He was talking about World War II with Pops, and I was pretty certain I’d have to physically throw him out the front door and lock it in order to get him to leave.
Remi said something to her friend, and Ness nodded vigorously, then hopped off the island. “Analise, how do you feel about epic blanket forts that fill an entire room?”
My sister blinked. “I can’t say that I have an opinion on them one way or another. I’ve never been in a blanket fort. Why?”
“Oh, honey, we need to fix that immediately. Blanket forts are awesome.” Ness dragged Gavin in front of her. “My godson here loves them, and I’ve been promising him a blanket-fort campout at my house, which we’re going to do tonight.”
Gavin’s face transformed. “We are?”
“Yup.” Ness looked at Remi and winked. “I had to work pretty hard to convince your mom, but she always gives in to me.”
Remi snorted.
Ness shifted her smile back to my bewildered sister. “Would you like to join us?”
“She would love that,” I said. Analise gave me a look, and I grinned. “You didn’t answer quickly enough, and you wouldlove that,” I said.
“I would?”
“Yup.”
When I glanced pointedly over at Remi, Analise’s mouth fell open. “Oh, yes. I would love that. I’ll, um, go pack my bag?” She looked at me again. “Now?”
“Right now would be perfect,” I told her.
Remi covered her mouth with one hand to hide her laughter. Ness whispered something to Gavin and he nodded, then ran over to me. I crouched down in front of him.
“It’s okay if you’re going to hang out with my mom tonight.” His eyes were wide and serious. “I know you’re friends, and friends spend time together.”
“You sure you’re all right with that?” I asked.
Gavin nodded. “As long as you hang out with her at our place, too, sometimes.”
Remi and I locked eyes over his head, then I smiled at Gavin. “You’d be okay with that too?”
He smiled. “Yeah. But if you marry her, I’d probably want to move in here. It’s nicer.”
“Gavin,” Remi hissed.
I laughed, holding my hand out in a fist. Gavin bumped it with his own. I set my hand on his back, leaned closer, and dropped my voice to a whisper. “I tell you what, when I’m ready to ask your mom that question, I’ll make sure to talk to you first, okay?”
Notif.
When.
Was next week too soon?
Gavin, smart little kid that he was, picked up on that difference, and his face filled with awe. “Okay,” he breathed. “If you’re dating my mom, does that mean we can go to a game?”
Everyone laughed.
“I think we can make that happen.”
Remi shared a look with her best friend, who silently mouthed,Holy fuck.
Within ten minutes, we’d said our goodbyes, Ness loaded down with kids for the night. Pops and Williams were the last to leave.
Williams lingered by the door, and I used both hands to steer him outside. “You’re leaving,” I stated.