30
A iva held in a laugh as Yasmine cut a quick side-eye at the little boy waiting in line beside them. He was standing with a woman, who Aiva assumed was his mother, trying to explain Toy Story to Yasmine. She told him once that he was incorrect but had quickly given up on a conversation with him when Yasmine realized he’d just keep talking, as she’d mumbled, “nonsense.”
For her part, the little boy’s mother looked apologetic and kept trying to get him to leave Yasmine alone, but Aiva figured he likely thought she was pretty and just wanted to talk to her.
They were waiting their turn to order some frozen yogurt, having left Knox at a table they’d found. They’d been at the park for a few hours, and Aiva lost count of how often they’d been stopped by someone asking if they could have his autograph, take a picture with him, or talk for a few minutes. Most had come with their children, so the conversations didn’t last long since the child was always eager to continue the fun.
Aiva could tell that Knox felt bad each time it happened, even without him apologizing to her and Yasmine after each encounter. Again, she reminded him she didn’t mind, and Yasmine didn’t seem bothered by it.
“Finally,” Yasmine stated when they reached the front to order.
Aiva let the little girl order for herself; she ordered for her and Knox. She paid for the yogurt, and they returned to the table they had left Knox at. There were a couple of men standing at the table speaking to him.
They excused themselves as Aiva and Yasmine took their seats, and before Knox could apologize, she dipped his spoon into his yogurt and put it into his mouth. He glared at her playfully, and Aiva gave him a soft smile.
“After we finish, can we play some games?” Yasmine asked.
“Sure we can,” Aiva responded.
They’d ridden several rides and interacted with several park characters, but they hadn’t played any games yet. Aiva didn’t see why they couldn’t spend the last couple of hours at the park doing so. Taking in the entire park in a day was unrealistic, and to make sure that Yasmine got the most out of it, they were breaking the sections up over the course of a few days.
Once they finished eating their frozen yogurt, they headed off to play games. They chose the ones with shorter lines so they could play more in the time span they had left for the day.
They played several games, and when they came to one where you had to throw a football through the hoops, the attendant almost didn’t allow Knox to play. Aiva figured it was because he’d played professionally. However, she reminded the attendant that he was a receiver, not a quarterback, and there was no harm in letting him play for his daughter.
A few minutes later, Aiva wasn’t so sure that he wasn’t a quarterback. He’d gotten all three balls through the small hoops, and instead of choosing one of the larger prizes, Knox asked if they could have two of the smaller ones. The attendant told him yes, and he allowed Yasmine to choose one.
Knox chose the other. The rose from Beauty and the Beast , and he handed it to Aiva. She took it with a smile, and he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.
They played more games, and by the time they walked out of the park for the day, it was with five prizes. When they returned to their suite, they had a few hours before going to dinner, and Yasmine suggested they watch a movie. They let her choose, and the three settled in to watch Toy Story .
A iva rolled over, blinking up into the dark. She blindly reached over, grabbed her phone, and checked the time. The screen’s illumination caused her to close her eyes before peeking at it again. It was three in the morning, and something had pulled her from her sleep.
She didn’t have to wait long for the noise to sound again, and she was all too familiar with it from when her siblings were younger.
Getting out of bed, she padded through the bathroom and to Yasmine’s room on the other side. The little girl was crying in her sleep, and Aiva could only wonder what she was dreaming about.
She turned on the lamp sitting on the bedside table before she sat on the side of the bed and gently rubbed Yasmine’s back. When her youngest brother had bad dreams, she’d rub his back, and he’d end up calming but waking up and asking if she would stay with him until he went back to sleep. Kaley would settle and sleep through it.
Yasmine stirred, turning over before her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at Aiva as she sat up.
“Ms. Aiva,” the child stated softly.
Aiva ran her thumbs over Yasmine’s cheeks, wiping away her tears. “Hey, sweetie. Were you having a bad dream?”
Yasmine nodded, and a minute later, she crawled into Aiva’s lap, where she began rubbing her back again.
“I know I’m supposed to be a big girl, and Mommy says big girls sleep by themselves, but will you sleep with me, please?”
“I sure will.”
Aiva placed her back in bed, got in beside her, and turned the lamp off. Yasmine snuggled up to her, and it was only a few minutes later, that Aiva heard the child’s even breathing. Aiva allowed herself to drift back to sleep.
K nox exited the bedroom in his lounge pants after washing his face and brushing his teeth. His first stop, as always, was to look in on Yasmine before he ordered breakfast. He peaked into the room, and his eyebrows furrowed. His daughter was still sleeping soundly, but Aiva had joined her. His daughter’s head tucked under his girlfriend’s chin as they slept.
He pulled the door back, leaving a small opening, and went over to the menu by the phone. He looked it over before placing an order for room service. It was a little after eight, and they would return to the park that day at noon. Afterward, they were going to see a show on ice before dinner.
Knox was sitting on the couch ten minutes later when Aiva emerged from the bedroom. He’d heard her get up a few minutes after he’d looked in.
“Good morning,” he greeted, holding his hand out to her.
“Good morning,” she responded, taking it, and he pulled her onto his lap, pressing a kiss to her lips. “How did you sleep?”
“I should ask you that,” Knox countered. “Did something happen last night?”
“Yas had a bad dream, so I stayed with her last night.”
“I’m sorry. You could have woken me up.”
“Why are you apologizing? And I was already there, so there was no need. Unless…you would have preferred I let you handle it.”
“For the past few days, I feel you’ve been doing a lot for Yasmine, and I didn’t ask you to come with us to babysit or have to take care of my daughter. I don’t mind that you handled it, but I don’t want you to feel you had to, that you have to do anything, for that matter.”
“I don’t mind,” Aiva responded. “Honestly, I’m relieved that she likes me enough, trusts me enough to ask me to do things with her, and wants to spend time with me. Yas is a part of you, and if I’m going to be with you, I want her to be comfortable with me, and her wanting things from me specifically shows me that. I also enjoy spending time with her.” She paused and playfully smirked at him. “But if you’re feeling neglected, just say that.”
Knox chuckled and poked her in the side before giving her another kiss. He was glad they got along, happy that Yasmine was taking to Aiva so well, and his girlfriend seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with his daughter. They’d only been dating a few months, but Knox didn’t see them going their separate ways anytime soon.
When their food arrived, he answered the door while Aiva volunteered to wake Yasmine up. Five minutes later, they returned, and the three sat down to have breakfast. Knox asked Yasmine about her dream, but she didn’t remember it. He wasn’t surprised. That was usually how it went with most people.
After breakfast, they still had a little time to kill before getting ready to leave. So, they played one of the Disney trivia games on the television. Yasmine got the high score all three times they played.
When it was apparent that his daughter was becoming restless, they got dressed and headed out early. Yasmine was excited to return to the park to get on the rides they hadn't the day before and to meet more characters.
A fan had dragged him into another sports conversation, but he didn’t mind too much. The couple’s son seemed to get along with Yasmine as they played with their lightsabers, and the man’s wife and Aiva had struck up a conversation about law. Knox hadn’t been paying too much attention, but she was a real estate lawyer.
Their conversation had migrated from when he played to who they thought should be watched for in the league. Knox had tuned out the other two conversations, but kept his eye on Yasmine. Mostly, the two children played and laughed but didn’t talk. The little boy, however, soon asked a question that had Knox’s head snapping in their direction.
“Is that your mom?”
Yasmine shook her head. “No, not yet, but maybe soon. She and my daddy go on adult playdates, and I like being with her. She’s fun.”
“Oh, okay. Angel’s my step-mom too. She’s fun when she isn’t making me eat vegetables,” the little boy responded with a face that looked pained at the thought.
“You don’t like vegetables?” Yasmine gasped at the thought of someone not enjoying some of her favorite foods.
Knox tuned back into his own conversation, unsure if anyone else had heard the two children. He glanced at Aiva, but she was still conversing with Angel.
Knox thought about Yasmine’s words when they left the other couple to continue through the park. It wasn’t that he was dating Aiva just for something to do or to pass the time, and wasn’t marriage typically the end goal of any serious relationship? Even if it was, it was far too early in their relationship to even think about it.
He was glad Yasmine liked Aiva, but he’d just gotten out of one marriage, and his daughter was already trying to throw him into the next. Kids really said the darndest things.