“And how is my little wolf?”

“I’m good, Po Po. You have anything you want me to get from the car?”

“Oh yes, baby, if you could get the shopping bags from the car that would be great.” I nod my agreement as I walk past her to the car while Kylie trails behind Po Po, talking a mile a minute.

As I watch Po Po pull out the sesame oil, soy sauce, pork, and other ingredients out of her bags, my eyes keep drifting to the window in the living room.

“Why don’t you just go get her?”

“What?” I ask, confused because Po Po has her back to me.

“You keep looking out the window for Olivia. Why don’t you just go get her?”

She always knows what I’m up to, I don’t know how she does it. I shake my head in disbelief and mush Kylie’s face when she sticks her tongue out at me.

As I’m opening my front door, Olivia opens hers. She closes her door behind her quietly and locks it, her face turned down in concentration, but when she turns around and catches my eye, her grin splits wide open. She throws her arm up in a wave to me, causing her shirt to rise above her belly button. I lick my lips at the sight.

Before I know it, she’s across the street and in my arms. “Hey babe. Guess what?”

“What?”

“I’m down for doggie time tomorrow. The warden is giving me a rare morning off.”

Auntie owns a dog salon where she offers full and mini grooming services. During the summer, I normally help her out every other weekend by coming to clean. Olivia has been wanting to come with me to help out with some of the grooming, but her dad never lets her take the weekend off from practice. I wonder why he had a change of heart this time around.

“That’s great. You know she’ll be happy; she stays in my face about bringing you.” Auntie loves Olivia. The two of them are thick as thieves.

“I know she is gonna work me hard. I’m ready though. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Like this smelly guy I’m dating.”

“Oh wow, so this is how you tell me you’re dating somebody else?”

Her eyes bulge out of her head. “What?”

“You said you’re dating a smelly guy and I don’t smell, so you must be talking about somebody else.”

She slaps my arm. “Shut up, always acting a fool.”

I chuckle and wrap my arm around her shoulders, leading her into the house.

She leaves my arms the minute she hears the water running in the kitchen and runs toward the sound. “Hey G!”

Po Po smiles brightly at her. “Hi, my little tulip. Wolf can finally stop pacing the floor now that you’re here.”

“Okay, okay, you don’t need to hype it up.”

“Yeah, he kept watching the window like a sad puppy. He looked pathetic,” Kylie teases.