#dinner invite

He waited nervously, hoping she would say yes. She tilted her head and stared at him and he was certain the answer was going to be no.

“Um… you don’t have to, it’s just… Samantha made a lasagna and must have hidden it behind the leftovers from our meatloaf dinner last night. I had no idea she did that, but it was front and center this morning with a note taped to it telling me to enjoy it with others.” He smiled and waited. “She’s a really good cook.” 

“I’m sure she is,” Dana said, smiling with a nod. “That was nice of her to do that for you. But-”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to.” 

“No, Fox. It’s not that at all.”  

“No?” 

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I was just going to say, it just can’t be tonight. It’s a school night and I don’t want to disrupt the schedule we have.” 

“Oh! Yeah, no, I meant tomorrow. Shit, you’re right. I didn’t say tomorrow, but I was thinking it, I promise. I wouldn’t want to keep you both out too late with school and work the next day.” 

“That’s thoughtful of you,” she said, smiling at him. “Then yes, I accept. Lasagna is one of my favorite meals, so that sounds great.” 

“Okay,” he said, feeling relieved as he grinned broadly. “Good.” 

“Yeah,” she said, taking a deep breath, still smiling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah. Tomorrow,” he said, unable to stop smiling. 

“Goodbye, Fox.” 

“Goodbye, Dana.” 

____________

Should I bring anything for dinner tomorrow? 

A text from Dana read, at half past nine that night. He grinned and opened his message app, typing back quickly. 

Not a thing aside from yourselves. Oh, wait that reminds me, would you rather Ivy have milk or water, or could I get her some apple juice or something? 

Apple juice is fine. She’ll like that. And you’re sure I can’t bring anything? We do have apple juice here…

No, that’s okay. I got it covered. Thanks though. 

Okay. 

Oh, also… I won’t be coming to the diner tomorrow. I have a meeting with my agent that I’m sure will go long and then I have some things to do here. So… how about you come over at 5:00? Or 5:30? 

5:30 will work. Good luck with your agent. Remember, I’m on standby if you need a hype guy. Girl. Woman. Jesus... 

Haha. Thank you. I’ll remember that. 

Okay, good. Goodnight, Fox. See you tomorrow evening. 

Goodnight, Dana. See you both tomorrow. 

He waited with a smile, but no other messages arrived. Setting his phone down, he looked around. The apartment was still clean from Samantha’s visit, but he wanted to clean it again, making sure it was in perfect condition. 

Nodding, he started on his task. 

______________

By quarter after four the next afternoon, he had everything in the apartment cleaned, organized, and ready. 

The flowers he had recently purchased were picked through, the best ones remaining in the vases. To them, he had added colorful marbles that he had picked up on his way home, along with a few mason jar candles and some groceries.  

He had made a salad which was chilling in the refrigerator along with several types of dressing, not knowing which they preferred. There was also a fruit and vegetable platter that he had enjoyed preparing, sneaking bites as he cut them up. A baguette sat waiting to be sliced and the lasagna had just gone into the oven to be ready when they arrived. 

Candles lit, classical music playing softly, he took a quick shower and dressed, checking once more that everything was ready. The smell of the lasagna was making his mouth water and he decided to send Samantha a quick message of thanks for making it.

You’re welcome, brother. I was happy to do it. ❤️

Setting the phone down, he paced nervously, though he knew he really had no need to feel nervous. 

The buzz of the intercom made him jump, his heart racing. Breathing out, he walked over and pressed the call button. 

“Hello?” 

“Fox!” Ivy shouted. “We’re here!” 

He grinned and closed his eyes briefly, letting out a sigh. 

“Come on up! See you soon.” He pressed the button to let them in and he heard the door opening and Ivy’s excited chatter before he released the call button. 

Unlocking the door, he ran his hands down the sides of his jeans, and let out a deep breath. Opening the door, he waited, knowing they were most likely in the elevator and would arrive soon. Hearing a ding, he grinned as he heard the doors open and Dana telling Ivy which way to go and also to slow down. 

He stepped out into the hall and Ivy lit up when she saw him. She started to run and then stopped, looking back at Dana. 

“Go ahead,” she laughed and Ivy turned back, running headlong at him. 

“Fox!” she yelled as he caught her, laughing as he did. “Hi!” 

“Hi to you too, Miss Ivy. How are you?” 

“Good!” She pulled back and smiled at him. “Did you know it’s almost my birthday?” 

“I did. It’s next week.” 

“Six more sleeps!” she said. “Look what I got today from my birthday calendar.” She pulled up her jacket sleeve and showed him six beaded bracelets in colors of the rainbow. “Aren’t they so pretty?” She smiled and he grinned with a nod. 

“They are very pretty.” He looked at Dana who had just joined them. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” she said, smiling happily. 

“Come in. Dinner is almost ready.” He stepped back and let them enter first, feeling nervous once again. 

“Wow!” Ivy said. “It’s so pretty in here. I like the candles.” 

“Thank you,” Fox said with a chuckle as he shut and locked the door. 

“It does look really nice,” Dana agreed quietly. “The lasagna smells delicious.” 

“Doesn’t it? Here, let me take your coats.” 

“Ivy, take off your boots too, love.” 

Ivy took off her boots and placed them by the door. She unzipped her coat and handed it to Fox as she continued into the room, looking around. Dana took off the backpack she was wearing, along with her own boots, and then her plum colored coat, smiling as she handed it to him. 

“Thank you,” she said, smoothing down her black sweater with thin rainbow colored stripes running horizontally across the body of it. 

“Oh, it’s a rainbow themed evening,” he said, nodding toward Ivy who was wearing rainbow leggings and a light blue long sleeved shirt. “I didn’t get the memo.” 

“What’s a memo?” Ivy asked and he grinned. 

“A memo is a note, informing people about an idea or a plan. Like you both wearing rainbow colors, but… I’m just wearing this boring black sweater and jeans. Not colorful at all.” 

He motioned to his sweater, their coats over one arm, and stuck out his lower lip. Dana laughed, but Ivy tilted her head and looked him up and down. She walked over to him and took off three of her bracelets: green, blue, and purple, and held them out to him. 

“You can share my bracelets, then we will all be wearing rainbows.” 

His breath caught as he laid the coats over a chair and squatted down beside her. He smiled and let out a soft sigh. 

“That is very kind of you to share them with me, Ivy. Are you sure?” 

“Uh huh. I’ll put them on you.” 

He held his left hand out and waited as she slid them on one at a time, smiling when she was done. 

“There. Now you have rainbows too.” She touched the bracelets, moving them around and getting them the way she wanted them. 

“Thank you, Ivy. Thank you for sharing with me.” 

“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling and turning around, her long braids spinning with her as she walked over to the couch and flopped onto it. 

He looked down at the bracelets, touching them and smiling. They were a little tight, but he did not say anything. If they stretched out too much, he would replace them. 

Buy her a thousand of them if she wanted. 

“She’s a very sweet kid,” he said, just loud enough for Dana to hear. 

“She is,” she whispered. 

He looked at her as he stood up, her eyes on Ivy as she smiled. 

“Because of you,” he said, and she turned her focus to him. “You’re a kind person, therefore she is a kind person.” She stared at him and let out a slow breath. “It’s the truth.” He shrugged with a smile and she nodded as she looked down. 

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

A soft trilling noise sounded and he touched her arm as he walked past her and into the kitchen. Turning off his phone alarm, he opened the oven and looked at the lasagna. 

“Question for you,” he called out to Dana. “Would you mind coming here, please?” 

“What is it?” she asked, appearing beside him. 

“Well, it’s a question of taste,” he said, taking an oven mitt and pulling the rack out. “It looks done, picture perfect to be exact, but I personally like it a bit more… not burnt, but the cheese a little darker, if that makes sense.” 

“I know exactly what you mean,” she said with a chuckle. “And I agree one hundred percent. Let it go another five minutes and we’ll check it again.” 

“Yes! Exactly what I wanted to hear,” he said, as he pushed the rack back in and closed the oven door. He set his timer for five minutes and smiled at her. “It’s just better that way.” 

“Of course it is,” she said, crossing her arms and smiling. 

“Mommy?” 

“Yes, honey?” 

“I have to go to the bathroom.” 

“Okay. Come on, I know where it is.” 

As they went to the bathroom, he picked up their coats and hung them in the coat closet. He smiled at the colors hanging with his own rather somber looking black and gray coats, finding that he really liked the sight of them. 

He heard Ivy laughing, the toilet flushing, and Dana’s voice murmuring softly, as he shut the closet door. He closed his eyes and let himself think of what it would be like to have them there always, to have a family filling the empty places he did not know he was truly missing until now. 

The bathroom door opened and he jolted, turning toward the kitchen to appear he was already headed that way. 

“Fox, is it almost ready?” Ivy asked and he nodded, turning back to look at her. 

“It is. Are you very hungry?” 

“I am.” 

“Well then, how about you hop up here,” he said, pulling out one of the high backed stools and tapping the seat. “It will need to cool down for a few minutes, so how about a piece of bread while you wait?” 

“Okay!” she shouted and climbed up onto the stool. 

“I also have some vegetables and some fruit if you would like that,” he said, making sure she was settled before continuing into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and took out the plate of vegetables and fruit, setting it down on the counter in front of Ivy. “Any of those look good to you?” 

“Yummy! Cherry tomatoes!” she said, picking one up and popping it into her mouth. “And peppahs too!” She picked up a yellow pepper and smiled, her mouth full of tomato. 

“This looks delicious,” Dana said, reaching for a napkin and wiping Ivy’s chin. Fox smiled and nodded as his phone alarm rang. 

“Perfect timing. Let’s see if it passes inspection.” 

He silenced the alarm and picked up the oven mitts again. Opening the door, he smiled and nodded his head at the sight of the cheese darker than it was previously. He turned to look at Dana, pointing to the lasagna. She stood up on her tiptoes and smiled with a nod. 

“Perfect,” she said and he grinned as he took it out, set it on the stovetop and turned off the oven. 

“I’d say… five to ten minutes to cool a bit. Would you like to sit on the balcony with a little plate of snacks?” he asked, looking at Ivy. 

“You have a balcony?” she asked, picking up a grape and pausing before it reached her mouth. “I want to see it. I mean, can I see it? Please?” 

A small plate of bread, fruits, and vegetables was carried to the balcony and Ivy gasped as she walked out. Stepping to the railing and holding onto the horizontal wide bars, she peeked through the small gaps and laughed. 

“We’re up so high!” she said. 

“We are,” Fox said, setting down the plate. He turned to Dana and leaned closer to her. “Would it be okay if I picked her up?” 

“Of course,” she said, sounding surprised, her eyes searching his own. 

“If she’s okay with it, I mean,” he said as she touched his arm and smiled with a nod. He turned and stood beside Ivy. “Hey Ivy, can I show you something?” 

“Okay, sure.” 

“I need to lift you up. Would that be okay?” 

“Yeah, that’s okay.” She let go of the bars and he smiled as he lifted her up. “Oh! Look at all the lights!” 

“Yeah,” he said softly, watching her look out at the lights down below, both the city lights and also the added Christmas lights. 

“I like the Christmas lights so much,” Ivy said. “It’s like a magic spell is on everything. Like a fairy has added colors to the buildings and the streets. My auntie had Christmas lights on her house and when we have our tree lights on at night, it feels…” She sighed and he felt her tapping her fingers on his back, as she thought of the word she wanted to say. “I think it feels slow.” 

“Slow?” he asked, frowning slightly, not understanding what she meant. 

“Like when you go into a library? It feels like that.” She looked at him and he smiled with a nod. 

“I know exactly what you mean and that is a fantastic way to describe it. I think a different word, one which you might not know, is reverent.” 

“No, I don’t know that word,” she said, shaking her head and he laughed quietly. 

“No, I didn’t think you would. Reverent means a feeling of deep respect. Like when you go into a library as you said, or a church, and you’re usually quiet and careful to show respect for the building and the things inside of it.” 

She moved her fingers to the collar of his sweater and twisted it gently. Looking out at the lights, she breathed in and out slowly, and then nodded as she looked back at him. 

“I think that’s a good word. You know lots of good words.” 

“Thank you. I try to know a lot of things.” 

“Yeah,” she said, still twisting the collar of his sweater. “When we are in the library at school, we have to stay quiet and have to be careful. That’s how I feel with the Christmas lights. That I want to be quiet while I see them all.” 

He heard Dana let out a breath behind him and he knew without looking that she was crying. When she sniffled, he knew for certain. Giving her a moment, he pushed past his own emotions and nodded as he patted Ivy’s back. 

“Ivy, I think you have a very keen eye and a way of explaining things. That means you understand things in a way that another person might not. It’s a very good way to see the world.” 

“Thank you,” she said softly, smiling as she looked down and took her fingers out of his sweater. She looked out at the city lights again and nodded as she whispered the word reverent, as though testing it out, which caused him to grin. 

The sliding door opening on the balcony above his, seemed to break the spell they were under and Ivy asked to get down to get some grapes. He set her down and smiled as she stepped to the table, picked up a handful, and sat down on the couch. 

He glanced at Dana and she stared at him with an expression he had not seen before, as if she was trying to figure him out. It was gone a second later and she smiled, wiping at her cheeks and sniffling. 

“Mommy, do you want a carrot?” Ivy asked, getting up and bringing one to Dana, diverting her attention from anything she might have said to him. 

A few minutes more and they went inside, shivering and exclaiming how nice the warmth felt. Dana and Ivy both helped to set the table. Ivy laid out the napkins and silverware, asking how it was supposed to be put out properly, which resulted in Dana checking on her phone to be completely certain. 

Fox dished up the lasagna and handed the plates off as he then took out glasses for ice water, setting them onto the counter. He handed a plastic tumbler cup to Ivy and asked her to fill it up and then add the ice to the glasses. She smiled when she looked at her drawings on the refrigerator, glancing at him shyly as she placed the tumbler under the ice dispenser and pushed, filling the cup. 

Dana took the wine bottle to the table and the small bottle of apple juice he had bought for Ivy. 

“I love that brand of apple juice,” she said and he smiled. 

“Me too. There’s more in the fridge, if you’d like some.” 

“Thank you. Maybe later.” 

“I got the ice in, Fox,” Ivy said, and he turned to look at her. 

“Wow! It’s perfect.” 

“It’s all the same. Every glass has eight pieces of ice.” 

“The best amount. Can you carry them to the table?” 

“Yes!” 

“One at a time. Okay, honey? And two hands, yeah? It’s glass. I don’t want you to drop it accidentally.” 

“I won’t, Mommy. I can do it.” 

Fox smiled as he watched her carefully take each glass to the table, smiling triumphantly when she was finished. He gave her a high five and she laughed. 

A pitcher of water, the salad along with all the bottles of dressing, and a plate of bread sat in the middle of the table, the flowers and candle moved aside. Glasses were filled with water, juice, and wine as napkins were placed in their laps and they began to eat. 

Ivy hummed and licked her lips as she ate, claiming it was delicious. She wiped her mouth, smearing tomato sauce across her cheek and Fox laughed softly. She grinned at him and he grinned back. 

“May I say a toast?” he asked and Ivy nodded enthusiastically, putting her fork down and carefully lifting the blue glass with apple juice. Dana lifted her own blue glass and he did the same. “Thank you both for coming to dinner this evening and keeping me company. To you, Miss Ivy and you Miss Dana.” 

“And to you too, Fox,” Ivy said and he smiled. They clinked their glasses together and his gaze landed on the bracelets Ivy had let him borrow, her own bracelets showing as her glass tipped into his own. 

“And to rainbows!” he stated, Ivy grinning as she looked down at their bracelets. 

“To rainbows,” Dana echoed with a chuckle. 

“To beautiful rainbows!” Ivy said and they clinked their glasses again. Setting them down, they continued to eat. 

Ivy told them about her day at school, her friend Audrey, and Audrey’s new kitten. 

“Audrey said she’s so soft. And she purrs so loud. She has a pink collar with a bell and she likes to play with a string and hides under Audrey’s bed.” 

“What’s her name?” Fox asked. 

“Audrey.” 

“No,” he said with a soft laugh. “I meant, what’s the new kitten’s name?” 

“Oh! Her name is Angel. She’s not white though. She’s all black with a little spot of white on her chest. Audrey said her mommy said they should call her Angel because it was like a little bit of angel was poking out from her dark soul,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t know what that means, but I think the name is pretty.” 

Dana choked on her water, coughing a little, her eyes turning red and watering. She waved them down with her napkin, insinuating she was fine. Fox used the moment to laugh under his breath as he refilled her glass, catching her eye and smiling. She wiped her eyes and shook her head, still coughing slightly. 

“You okay, Mommy?” 

“Yes, baby. I’m fine,” Dana assured her, coughing twice more. Ivy smiled and returned to her lasagna. 

Dinner eaten, Italian dressing being the one of choice for the salad, Dana started to gather the plates and stack them. 

“No. Leave them. It’s okay,” Fox said and she frowned at him. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“I insist. Ivy and I can do it, right? Ivy, you want to help me wash the dishes?” 

“Umm…” 

“I’ll fill the sink up with soapy water and you can help me. Then maybe later we could have some ice cream.” 

“Ice cream?“ she asked, her eyes wide. 

“Yup. I bought a flavor called Unicorn Cotton Candy Sparkle. Have you ever heard of it?” 

She gasped and looked at Dana, who grinned back at her. 

“That’s my favorite one!” 

“What? I had no idea,” he said as he smiled at her. He had spotted it in the grocery store and placed it in the cart, sure it would be something she liked. “So, you’ll help me with the dishes then?” 

She nodded and hurriedly slipped off of her chair and started toward the kitchen.  

“Hang on, honey. Come and help clear the table,” Dana said and she bounced back into the room. 

Dishes scraped and stacked, the sink filling with warm soapy water, Fox carried over a dining room chair for Ivy to stand on, as Dana wiped off the table. 

“So, Miss Ivy, have you ever washed dishes before?” he asked. 

“Well, only a couple of times,” she responded, climbing onto the chair as he set it in front of the sink. “My grandma lets me do it at her house. And Mommy sometimes does too, but not always.” 

“Then you have some previous experience. I mean, you’ve done it before. But…” he said, opening the cabinet below the sink and taking out one of the silly sponges from the pack Samantha had sent him for his birthday. He stood up and smiled as he saw which one he had grabbed. “… have you ever washed dishes with a pink pig sponge?” 

“No,” she giggled as he flourished the sponge at her and she took it from him. “It’s really a pig! That’s so funny.” 

“My sister sent me a bag of sponges to make washing dishes more fun. They are very silly. The last one was a sandwich and the other was an ice cream cone!” 

Ivy dissolved into giggles, squeezing the pig sponge in her hands and he laughed with her. Turning off the water, he felt through the mound of bubbles and tested the temperature, making sure it was not too hot. 

“Okay. Are you ready, Ivy and… oh, the pig needs a name. What should we call him? Or her?” 

“Hmm,” Ivy said, staring at it and giving it some thought. “What about Oink?” 

“Oink the pig,” he said, stroking his chin. Snapping his fingers, he pointed at her with a nod. “I like it. Hello, Oink. How are you this evening?” 

Ivy snorted and walked the sponge across the counter.

“I’m… doing very… well, thank you,” she replied, snorting between her words. “I’m ready to… clean some dishes… for you.” 

“Fantastic, Oink. Let me help Ivy get ready and then please clean these dishes.” 

“Great… thank you… Fox.” 

“My pleasure,” he said and she set the sponge down as she looked at him with a smile. She crooked her finger at him and he bent his head closer to her with his eyebrows raised. 

“I like when you’re silly with me,” she whispered in his ear and he drew in a deep breath, his heart suddenly racing. 

“I like being silly with you,” he whispered back and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, swallowing hard. 

“Okay,” he said, pulling back and clearing his throat, hoping to once again cover his emotions. “Let’s get you ready to help Oink get the dishes clean.” 

“Okay.” 

He took off her bracelets and laid them on the opposite counter then rolled up her sleeves so they would not get wet. 

Well… hopefully not too much anyway. 

Dana walked into the kitchen, throwing away the paper towels she had used to wipe the table, and smiled at the sight of them as her eyes landed on the sponge. 

“What’s this?” she asked, laughing as she picked it up and looked at it. 

“That’s Oink, Mommy. She’s going to help me wash the dishes.” 

“Oh, nice to meet you, Oink.” She smiled at Fox and he smiled with a shrug. 

“My sister sent me a bag of funny sponges. Oink was the next to be chosen. Okay! I think you’re ready, Ivy,” he said and she nodded, her expression suddenly serious. 

“May I have Oink please, Mommy?” 

“Of course,” she said, handing it to her, and rubbing her back gently. 

“Hang on one second,” Fox said as he removed his borrowed bracelets and then his sweater, leaving him in a dark gray t-shirt. “Okay, let’s do this.” 

He put the plates gently into the sink and showed Ivy how to wash them, helping her to hold them when they became too slippery. 

“Oink, you’re doing a great job getting these dirty dishes clean. Thank you so much,” Fox said. 

Ivy lifted the bubble covered sponge and snorted it at him, water pouring down over the counter, the chair, and onto the floor. 

“Oh, Oink,” Fox laughed, gripping the sponge and redirecting it to the sink. 

“I’m sorry,” Ivy said softly, looking down at the sink. He rubbed her back and hummed softly. 

“It’s just water. Don’t worry about it. I’ll clean it up in a bit.” She nodded and he added all of the silverware to the sink, except for the knives. 

“Anything else I can do?” Dana asked and Fox turned around as she put the last lid on the containers of leftovers and stacked it with the others. “Could I dry the dishes you’ve washed?” 

“Nah, that’s okay. It’s not too many and they can sit overnight.” 

“Okay. I’ll put these in the refrigerator and then-”

“Mommy, my clothes are wet.” 

“Oh, that’s okay. I have extras for you. Are you done helping with the dishes?” 

“Not yet. I want to wash the forks and spoons.” 

“Okay. Well, when you’re done we can change your clothes.” 

“Okay, Mommy.” 

Dana smiled at Fox, picked up the containers, and began putting them into the refrigerator. He watched her, once again feeling the longing for a family in his life. She caught his eye and tilted her head, furrowing her brow in a silent question. He shook his head and smiled, turning his attention back to Ivy, not daring to voice his thoughts.

“Eat your food, Oink,” Ivy said, holding a fork full of bubbles to Oink's smiling mouth and snorting as the pig ate them messily and then she dropped the fork back into the water. 

A few more minutes and Ivy stated she was done. She shook her dripping hands and bubbles flew everywhere. Fox laughed as he grabbed a towel and dried her hands. 

“Yeah, I’d say you definitely need a change of clothes,” he said, looking at her very wet shirt. 

“Let’s go to the bathroom, honey. Come on,” Dana said. 

Fox helped Ivy down from the chair and she followed Dana out of the kitchen. Dana grabbed her backpack and they walked to the bathroom, talking about how fun it had been to wash the dishes. 

Fox wiped off and then moved the chair, wiping the floor next. He took the ice cream from the freezer, removed the plastic around it, and set it on the bar top to soften a bit as he quickly finished the remaining dishes. 

He heard them laughing as he took out the ice cream bowls, the scooper, and three spoons, which he laid on a paper towel as he waited for them to rejoin him. 

The bathroom door opened and Ivy came bouncing out in a pair of pink unicorn and rainbow pajamas and fuzzy blue socks. She stopped short at the sight of the ice cream, grinning as she climbed onto the stool. 

“It’s time for ice cream?” 

“Absolutely,” he replied, opening the lid and letting her see it, before pulling it toward him and picking up the scooper. “How many scoops?” 

“Ummm…” She looked at Dana who smiled as she set down the backpack. 

“How about two scoops?” 

“Two scoops, please,” Ivy said, looking back at him with a grin. 

“Two heaping scoops coming up,” he said, starting to scoop and build a large mound of ice cream. 

“What’s that mean?” 

“It means…” he said, placing the first large scoop in the bowl and quickly adding the next. “… more than the scooper allows.” He set the bowl down in front of Ivy, the two scoops looking more like four and her eyes widened at the sight of them. 

“Wow…” she whispered and he smiled as he handed her a spoon. 

“That’s two scoops, huh?” Dana asked, looking in Ivy’s bowl and then looking at him with her eyebrows raised. 

“Yup,” he said, popping the p for emphasis. “I worked at an ice cream shop one summer when I was in high school. I know how to make the best scoops.” 

“Giving them more than what they asked for?” Dana teased. 

“Uh… yeah,” he said. “That’s how you get repeat business.” She laughed and he smiled at her. 

“How many scoops would you like? I also have cookies and cream, if you would prefer that flavor.” She scrunched up her face and he knitted his eyebrows together. “You don’t like that kind?” 

“Oh, no. I do,” she said with a nod. “I just… I’ve kind of developed a taste for this flavor, even though it’s for kids.” 

“Psssh,” he said, waving a hand at her. “Ice cream flavors are for everyone to enjoy. So how many scoops?” 

“Two, please. But not two like Ivy’s two scoops. I think it’s too much for me.” 

“Nope, sorry. We only do big scoops in this house.” He shook his head and scooped up a large mound, placing it into the bowl. 

“One scoop is good!” Dana said with a laugh. 

“You sure?” he asked, adding a little bit more. “Maybe just half a scoop.” He added a bit more again and they both laughed, Ivy with pink and blue ice cream on her lips. 

“That’s enough! Oh my goodness,” Dana said, shaking her head at him and he laughed softly. Putting a spoon in the bowl, he handed it to her. 

“Now for mine. I’m gonna have two scoops too.” He filled his bowl and covered the ice cream container, placing it back into the freezer. Adding his spoon to the bowl, he walked out of the kitchen, taking a bite as he did. 

It was sweeter than he expected and definitely not a flavor he would normally choose, but it was not terrible. Taking another bite, he suppressed a shiver at the shock of the sugary taste. 

“How about a movie? Come on, let’s sit down.” He started for the couch, but Dana stopped him. 

“We can eat here. I don’t want an accidental spill to happen.” He looked at her and she cut her eyes to Ivy then back to him. “I wouldn’t want to drop any onto your couch.” 

He smiled at her, placing any blame of possible accidents onto herself. Shaking his head, he took another bite. 

“I’m not worried about it.” 

“But-” Dana began and he shook his head again, telling her with his eyes that it was fine. She drew in a breath and nodded. 

“Come on. Ivy, you can choose.” 

“Yay!” she said as she slid off the seat and Dana carried her bowl over for her as Fox turned off the music that had been playing. 

They sat on the couch with Ivy at the coffee table sitting on her knees, her bowl of ice cream before her. She chose a movie fairly quickly and soon she was giggling at the characters. 

Fox glanced at Dana and watched her watching the movie. She turned her head and smiled at him and he smiled back. 

“Thank you for dinner tonight. For dessert. For the evening,” she said quietly and he nodded. 

“Thank you for coming,” he said and she nodded, her attention returning to the movie. 

He tried to finish his ice cream, but it was simply too sweet for him. He held the bowl in his hands however, until Ivy and Dana were finished and he offered to take their bowls to the kitchen. 

Feeling thirsty, he brought out glasses of water for everyone and sat back down on the couch. Ivy was lying beside Dana, her head on a pillow resting against her thigh. Dana ran her hand slowly up and down Ivy’s back as they watched the movie. 

Deep breathing could soon be heard and Dana laughed softly. 

“I knew she wouldn’t last too long,” she said quietly, her hand still rubbing Ivy’s back. “It’s been a long week and Friday’s she usually fades fast. It’s funny that the rest of the week I’m usually on her to get to bed and on Friday she falls asleep on the couch or she puts herself to bed. Although, not too surprising considering I’m equally as tired by the end of the week. So…” 

“Yeah,” he said, nodding as he watched them, admiring Dana’s slender fingers. “That’s why you put her in her pajamas?” 

“Hmm, yeah. Makes it easier once we’re home.” 

“Smart,” he said, suddenly feeling nervous that she may leave soon.  “Would you like some more wine?” 

“Oh, I probably shouldn’t. Need to get this one home soon.” She smiled at him and he sighed with another nod. 

“Would you… would you mind staying a bit? I uh…” He looked down at his lap and licked his lips. “… there is something I wanted to tell you. To…” He looked up and she was staring at him, her hand still in its movement. “Could you stay?” 

She searched his eyes and he held his breath, hoping she would say yes. Letting out a breath, she nodded and he swallowed as he did the same and stood up, turning off the television. 

“Will she be okay there? I could put her on the guest bed?” 

“No, she’s okay. Maybe just a blanket?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” He hurried from the room to get a blanket and take a moment to steel himself.