Caspian

Hearing Ava's excited scream through the phone made my chest tighten in a way I wasn't used to. Her happiness was so infectious that I found myself smiling—genuinely smiling—something I hardly ever did.

"Were you the one that did it?!" she kept yelling through the phone, her voice vibrating with pure joy.

I leaned back against the car seat, letting her excitement pour through me. Damn. She sounded like a little kid who just got their dream toy. I loved it.

I chuckled lowly and said, "We'll talk later about it at home, alright? I’ve got a lot to handle right now."

"Okay!" she said brightly, still practically bouncing...