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“That’s okay, I got to wrangle this little one into baking with me. Did we have fun, princess?”

Dahlia looks between the two of us and shrugs.

“Eh,” she answers.

I laugh out loud, but Autumn tries to stifle her own amusement for my sake.

“You prefer cooking toy food in a toy kitchen?” Autumn asks.

“Yes! It’s so easy.”

I mean, that’s completely true. You can’t mess anything up.

She pulls Autumn by the hand to show her exactly how easy it is, and my friend is the epitome of patience as she listens and plays along. She doesn’t get offended when she starts to do exactly what my daughter tells her to do, and then Dahlia changes her mind, expecting Autumn to know that without itbeing said. She pretends to eat everything Dahlia hands her, with an enthusiasm I’m hardly ever able to fake.

She’s going to be the best mom.

Autumn hangs out until it’s time for me to take Dahlia to her dad’s house. The time is filled with a comfortable, quiet coexistence between the three of us. We go over the last few details of Vic’s baby shower, which is coming up way too soon for my liking. Time is flying by so fast.

I enjoy having company. I soak it up while I can, because it’s too often just me and my girl sitting at home most of the time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a little change of pace is always good. Seeing my best friend is always good.

When the time comes, and she’s eaten five more of my cookies, I walk her down to her car. I’m a little overprotective of Autumn in her current state, so I treat her like Dahlia and make her hold onto me while going down the stairs. She laughs like I’m ridiculous, but doesn’t argue.

“What was Vic up to today? I know she was busy, but she didn’t say with what.”

“I actually don’t know, she didn’t tell me either.”

“Should we be suspicious?” I ask with a playful raise of my brows.

“Oh, definitely,” she jokes. “The one time we don’t know what she’s doing must mean she’s replaced us with better friends.”

I scoff.

“Impossible.”

“Extremely.” Her phone lights up in her hand and she smiles when she looks down at it. “Oh, hold on. It’s Miles.”

She moves to lean back against her car, as she answers the phone. I eavesdrop a little, only because I can’t go back inside yet. Not until she’s in her car and driving away.

“Do I have your what?... Oh, where’d you put it?... Let me check.”

The smile she points in my direction is her attempt at apologizing that she’s keeping me waiting out here. I don’t mind, it’s a nice night. Not as cold as it could be for February.

I watch as she opens her trunk and starts looking for something. As she’s occupied with it, I spot an all too familiar car pulling into its usual spot, just a few down from us.

I gasp in excitement at the timing. I want Autumn to see her, because who doesn’t want to point out their crush to their best friend? I may have neglected to mention our kiss the other night, since I’m not even sure how I feel about it. I don’t think I could come up with the right words.

It’s not like I can have a straightforward conversation with the woman to figure it out. I don’t get the feeling that she’s attracted me or anything. But it had a different energy than any random kiss I’ve had before. Not that there have been so many, but taking Bailey for instance. That was fun and innocent, and I didn’t think about it much afterwards.

This was intense in a way that refuses to let me stop thinking about it. I didn’t care what Bailey thought about me, but I’m dying to know what this woman thinks. Even though it can’t be anything good, I want details. I need details. It’s driving me a bit nuts.

And considering how important it is that I keep my sanity, I can’t let that happen again.

I close the distance between Autumn and I with two steps, and pull on her sleeve to get her attention. She mumbles at me to hold on while she opens a plastic bag, and I pull again.

“What?” she asks, moving the phone away from her face.

I point in the general direction of that other car, but my neighbor’s back is already to us as she goes up the stairs. She moves so freaking fast. I sigh. Her face is so nice to look at, I wanted Autumn to know that much. Not that the rest of her isn’t,because her body is sculpted perfection. I’ve never seen her like this, with this kind of view.