“What are you doing Saturday?” she asked. Just the question, in her sweet voice, made me smile. “This isn’t about the Children’s Defense Fund by the way.”

“I was hoping you’d come over for one of Nana’s home-cooked meals,” I said.

“Don’t you need to ask Nana?”

I laughed. “It was her idea. Or one of the kids. But Nana’s definitely part of the conspiracy. She might even be the ringleader of the gang.”

If the universe wanted me to stop dating, its message was getting garbled. All day Saturday, I was a little nervous about Kayla coming over, though. This meant something, didn’t it? Bringing her home—under these circumstances.

“You look good, Daddy,” Jannie said from the door to my room.

I had just rejected a shirt onto the bed and pulled on a black V-neck sweater, which I had to admit looked pretty good. It was a little embarrassing to be caught in the act of preening, though. Jannie invited herself in, flopped down, and watched while I finished up.

“What’s going on?” Damon wandered in next and sat beside Jannie on the bed.

“Anybody ever hear of privacy around here?”

“He’s getting all handsome for Doctor Kayla. All duded-up and such. I like him in black.”

My back was to them now, and they spoke as if I weren’t there, their voices just a little stagy.

“Think he’s nervous?”

“Mm-hm. Probably.”

“You think he’ll spill something on himself during dinner?”

“Definitely.”

I turned on them with a roar and grabbed them both before they could separate and squirm away. They exploded into screams of laughter, forgetting, for an instant, that they had outgrown this kind of horseplay. I rolled them both around on the bed, going for all the ticklish spots I knew from past tickle fests.

“You’re going to get all wrinkly!” Jannie yelled at me. “Dadd-eee! Stop!”

“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ll have to change anyway . . . when I spill something on myself!”

I chased them all the way down to the kitchen; then we pitched in to help Nana with the parts that she would let us. Adding a leaf to the dining table. Putting out the good china and new candlesticks.

Nana was showing off a little, maybe a lot. Fine by me; I’ve got no problem eating her finest. Never have.

After dinner, which was pretty amazing—two herb-roasted chickens with oven fries, asparagus, mesclun salad, and coconut cake—Kayla and I got out of there. We took the Porsche, and I drove out to the Tidal Basin and then up to the Lincoln Memorial. We parked, then strolled the length of the Reflecting Pool. It’s a beautiful, tranquil spot at night. For some reason, not too many tourists make it there after sunset.

“Everything was perfect,” she said as we approached the Washington Monument. “Back at your house.”