That Day, Karen Deen [early readers .txt] 📗

My brave girl is listening intently and asking questions when she doesn’t understand or has something that concerns her. For someone who was having a meltdown—with good reason—ten minutes ago, she is now talking like an agent and asking the same sort of questions I would have been.

Asha has tried to tell me that she can write a story but isn’t that smart. It couldn’t be any further from the truth.

“I think we have covered it all. Are you both confident with everything?” Ghost asks.

When I pull Asha to the side a bit so I can see her face, she smiles at me. The first one for a few days. “Yeah,” she snarls, “let’s sit these assholes on their ass. We are running the show now.”

I can’t help but burst out laughing. “That’s my girl, total badass hidden under that sweet exterior.”

Ghost laughs along with us while he sets all the computers to sleep. “Okay then. Let’s go eat dinner and enjoy what’s left of our last day together before I have to break the bad news to Bessy tomorrow when you’ve disappeared.”

All of us standing up, Asha reaches out and touches Ghost on the arm. “Ghost, when everything is over, and we’re no longer a threat, could we come back for a visit? I’ve kind of fallen in love with your family and this place.” I watch his expression, knowing he doesn’t do emotions well with others.

“You’d better. Otherwise, I think Cassie will have me hunt you down, not to mention Bessy.” He laughs it off so he doesn’t show how much we’ve all bonded as a little family the last few days. No one could understand our lives like we do; it’s a bond that will be forever tied between us all.

I also know it is a pretty significant thing for us to be here in their hideaway, let alone to be asked back. I don’t take that lightly.

Ghost waits at the door for us to leave in front of him. There is no way he would ever leave anyone in the bunker without him, no matter how much he trusts us.

As we walk down the hallway towards the main living area, the sound of the television gets louder. I hear some Australian accents singing a children’s song about potatoes, bananas, and spaghetti. Bessy’s in the middle of the room in front of the big screen, doing all the actions of the performers on the show.

Cassie laughs at me and Asha who are just transfixed on the whole vision before us.

“Oh, you two just wait until you have kids. Not a day will go past that you won’t hear The Wiggles on repeat in your house. Don’t tell Bessy but I kind of like them too.”

Hearing her mom talking, Bessy turns and runs at me. “Kurt! Come dance with me. I’ll teach you.” How can you deny those big eyes looking up at you?

“Yeah, Kurt, go dance with her.” Ghost laughs from behind us, slapping me on the shoulder on the way past.

“Of course, cutie, but only if Daddy dances too. Now, you won’t disappoint your daughter, will you, Mr. Tough Guy?” I say to stop embarrassing myself by making him join us.

“I would, buddy, but I’m sure I just heard Eli crying in his little rocker and I need to pick him up to help Cassie out,” Ghost says, smirking like he outsmarted me. Little does he realize that he is up against the best.

Asha smiles with the sassiest grin and walks off towards the little boy who hasn’t made a sound. “It’s okay, Ghost, I’ll get Eli, you can dance with Bessy.”

“Yay! Let’s dance, I get to pick the song,” Bessy squeals, wriggling out of my arms, and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she is off across the room to the remote to pick her song. It amazes me how tech savvy this little girl is, but I suppose growing up out here with Ghost as her dad, she probably had no choice.

“You go like this.” Bessy points her toes for us to follow.

“Not a word,” I warn Ghost as he laughs at my uncoordinated efforts. “You’ve had practice.” Hearing Bessy talk about how he dances every day with her when she does her ballet class online, I realize how hard they are trying to still give her a normal life while they’re in hiding.

The giggles from behind us tell me that Ghost and I are the source of entertainment for today. Spinning around like I’ve been told to by my pint-sized teacher, the sight of Asha with Eli in her arms, looking up at her with a big smile and her eyes sparkling for the first time in days, it catches me in a place I never thought I would be so fast after meeting her.

I want that. Right in my heart, I know I want exactly that. Asha holding our baby and he or she looking up at her like she hangs the moon.

My mind now pictures her with a rounded stomach, lovingly growing our baby, one we made from the love that is so magical between us. A life created from two souls joining.

“Kurt, spin,” Bessy yells at me, catching me off guard. I just do it but totally lose my balance. I can feel my feet tangling, and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground and everyone is laughing at me.

“A bit distracted there, big guy.” Asha looks down at me, smirking.

“Easy to do when I’m looking at you with a baby in your arms.” It just comes out before I realize what I’m saying. Her cheeks pink up a little, and she starts rocking Eli a little and talking to him, so she doesn’t have to look at me.

Thank goodness Cassie puts an end to the dancing because it’s time to eat dinner.

The chaos of eating with kids reminds me of life at home with my parents, Jodie, and Seth, who seemed to