26
A iva met Knox and Yasmine the next Saturday morning at the park close to Knox’s condo. She had Tara’s bike in tow, which she’d borrowed, but was sure her sister hadn’t ridden it since she got it a couple of years ago. She’d had to clean it up and air the tires, but other than that, it was in perfect working condition.
She was a bit early, standing at the head of the bike trail, but she didn’t have to wait long for the two to arrive.
“Ms. Aiva!” Yasmine called excitedly as she stopped beside her. The little girl was decked out in Scooby Doo elbow and knee pads, along with a matching helmet.
“Hey, Yasmine! I like your helmet.”
“Thank you. Scooby is one of my favorites.”
Aiva shifted her attention to Knox with a smile. “Hey.”
“Hey there, gorgeous,” he responded, kissing her temple. Aiva was surprised, but she didn’t show it on her face. “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Ms. Aiva, Daddy said that we can ride around the trail for a while, and then we could get lunch together if you want.”
Aiva smiled down at Yasmine’s excited face. “That sounds like fun. You want to lead the way, and we can follow you?”
“Yeah, I can do it. I’ve been here a million times, so I know the way.”
Aiva mounted her bike, and Yasmine started down the path. She and Knox followed close behind her. It was a beautiful day out; the weather was nice, and other people were riding their bikes, skating, or walking along the trail.
The first half of the ride was silent, the three enjoying the weather and Yasmine giggling at a couple of squirrels playing together or butterflies fluttering by. The second half of the ride was spent with Yasmine telling them how she was excited about the upcoming field day at the end of the school year.
Aiva was sure Knox had heard all of it before, and Yasmine was speaking to her more than her dad. She’d never seen a child so genuinely excited about school and the things they learned there. Her younger siblings had always complained about anything that had to do with school unless it was a field trip, and even then, depending on where they were going, they might still complain.
They rode around the trail twice before Yasmine asked if they could play for a bit before they went to get lunch. They found an empty picnic table and parked their bikes beside it.
“Ms. Aiva, will you push me on the swing?” Yasmine asked.
“Sure, sweetie.” No sooner than the words were out of her mouth did Yasmine grab her hand and begin leading her to a nearby swing set.
“I’ll watch the bikes!” Knox called after them.
Yasmine hopped into a swing, and Aiva stepped behind it. “Are you ready?” she asked the little girl.
“I’m ready!” she responded excitedly, bouncing in the swing, and Aiva couldn’t help but laugh a little.
She pushed her, gradually increasing the height until she thought Yasmine was as high as she should go. Aiva didn’t want to push her too high, and she fell out or got scared.
“My Daddy likes you, Ms. Aiva,” Yasmine stated on a downward swing.
“Oh,” Aiva responded unintelligibly because she hadn’t expected the five-year-old to say that.
“Yeah, he told me this morning you went on some adult playdates when I asked.”
“We’ve gone on a few…playdates,” Aiva responded.
“That means you like him too, right? Because you wouldn’t go on them if you didn’t like him.”
“I do,” Aiva confirmed.
“That’s good. You’re nice, so he’ll be happier because...Mommy wasn’t always nice,” Yasmine responded, pausing as if she was in thought. “But that’s the past,” she perked up and looked over her shoulder, giving Aiva a big smile as the swing surged upward.
From their previous conversations, she knew that Yasmine was an inquisitive child. However, a discussion about her mother was not one Aiva thought she should have with her.
“You want to go down the slide a few times before we head to lunch?” Aiva asked instead.
“Sure!”
Aiva stopped the swing, and Yasmine hopped out, skipping to the slide. She followed behind and watched as she slid a few times. She made a mental note to speak to Knox about her and Yasmine’s conversation. It wasn’t in-depth, but she knew from experience that children were just as good at hiding things as adults, and while Knox said Yasmine was adjusting well, she would be remiss if she didn’t say something.
“Do you want to play on anything else?” Aiva asked after Yasmine went down the slide one last time and grabbed her hand.
“No, I think we’re going to lunch, where they have a play area. I can play some more there.”
The two walked over to Knox, and he raised a brow at them. “Done already?”
“Yasmine says we’re going somewhere with a play area for lunch, and she can play more there.”
“That… hadn’t been the plan, but I see it is now,” Knox responded, standing. “Come on, I’ll help you load your bike into the back of your SUV, and you can meet us at the condo.”
They walked their bikes over to where Aiva was parked. She’d let down her rear seats for the bicycle to fit. She watched as Knox lifted the bike effortlessly and placed it inside.
“Both of yours might fit if we put Yasmine’s on top. I could drive you home,” Aiva responded. The ride was only a few blocks, but with her back seats down, she wasn’t sure how Knox would feel about having Yasmine in his lap for the short ride.
“Yeah, we can do that,” he responded.
He rearranged her bike and loaded his and Yasmine’s. He’d left her single seat unobstructed, and Aiva took Yasmine to the backdoor. She lifted the seat and helped the child in, buckling her up.
The trunk closed as she slipped behind the wheel. When Knox got in and they were all situated, she drove toward their condo. The drive was short, and she found a parking spot close to the entry.
Bikes unloaded, and Aiva, holding on to Yasmine’s protective gear, the three went to the condo. Knox put both bikes away while Yasmine took her pads and helmet and skipped to her room to put them up.
She returned a few minutes later, and the three exited the condo. They were taking Knox’s vehicle, and Aiva made a pit stop at hers to grab her purse.
“Will you fasten me in?” Yasmine asked when she returned to the two.
“I sure will.”
Once Yasmine was securely fastened into her booster seat, Knox opened the passenger door for her, and Aiva slid in. A few seconds later, they were on their way.
“The only places I can think of that have play areas, aside from Chuck E. Cheese, are fast-food places,” Knox stated when they’d been driving for a few minutes.
“I’m fine with that,” Aiva responded.
“Chick-fil-A has a play area,” Yasmine piped up from the back.
“That sounds perfect, Yasmine,” Aiva agreed.
“Chick-fil-A it is,” Knox responded.
K nox sat on the bench beside Aiva as they watched Yasmine play with the other kids in the play area. They’d had their lunch, promising ice cream for dessert after she finished playing.
“Yasmine tells me you told her we went on adult playdates.”
Knox looked at Aiva to find her smirking, and he chuckled. “I told her we went on a few dates, and she asked if those were like adult playdates. It seemed easier to agree than to explain the difference.”
“She isn’t wrong. They are playdates for adults.”
Knox leaned down, placing his lips to her ear. “I don’t recall playing with you yet.” He placed a kiss below her ear, and she elbowed him lightly.
“You like picking on me,” Aiva responded with a pout.
He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “Don’t pout, gorgeous, and trust me. I wasn’t picking on you.” He gave her another peck before pulling away.
Knox turned his attention back to the playing kids and located Yasmine running across the bridge that connected two of the play pieces, three other kids behind her.
“She told me you like me.”
“She isn’t wrong.”
It was quiet between them for a second, and he felt her shift, turning her body towards him.
“Knox, I want to tell you something, but I in no way want you to think I’m trying to overstep or tell you how to parent.”
He pulled his focus from the play set to give her his attention. “Okay, what is it?”
“Yasmine and I were talking while I was pushing her on the swing. I know you said she’s adjusting well, but she said something about how Mia wasn’t always nice and got really quiet. I can tell you from experience that kids in these situations don’t always say what they’re thinking, but they know more than they let on.”
Knox took her hand in his, kissing the back of it. “Thank you, baby. I don’t feel you’re overstepping. I’ll talk to her. I don’t want her to feel like she can’t talk to me, but I’m glad she felt comfortable enough to say something in passing to you. She’s a smart girl, so I’m not surprised if she’s picked up on something she shouldn’t have.”
“Is Yasmine excited to spend Mother’s Day with Mia?” Aiva questioned, shifting the conversation.
“I think so. It’s the first full weekend they’ll be spending together since the new arrangement. Mia was supposed to get her on two other occasions, one being this past week for a couple of days of spring break, but had to reschedule. I’m hoping she doesn’t ask to choose another date again.”
“I’m sure she won’t,” Aiva responded. “Mother’s Day is a day made especially to celebrate moms and for them to spend time with their children. Most mothers want nothing more than to spend it with their kids, and she specifically asked for the holiday in the decree.”
Knox knew that to be true, but Mia wasn’t like most mothers. He did not doubt that she loved their daughter. He also knew that she could be selfish and often put herself first, choosing what she wanted to do or would bring her the best satisfaction before anything else.
“Daddy,” Yasmine called, bounding over. “I’m ready for ice cream now.”
He checked his watch and found she’d been playing for half an hour. “Okay, I’ll grab us some ice cream, and the two of you can choose a table.” Knox was unsure if the one they’d sat at originally was available.
They exited the play area, and he went to the counter, ordering three vanilla cones. Once he had them, he joined them at the table and handed them a cone.
“Guess what, Ms. Aiva,” Yasmine began after the first few licks of her cone.
“What, sweetie?”
“Daddy’s taking me to Disneyland this summer!”
“He is? That sounds exciting.”
“It’ll be my first time going. So I’m super happy about it. Oh! You know what? You should come with us. It’s going to be so much fun!” Yasmine stated, bouncing in her seat.
“I think that trip is something your dad planned for just the two of you,” Aiva responded after a moment.
“But it’ll be even more fun if you come, and Disney is for everyone, not just little kids.”
Aiva turned her attention to him, and Knox weighed his options regarding an answer because he knew she wanted him to step in. Yasmine seemed genuinely excited for Aiva to go with them, and his daughter never invited anyone outside of their family to anything. However, he didn’t want Aiva to feel put on the spot.
“She has a point,” Knox told Aiva. “It isn’t just for kids.” He then turned his attention to Yasmine. “But Yas, you have to ask people if they want to go somewhere with you. You can’t just tell them.”
“I didn’t, Daddy. I said she should come, not that she had to.”
Knox didn’t miss Aiva trying to hide her smile at Yasmine’s response, and he couldn’t help but shake his head at his daughter.
The conversation about Disneyland dropped, and they spoke about a movie Yasmine was excited to see instead.
W hen they returned to the condo parking lot an hour later, Knox walked Aiva to her car, two spots from his, while Yasmine waited in the backseat of his vehicle.
“Thank you for spending the afternoon with us.”
“Thank you for inviting me. I had fun,” she responded.
Knox kissed her. “If you decide you want to go with us to Disneyland, let me know. No pressure.”
He watched her bite her bottom lip. “I’ll think about it and let you know in the next week,” she informed him.
He nodded, giving her one more kiss before she slid into her car. As she pulled out, he went back and helped Yasmine out.
“I had fun today! We should do something else with Ms. Aiva soon.”
“I’m glad you had fun,” Knox responded.
Yasmine had met Aiva far earlier in their relationship than he’d been planning, both initial run-ins being on accident. However, his daughter seemed to like her, and he certainly did as well. He wasn’t opposed to the three of them doing something together again.