The laugh escapes before I can stop it. "Understood."
She bares her blue teeth at me. "Can I have another slushie?"
"You may have whatever you want."
Her eyes light up. "Forever?"
"Don't push your luck."
She giggles, swinging her legs under the table.
Chesca drains the last of her slushie with a horrible sucking sound. "So when are you going to ask Mom?"
"Still figuring that out."
"I can help plan it." She perks up. "I'm really good at plans."
"I will keep that in mind."
"She's going to say yes, you know."
"How do you know?"
"Because she looks at you the way I look at pizza." She tilts her head. "Like she wants ALL of it."
"Come on, kiddo." I stand and hold out my hand. "Let us get you another slushie before we leave."
She takes my hand without hesitation. "Red this time."
"Whatever you want." I grab Kiku from the bench on the way to the counter and settle the helmet under her free arm. "Don't fill up. Your mother's meeting us at the house, and Sal's making pasta."
"I can do both." She says it with the absolute conviction of someone who has never once been defeated by a meal.
Her fingers curl around mine and hold on like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Chesca fell asleep on Sal's couch ten minutes after dinner, still telling Angelina about every lap between bites of pasta. Sal waved us off before Angelina could argue. "When's the last time you two had a night alone?"
Now the drive home is quiet, the good kind. Angelina's hand finds my thigh, warm through the fabric of my pants, casual, like it's always belonged there.
"Did you have a good time with her?"
"Yes."
"She called you Dad. On the phone. When she was telling me about the race."
My hands tighten on the steering wheel.
"She did."
"You okay?"
The city slides past. Sunday night traffic, sparse but steady. Streetlights catching the hood of the SUV in rhythmic intervals.
"I am... more than okay."
Her hand squeezes. My right hand drops from the wheel and covers hers, thumb tracing her knuckles while I drive one-handed.
We drive three more blocks before she speaks again.