Page 10 of Wicked Grumpy Heart Doc

They made their way into the family room and the girls went about moving the coffee table out of the way and pulling blankets and pillows from the cupboard of the wall unit that also housed the obnoxiously large flat screen and arranged them on the floor.

Once their little nest was all made up, the three of them got situated with Aiden in the middle, then Kailey scrolled through the Netflix options.

She stopped on one with vampires and Brianna shook her head. “Veto.”

They came upon a true-crime documentary and Aiden said, “How about—”

“Veto,” the girls said in unison, and Kailey continued scrolling.

She finally stopped on one, and Bri clapped her hands as she bounced up and down.

“Yes!”

He groaned, “Are you serious?”

“Yes, Dad! There’re seven seasons, so we’ll be able to watch every time we come over.”

Aiden liked the logic, but still. “Come on. You expect me to watch seven seasons ofGilmore Girlswith you?”

Kailey chimed in. “Actually, there’s another shortened season they made about ten years later.”

He took a drink of his soda, then settled in between his two favorite girls, grumbling, “Donottell anyone about this.”

Chapter Three

Aiden

He woke up with a slight kink in his neck and the TV screen asking if they were still watching.

Smiling as he looked down at his sleeping beauties, he whispered to the TV, “Obviously not,” then reached for the remote on the other side of Kailey and clicked it off.

“Come on, girls,” he murmured softly as he gently roused them. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Don’t wanna move,” Bri grumbled as she turned over. “Let me sleep here.”

“Me too.”

Ah youth.

He remembered sleeping on the floor without a care in the world. Those days were long gone. Give him a memory foam mattress and a thousand-thread count sheets, thank you very much.

“Good night,” he said as he tucked the blankets around them. “Don’t forget we’re going hiking tomorrow morning, so don’t plan on sleeping in late.”

“I remember. ‘Night, Dad,” Kailey mumbled with her eyes closed.

Brianna was out cold again.

He switched off the lamp in the corner and headed to bed, happy and content his daughters were under his roof, but wished it happened more. Especially after Brianna had rested her head on his shoulder while they had been on their third episode of Lorelai and Rory, and said, “I’m glad you and Mom got divorced. You never would have done this with us when you were married.”

That had hit him square in the gut. Partly because he knew she was right. He’d let Susan handle the parenting while he made the money to provide for them. It was something he regretted and wished he could change, but he couldn’t. The only thing he could do going forward was try to be better at being present with them whenever he had the opportunity.

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Dakota

Barney spun in circles when he saw her pull his leash from the hall closet.

She bent her knees and patted her thighs. “You ready, boy?” she asked in the urgent voice reserved for when she was talking to her happy pup. “Let’s go for a hike!”

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