“That would be fun.”
Connor was a little skeptical about the idea of a sleepover at first. “We don’t really know these people, do we?” he asked Mia. “Are you sure she’d be safe there?”
Secretly amused by his sudden overprotectiveness, Mia assured him, “I’ve met Connie several times at dance class now. She’s very nice and I can tell she’s a good mother to McKenzie. I’m sure Alexis would be fine there for one night. But if you’re not comfortable with the idea…”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to keep Alexis from having fun with her friends. It just seems kind of soon to be having sleepovers. But if you think it’s okay—”
“I think it would be okay. But I’ll make it clear that she can come home at any time if she changes her mind, even in the middle of the night.”
“Absolutely. I’d go get her myself.”
Alexis, however, seemed to have no qualms about the plans. The following Friday, Mia drove her to McKenzie’s house where Alexis was greeted by two giggling first-graders and a yipping puppy.
“You’re going to have your hands full,” Mia said to Connie as the girls dashed off toward McKenzie’s room to stash Alexis’s little pink overnight bag.
Waving a hand to indicate the birthday decorations and snacks she’d prepared for the party, Connie smiled bravely. “I’m ready. I’ve got stacks of DVDs and games and crafts and party favors ready for them. That should entertain them for a few hours, anyway.”
Giving Connie a sheet of paper with several phone numbers written on it, Mia urged her not to hesitate to call at any hour if Alexis needed anything.
“She’ll be fine,” Connie assured her as several laughing squeals echoed from another room. “Thank you for letting her come.”
Telling herself that Alexis was in good hands, Mia drove back to Connor’s house. His car wasn’t in the carport, so he was probably with his study group. It appeared as though she had a Friday night on her own. The house seemed very still and empty when she entered, tossing her keys onto a kitchen counter. Maybe she should have made plans with Natalie for tonight, she mused. She wondered if it was too late.
Before she could decide whether she even wanted to try, Connor arrived. “Did you already take Alexis to her sleepover?” he asked, glancing around the quiet living room.
She nodded. “She couldn’t wait to get there. I think she’s going to have a great time.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good, I guess.”
Smiling a little, Mia nodded. “Yes. That’s a good thing.”
He bent to pick up a small, floppy doll that had been dropped on the floor beside the couch. “It already seems a little strange not to have her here,” he said, setting the doll on the coffee table.
“Yes, it does. At least you should be able to study without interruption this evening.”
He pushed a hand through his hair, looking as though he’d made a sudden decision. “You know what? I could use a night off. Why don’t you and I go out to eat? See a movie, maybe? Unless you have other plans?”
Pleased, she smiled. “No, I don’t have other plans.”
“So, how about it? Want to go out for a grown-up night?”
“I’d like that very much.” It had been ages since they’d done anything together like this. And she was convinced the night out would do Connor a world of good. She worried about burnout when all he did was study.
He grinned. “Meet you in the kitchen in ten minutes?”
Laughing, she nodded. “It’s a date.”
A date. Standing in her room a few moments later with her hairbrush in hand, Mia was suddenly struck by her own wording. It was just a figure of speech, of course, so she shouldn’t be having second thoughts about what she’d said. She and Connor had spent countless evenings hanging out with each other and with their friends from work during the past few years. Just because they lived in the same house now shouldn’t mean anything else had changed between them.
Because they’d both eaten late lunches and weren’t yet hungry, they decided to see an early movie, then dine afterward. They chose a comedy that had been out for a few weeks and had received good reviews. Mia put her cell phone on vibrate during the film. She noticed that Connor did the same. Was he, too, deliberately staying available for Alexis’s sake?
The movie was as funny as promised, and they both laughed frequently. Mia was able to enjoy the silliness and Connor’s company, being distracted by thoughts of Alexis only once every ten minutes or so. She couldn’t help glancing at her watch a couple of times, wondering how things were going at McKenzie’s house, hoping Alexis was having fun, that she would be able to sleep without having one of her nightmares.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Connor murmured, catching her checking the time again during the last few minutes of the film.
Dropping her arm, Mia focused on the screen, a little embarrassed about being caught fretting. She must have been pretty obvious because Connor had known exactly what was going through her mind.
They chose a popular, reasonably priced Chinese chain restaurant for dinner after the movie. The restaurant, located in a shopping center not far from Connor’s house, was crowded, as always on a Friday night. They had to stand in a rather long line to order, but were fortunate enough to find a table immediately in the back corner of the dining area. Sharing an order of salted edamame as an appetizer, they discussed the film, concluding that it had been fun, if not classic cinema. They’d both needed a laugh, they agreed. A couple of hours of mindless entertainment.