"Can I sleep with you?" Don asked, bouncing closer, eyes bright with hope.
Alex pretended to think, tilting his head. "Hmm…" He squinted at his son, dragging out the suspense. "Sure. But no stealing my pillows this time."
Don laughed, threw his arms around his father's neck, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before bolting toward the kitchen to relay the dinner order.
As soon as the boy was gone, Alex leaned back, pulling out his phone. Without thinking too hard about it, he scrolled to Eva's name.
It rang three times before she picked up. "Hey."
The corner of his mouth tugged up at the sound. "Hi. I couldn't stop by today—had to make sure everything was in place for the trip." He rubbed at the tension in his neck. "Are you packed and ready?"
"Yeah… Curtis helped, as usual," she said, and he could hear the small smile in her voice.
Alex chuckled low. "Well, that's his job. Though I can think of a few things I'd rather help you pack myself…I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
