“Did you know puffins mate for life,” he says to me as he noses the tip of his nose along the shell of my ear.
“I did know that. I think it’s adorable.”
“I think you’re adorable.”
He kisses me right before letting go and a second before Arthur turns around. We finish the visit at the zoo by taking a walk through their garden.
“So, Arthur, what did you think?” I ask him, as we buckle into the truck.
“I love it. Can we go back in a couple weeks?”
“We will see, buddy,” Ethan says, then smiles back to his son.
Before long, Arthur is sleeping in the back seat.
“I think we tuckered him out,” I tell Ethan, pointing my thumb back to Arthur.
Ethan laughs. “I guess so,” he replies, then reaches over and holds my hand. We stay like that until we get back to my apartment.
“He’s still sleeping,” I say as he puts the truck in park.
“Good,” Ethan murmurs, as he slides his hand into my hair and brings my lips to his. My heart flutters and when he pulls away, I wish he didn’t have to.
“I’ll see you Monday,” I tell him.
“Bright and early.”
“So,how’sitgoing?”my sister asks me.
I tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder so I can roll the dough out for cookies.
“We made double our profit this month. That adoption...”
“Stop, that is not what I am talking about, I can see the books. Tell me what’s going on with the hot vet.”
Butterflies swarm my stomach. I feel like if I talk about it, it will jinx something.
“It’s fine,” I tell her.
“Oh my God, shut up.”
“What?”
“You know what. Tell me all the things.”
I grunt out an Ugh and she laughs.
“We took his son to the zoo yesterday. Ethan told him I knew everything about the animals.”
“Accurate,” she laughs.
“Haha...and the weekend before he took me to dinner at my favorite poke bowl place.”
“And what about the sexcapades?”
“Layla...really?”
“You don’t have to tell me. Just make sure you’re living your best life.”