Ava headed for the back office while Will took a seat next to me at the counter, eyeing me carefully. Caelyn helped Mia up onto a little stool by the sink, and they washed their hands, Mia singing some sort of song that counted off the seconds.

“All clean,” she called. “No germies can last to thirty.”

I couldn’t hold in my chuckle this time. “I guess they can’t.”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Caelyn started, putting a hand over her heart. “I do believe you laughed, Griffin Lockwood. Who knew all it took was a seven-year-old singing about germs?”

3

Caelyn

I thought Griffin’s lip twitches packed a punch, but they had nothing on his chuckle. It was a little bit gruff as if coated in sandpaper, just like his voice. The tone seemed to skitter across my skin and sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

“I like his laugh,” Mia chimed in.

Redness crept up the back of Griffin’s neck, and I felt a bit guilty for putting him on the spot. Mia held out her arm to me. “Can you dry my rainbow bracelet? I don’t want it to stay wet and fall off.”

Mia’s protectiveness over her bracelet sent a mixture of warmth and worry through me. I loved that she was so attached to what she had made a symbol of our family, but I feared the day she outgrew the thing. It was already looking a little tight. We’d just have to make some more soon. “Of course.” I carefully rubbed a towel over her wrist.

She held it up for Griffin to see. “This is my rainbow. Me and Ava made them. Caelyn helped. And we all have one. Even Will.”

Will stared Griffin down as if challenging him to find it odd for a sixteen-year-old boy to wear a rainbow friendship bracelet. Griffin nodded. “Uh, pretty.”

Mia beamed. “Thank you.”

“Come on, Mi,” I said, trying to shift her focus elsewhere. “Up on your stool. I need you to put the salami on the sandwich.”

She climbed up onto the stool and eyed Griffin. “You like salami? It’s my favorite.”

“It’s one of my favorites, too.”

I’d never heard so many words out of Griffin on one visit before. I sent him a grateful smile for putting up with Mia’s chatter.

“Do you like cheddar cheese or American?” she asked.

“Cheddar.”

“Me, too.” She beamed. “Cats or dogs?”

“Hmmm…” Griffin took an exaggerated amount of time considering the options. “Dogs. Definitely dogs.”

Mia shook her head. “I want a cat. I’ve been asking forever. She’d sleep with me, and I’d dress her up, and we’d be best friends.”

A ghost of something that looked a lot like pain flashed across Griffin’s features. “You’ve got it all planned out.”