Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy #1)(60)
Chapter Ten
The next two weeks were pretty much perfect.
Addison and Stella saw Gabe and Cooper for dinner once a week. They saw Gabe, Cooper, Caroline, and Logan for dinner once a week. And Addison and Gabe had dinner alone after their support-group meeting while Stella played with Cooper and Caroline. Addison, Gabe, and the kids spent the weekends together.
Today, Addison sat in the middle seat on the swamp boat again, but she was alone. Cooper was up at the front with Stella and Gabe. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but he was there, and Addison felt a surge of pride that he was facing his fear.
They were all wearing ear protection as they whizzed along the bayou on their way to the area where Sawyer, their guide, felt they’d see the most alligators. Gabe sat between the kids. Cooper clutched the edge of his seat, and though she couldn’t see his face, Addison could picture his expression—part excitement at the speed and noise of the boat and part trepidation. That seemed his standard look when they were out doing almost anything, and Addison felt a swell of love thinking about it. He was careful, but he was so curious and bright. Stella, on the other hand, was looking around avidly, taking in all the sights, with Gabe’s hand resting on the back of her neck. It was an affectionate gesture but also designed to keep Stella in her seat as the boat was moving. Addison felt that same wave of love as she watched both of them.
Last weekend at the children’s museum had perfectly illustrated how the two kids approached new things and had taught both Addison and Gabe more about how to supervise and help. Gabe was more cautious with Cooper, but Cooper needed that. Addison had learned that Cooper liked to have the adults closer and especially loved to have one of them doing whatever he was doing. He liked to have his hand held, literally, and he appreciated hearing “Good job” or “I’m right here.” Stella wasn’t like that at all. She preferred more space and was perfectly content figuring things out on her own. They, of course, stayed close to her, too, in the huge public place, but said things like “Hang on, Stella” and “Stay where we can see you.” Gabe did well with giving Stella the space she needed, but Addison could tell he had to hold back from wanting to help her all the time. Still, Addison noticed that Stella looked around for both Addison and Gabe throughout the day and, more often than not, Stella was the one encouraging Cooper and showing him new things. And Cooper was much more likely to do something Stella suggested than something his father did.
Stella had warmed to the Trahans—all of them—so quickly. That should probably worry her. If something happened and she and Gabe stopped seeing each other, Stella would lose not just Gabe but also a grandmotherly figure in Caroline, a fun-loving uncle in Logan, and a boy who was already her best friend and was practically a brother.
Addison felt a little shiver of trepidation herself. They were in deep with the Trahans, and it had happened quickly.
But just then the boat pulled to a stop, and everyone removed the ear protection they wore and focused on Sawyer.
And a few minutes later, as Stella held Cooper’s hand and extended it toward the baby alligator Sawyer held, Addison knew that there was no way to slow all of this down. They just had to hold on for the ride and trust that everything would be okay.
When they were back at the Boys of the Bayou dock, Stella grabbed Addison’s hand and pulled her into the gift shop.
“Mommy, I have to get Cooper one of these, okay?” Stella took a mini-flashlight from a hook on a display rack near the registers. It was, of course, a plastic alligator, and the light came from its wide-open mouth.
Addison took the flashlight from Stella’s fingers. “You do?”
“I brought my allowance money.” Stella held up a hand and uncurled her fingers. In her palm were three dollar bills and a collection of coins.
“You’re going to use your own money?” Wow, this was important.
Stella nodded. “We were talking about it before we came, and I told him I would get him one.”
“You were talking about this flashlight specifically?” Addison asked. “Really?”
“I told him I saw it last time and told him he needs it. He wants it.”
Something nagged at Addison about that answer. “He has a whole bunch of flashlights, right?” Addison said. “Does he want this one just because it’s an alligator?”
Stella shook her head. “He needs another flashlight. But I told him this one would remind him he’s brave because he was going to pet an alligator today.”
Addison regarded her daughter thoughtfully as the nagging feeling intensified. “He needs to be reminded he’s brave?”
Stella nodded. “He thinks he’s not brave because he gets worried about things.”
Addison thought about that. “You haven’t told him he’s not brave, have you, Stell?” she asked.
Stella actually looked offended. “No, Mommy. That hurts his feelings. I’m helping him feel brave.”
Addison believed Stella hadn’t said it to Cooper, but there was something about her daughter’s answer that bothered her. “Has someone else told him that he’s not brave?”
Stella frowned. “Some kids at his day care.”
Oh boy. “And you’re trying to help him feel brave?” Addison asked. “How are you doing that?”
“I tell him that he helped me that night when it was stormy and I was scared.”