all alone? What if he’s sad because we’ve been gone for so long?”

“Brutus is Darius’s pit bull. He’s the sweetest dog,” Kaiden fills me in.

“I don’t want Brutus to be sad, but we’re having fun,” Tillie says.

“How about you go home now and you can come back again soon,” Kaiden suggests.

“Tomorrow?” Three asks.

Darius laughs. “No, not tomorrow, bud.”

“We’ll make it soon, don’t worry. And next time you can bring Brutus with you. I know he likes to play on the beach.”

Tillie looks up at Kaiden and nods emphatically. “He does.”

“Perfect,” I say. “I can’t wait to meet Brutus.”

My entire family comes over to say goodbye before they leave. Once they’re gone, it feels so empty. There’s only Ryder, Murphy, and Serena left.

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