That made me smile, and I said, “I will always be your friend. That will never change. And I’m still your nanny. That won’t change either.”
“What do you think about that?” he asked her.
She was quiet for a moment and finally responded, “Will we still do fun things together?”
“Oh, sweetheart,” I said so softly, “of course we will. We’ll do all the things we’ve done before.”
“Yay!”
I connected eyes with Ford before he leaned toward Everly.
“You understand that means that Sydney is now my girlfriend and she’s going to be at the house a lot more?” He turned her face, locking their eyes. “We’re still going to have our special time together—I want you to know that. But Sydney will join us during some of those occasions, and sometimes, you and I will be alone.”
She said nothing.
And then, slowly, a devilish grin came across her face. “Daddy, are you gonna smooch Syd like Uncle D smooched Kendall at my birthday party?”
This kid.
I couldn’t possibly adore her more.
And if that was how she defined our situation, if she saw love as affection, then that was perfectly acceptable to me.
“Yes, baby, I’m definitely going to smooch Syd the way Uncle D smooched Kendall.”
“Ewww.”
“Ewww,” he mocked, planting several wet ones on her cheek. “How can you say my kisses are ewww?”
“Daddy!” She laughed.
He waited until she calmed to say, “Are you happy Sydney’s my girlfriend?”
She bobbed her head.
“How about you go give her a hug? I think she could use one.”
The anxiety started to leave my chest as she wiggled off his lap and hurried over to mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed.
I held her with all my strength.
I was so grateful for this moment, the way she had accepted me into their lives from the very beginning.
How she was accepting me now.
Those feelings only increased when I heard, “Love you, Syd.”
Oh God.
My heart swelled to the point that my eyes squinted, fighting back the tears that wanted to form. “I love you too, Everly.”
When I opened my lids, I looked across the seat at Ford.
It’s okay, he mouthed.
He knew.
And for that, I was even more grateful.