“I think she’s growing up and it might be nice she knows you have a mind to that. But mostly, I just want to see if I can get her excited about something.”

He appeared keen about this idea before that slid out of his features.

“Do it for one kid, babe, gotta do it for both. Can give you the money for Ash but with all that’s goin’ on, not sure I’d wanna push that to doin’ it times two.”

“I agree,” I replied. “But if she wants that and then Cill asks for it, you can tell him he can have it when he hits Ash’s age.”

“Good plan,” he muttered on a nod.

“So, can I suggest that? You can give us a budget.”

He looked to the hall again then to me. “Yeah, Amy. Good idea. Run with it.”

I smiled up at him.

He lifted a hand to wrap it around the back of my neck before he leaned into me and touched my mouth with his.

He moved back an inch and asked, “You gonna get your jacket?”

“Yeah.”

“Go,” he ordered.

Since he’d agreed to allow me to do some decorating, I decided not to take him to task for being high-handed and went to get my jacket.

* * * * *

Late afternoon, after Ash didn’t come out and play Frisbee, I was back at her door.

“Yeah?” she called at my knock.

I stuck my head in. “Hey. You finish your book?”

She clearly had or had given up. She was now on her stomach facing the foot of her bed, still in her PJ’s, and I could see on the small TV on its stand at the end that a movie was paused.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Any good?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she answered and gave me no more.

I stepped fully into her room, announcing, “Listen, your dad and Cill dragged the fire pit to the deck. They’re out getting firewood and hitting the grocery store. My mission is to start dinner. We’re going to have dinner and do s’mores outside later.”

“Sounds good,” she said.

At least that was something.

I tipped my head to the side and asked her, “Wanna help me make dinner?”

Her eyes drifted to the TV. “Kinda in the middle of this movie.”

I wanted to push.

I didn’t push.

“Okay, kiddo.” I then looked around the room trying to pretend it was nonchalantly before I turned back to her and teased, “Under the mess, your room is cute.”

She shrugged.

I shifted through the clothes and touched a daisy decal on the wall, continuing to tease, “Not sure Imagine Dragons goes with daisies.”

“Yeah, well,” she stated and stopped talking.