Chapter Sixteen:
"Guess what, Aunt Ivy!" Ali squealed with happiness and excitement. "Me, Daddy, and Nana are going to Boston next week. To visit Aunt Theresa. I can't wait. It's going to be so much fun." Ivy smiled at her enthusiasm. You just couldn't help yourself when you were around Ali. Whether she was being an angel or a little devil, you loved her all the same.
"Yes, sweetheart. I'm sure it will. You love your aunt Theresa. Don't you?" Ali's eyes sparkled as she said, "Uh huh." "I bet you do." I know someone else who cares for her, maybe even loves her. Just as much as you do, Ivy thought to herself as Ethan walked into the room. His face brightening at the sight of Ali. He held out his arms, and she laughed as Ali flew into them.
"And just what are doing here today, Princess Ali? I thought you were staying with your grandma Pilar," he said as he released her and looked into her blue eyes. "Nana had to go to the hospital." Worry creased his brow, and he turned to his mother. He still loved Pilar like a second mother, though their relationship since the whole Theresa situation had been strained.
"Don't worry, dear. Pilar's fine. Why don't you tell him what's going on Ali?" Ivy suggested. Ali scrunched up her face in concentration. Huffed in annoyance at the bothersome strand of blond hair that kept escaping her ponytail. "Uncle Miguel and Aunt Kay had to go pick out a baby." Ethan's brow shot up at this information, and he had a hard time keeping a straight face. He snuck a look at his mother on the sofa. She was trying desperately to stifle her laughter.
"What do you mean, Ali?" he asked in amusement. "You know silly," she scolded. "They went to pick out a baby." Ethan looked to Ivy for help. But all she offered was a smile. She was enjoying this conversation entirely too much. "Don't you mean your Aunt Kay went to the hospital to have her baby? Your cousin?"
"Nope," she qualified with a shaking of her head. More hair escaping the ribbon that held it back. She pushed it away in aggravation. "Everybody goes to that window. The one in the hospital. And they tell the nurse which baby they want. Isn't that right, Aunt Ivy?" Ivy was too far gone to answer her. Ethan finally lost his own battle and couldn't stop laughing himself. Ali's blue eyes flashed in anger. Her chin stuck out defiantly, and she crossed her arms.
Ethan knew that stance. So did Ivy. And Ali's resemblance to her mother at that moment was almost enough to sober them up. Almost. Ivy still sported a smile as she went to Ali and gathered her unyielding little body up into her arms. Hugging her tightly until she relaxed in her arms. "I don't like it when you laugh at me," Ali pouted. Her blue eyes wet with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Ivy said as she brushed Ali's blond hair back from her forehead. "Me, too," Ethan agreed. Sitting down beside them on the sofa. "Do you forgive us?" he asked. Ali studied him from beneath her lashes and cast another glance Ivy's way before answering. Then she somberly said, "I forgive you." She hugged Ethan's neck tight as if to prove her words. "Now," Ethan said locking eyes with her, "what do you say I show you all your mommy's favorite places to play? All her hiding places? Then we can go look at some old pictures of her when she was little. Around your age. Would you like that?" Ali's blond head bobbed up and down. A smile lighting up her sweet little face. Ivy waved to them as they disappeared upstairs. Ali's giggles floating down behind them.
"Guess what, Aunt Ivy!" Ali squealed with happiness and excitement. "Me, Daddy, and Nana are going to Boston next week. To visit Aunt Theresa. I can't wait. It's going to be so much fun." Ivy smiled at her enthusiasm. You just couldn't help yourself when you were around Ali. Whether she was being an angel or a little devil, you loved her all the same.
"Yes, sweetheart. I'm sure it will. You love your aunt Theresa. Don't you?" Ali's eyes sparkled as she said, "Uh huh." "I bet you do." I know someone else who cares for her, maybe even loves her. Just as much as you do, Ivy thought to herself as Ethan walked into the room. His face brightening at the sight of Ali. He held out his arms, and she laughed as Ali flew into them.
"And just what are doing here today, Princess Ali? I thought you were staying with your grandma Pilar," he said as he released her and looked into her blue eyes. "Nana had to go to the hospital." Worry creased his brow, and he turned to his mother. He still loved Pilar like a second mother, though their relationship since the whole Theresa situation had been strained.
"Don't worry, dear. Pilar's fine. Why don't you tell him what's going on Ali?" Ivy suggested. Ali scrunched up her face in concentration. Huffed in annoyance at the bothersome strand of blond hair that kept escaping her ponytail. "Uncle Miguel and Aunt Kay had to go pick out a baby." Ethan's brow shot up at this information, and he had a hard time keeping a straight face. He snuck a look at his mother on the sofa. She was trying desperately to stifle her laughter.
"What do you mean, Ali?" he asked in amusement. "You know silly," she scolded. "They went to pick out a baby." Ethan looked to Ivy for help. But all she offered was a smile. She was enjoying this conversation entirely too much. "Don't you mean your Aunt Kay went to the hospital to have her baby? Your cousin?"
"Nope," she qualified with a shaking of her head. More hair escaping the ribbon that held it back. She pushed it away in aggravation. "Everybody goes to that window. The one in the hospital. And they tell the nurse which baby they want. Isn't that right, Aunt Ivy?" Ivy was too far gone to answer her. Ethan finally lost his own battle and couldn't stop laughing himself. Ali's blue eyes flashed in anger. Her chin stuck out defiantly, and she crossed her arms.
Ethan knew that stance. So did Ivy. And Ali's resemblance to her mother at that moment was almost enough to sober them up. Almost. Ivy still sported a smile as she went to Ali and gathered her unyielding little body up into her arms. Hugging her tightly until she relaxed in her arms. "I don't like it when you laugh at me," Ali pouted. Her blue eyes wet with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Ivy said as she brushed Ali's blond hair back from her forehead. "Me, too," Ethan agreed. Sitting down beside them on the sofa. "Do you forgive us?" he asked. Ali studied him from beneath her lashes and cast another glance Ivy's way before answering. Then she somberly said, "I forgive you." She hugged Ethan's neck tight as if to prove her words. "Now," Ethan said locking eyes with her, "what do you say I show you all your mommy's favorite places to play? All her hiding places? Then we can go look at some old pictures of her when she was little. Around your age. Would you like that?" Ali's blond head bobbed up and down. A smile lighting up her sweet little face. Ivy waved to them as they disappeared upstairs. Ali's giggles floating down behind them.