Sixty Two

At my request, Avery stayed with us all day. Using some dough I had left in the fridge a few days prior, I quickly whipped up some Italian-style pizza for the three of us, and Avery insisted on standing in the kitchen with me to help. And by help I meant he mostly just tossed flour at me while I worked, laughing cheekily, until I barked at him to clean up.

Then we all gathered around the dinner table and watched Kim Possible while we ate. And then we pulled out some old board games- snakes and ladders, UNO Spin, Ludo, and played for hours, losing track of time and forgetting for a moment just how ugly things had gotten earlier that day. Anya was happy, and that was all that mattered. Somewhere along the line, Vincent walked through the front door, and I didn't spare him a glance even as his daughter ran to greet him. The easy atmosphere quickly turned tense. Avery and I shared a look and I motioned to him with my eyes. He nodded, immediately understanding me.