I leaned back into the swing. So much death, it was impossible to escape the memories. Even happy ones were bittersweet. My mom would never know Dylan or Calla, or even that Lily and I were together.

Thankfully Jed broke the mood. “That reminds me, Luke, I have something for you. I’ll give it to you when you pick up Rocky tomorrow morning.” I raised my eyebrows, and he shook his head. “I’ve got to head out.” He stood up and handed Calla off to me.

She gave me big eyes, then patted my cheeks and said, “Ba.”

Jed called Rocky to him, then said goodbye to everyone and took off in his truck.

She was so damn cute with those red curls, just like Lily’s. I wiped her chin with her bib, her mouth was like a leaky faucet.

“She’s cutting a tooth,” Lily said. “That’s why she’s always drooling.”

I pulled her lip down and saw the tiny white spot poking through her lower gums. Calla put her mouth around my finger and bit down making me laugh.

“Sure, it’s funny when it’s your finger. Not so funny when I was nursing her earlier,” Lily said, and I grimaced.

“Naughty baby. Biting is only good when fish do it.”

Dylan and Lily laughed. I tugged my finger out of Calla’s mouth and sat her on my lap facing out. She waved at Lily and said, “Mama mama.”

Lily waved back, then covered her eyes to play peek-a-boo.

Calla giggled and said, “Boo.”

“Hey, Do you like to fish?” Dylan asked. “My dad Will took me fishing a lot, with Uncle Trevor on his fishing boat.”

“I like to go fishing. The Sweetbriar River runs through the back of my property. I usually fish there. I’ll take you.”

“Yes! I have a Lightning McQueen fishing pole. But not today, I’m spending the night at Mark and Mara’s, we’re going to play miniature golf and eat pizza. Uncle Ash has the day off tomorrow.”

Lily’s eyebrows raised when Dylan mentioned Ash’s day off. I’d given him tomorrow off, paid. We would be having a late night, I gave her a wink, then chuckled when her cheeks turned pink.

A bird landed on the railing, behind Lily’s shoulder. Calla squealed and reached for it. I had the urge to catch it for her, but it flew away before I could even move to try. I turned her and held her to stand on my legs. I grinned at her smiling baby face as she reached up and tried to get ahold of my beard.