“That’s nice of him. Those tickets aren’t cheap. I haven’t been there in years, and it might be a nice relaxer after I get done with this final on Thursday. I’m never taking a summer session again. My brain is fried.”
Simona laughed. “I know what you mean. I thought I was going to die when I did that master’s in nursing.”
“I’m going to try to put in about three more hours of studying, and I’ll call my sisters tonight to ask them. Girl, Donovan is a keeper. See you tomorrow.”
Later, while lying in bed, Eve’s words rushed back to Simona: Donovan is a keeper. She wanted to believe he was a keeper, and so far, he had not broken any of his promises, but every relationship started that way. Would he still keep them next week, or a month from now? One day at a time, she told herself.
She was admittedly excited about her first trip to Disneyland, and by Saturday was bouncing off the walls like a kid on Christmas morning. She finished packing Yasmine’s bag with milk, food, snacks, diapers, a change of clothes and everything else she thought she might need. Even Yasmine seemed to sense Simona’s enthusiasm because she was more animated than usual. Eve and her sisters’ families had agreed to join them, and everyone would meet at Simona’s house at nine. Due to the children’s young ages, they all felt it better to go early. Donovan arrived at a quarter to nine.
“Morning. How are my girls?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing Simona with a hunger that left her lightheaded.
“Mmm, morning. We’re good.” Yasmine kicked her legs excitedly, squirmed in Simona’s arms and grabbed Donovan’s shirt. “Hold on, little girl. It’s a good thing I got my kisses,” Simona teased, and passed her to Donovan.
“Hey, angel.” Donovan placed noisy kisses all over her face, and Yasmine squealed with delight. He turned to Simona. “Do you need me to help you pack anything for her?”
“Nope. It’s all done. We just need to transfer the car seat.” She went to retrieve her car keys from the hook in the kitchen.
“Okay. I’ll do it.” He eased the keys from her hand.
“You sure? Those things aren’t easy to put in.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to learn sooner or later, preferably sooner.” He handed Yasmine back and strolled out the door.
Simona stood stunned by his words. Did she dare hope that he planned to stay around? Smiling, she placed Yasmine on her feet. “All right, little one, let’s go to Disneyland.”
Twenty minutes later, they were on the road. Eve rode with Simona and Donovan, while her siblings and their families followed in an SUV large enough for both couples and their children. When they arrived at the large theme park, Eve’s brother-in-law paid the parking for both cars. Simona chuckled at the strollers and bags that had to be unloaded. With all the stuff they had, someone would think they planned to be at the park for a week.
“You didn’t have to pay for the parking,” Donovan told Eve’s brother-in-law as they walked toward the entrance.
“Man, it was the least I could do, since you wouldn’t take any money for the tickets.”
Simona found out that Donovan had secured tickets for both parks. He let her choose the first stop, and she opted for Disneyland.
Donovan took her hand as soon as they passed the gates. “Simona, whatever you want to do and see, or wherever you want to go, let me know. This day is for you, and I want it to be special.”
Just like that, another layer dropped off her heart. “Thank you, Donovan.”
Simona had a ball. They took the children to It’s a Small World and Goofy’s Playhouse, rode the Disney Railroad and Jungle Cruise. Yasmine spent more time on Donovan’s shoulders than in her stroller. She wanted to be in his arms every minute. But Simona couldn’t blame her because it was the same place she wanted to be. Donovan convinced Simona to ride Space Mountain, the Indiana Jones Adventure and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It took at least an hour for her stomach to settle after all those drops.
Later, the group had lunch in one of the character dining restaurants. The kids, especially Eve’s five-year-old niece, got a kick out of seeing and taking pictures with the Disney characters. Simona ate and watched as Donovan patiently fed Yasmine. The little girl was far more interested in his mashed potatoes and ate more off his plate than her own food.
“Do you want me to take her so you can eat?” Simona asked.
“No. She’s fine. I can’t believe she eats this much. Whoa, angel.” Donovan grabbed hold of his plate just before Yasmine pulled it off the table.