Douglas retracted his hand, placing the vase on the coffee table with an elegant, composed movement, as if the momentary intimacy had never occurred, but my heart could not calm down quickly.
He turned to Ava, who was playing with Oliver in the yard. "Sweetheart, would you like to go with Daddy to visit Mommy's farm?"
"Yes!" Ava jumped up excitedly and then took my hand. "Mommy, let's go!"
Stepping out of the cottage, the warm sunlight bathed us, carrying a hint of autumn's coolness.
Ava ran ahead excitedly, occasionally looking back to urge us to hurry up. She saw Oliver playing with a small brown mouse on the grass and was immediately captivated. "Wow! What a cute little mouse!"
Oliver, seeing Ava, happily introduced the mouse. "This is Jerry, my good friend!"
"Hello, Jerry!" Ava c
