Greg felt the familiar sway as Madison made her way down the staircase.
The noise reached him before the living room did. Teenage laughter, overlapping voices, howls of joy, all cascading through the house while the television blared in the background. The whole place seemed alive with them, too loud and too bright and too careless to belong to anyone else.
“Oh my god, Ava, you didn’t,” Brooklyn shouted.
Krysi laughed, the sound cutting through just before she bit into a Pizza Roll.
As Madison entered the living room, Greg saw Brooklyn sprawled across the couch like she had been poured there. Ava was in the middle of the floor doing some ridiculous dance while music thumped through the television speakers, even though one of the Fast and Furious movies was playing in the background. Krysi sat nearby, half watching the movie, half watching Ava, laughing every time Ava committed harder to the bit.
Greg grasped Madison’s fingers.
There was nothing he could say that would change any of it. He knew that. He was not in charge here. Not anymore.
He was being allowed to be here.
Invited into their space.
Into their world.
Brooklyn noticed them first.
“Greggy!” she said brightly. “You’re joining us today. Fun.”
Greg forced a small smile. “Hi, Brooklyn.”
Madison’s fingers shifted slightly around him.
Greg caught himself.
“Ms. Reynolds,” he corrected.
Brooklyn grinned. “Aww, he remembered.”
Ava looked over, stopping mid-dance. Her face lit up when she saw him. A slight sheen of sweat glistened against her darker skin from the dancing.
“Oh! Hey, Greg,” Ava said. “It’s been a minute. I only have a few weeks left before you’re looking at a fully trained Guardian.”
She said it with such excitement that Greg could not help but smile.
“That’s amazing, Ava.”
He meant it.
Ava had always worked hard. Her whole family had. When her parents started their lawncare business, Greg had been the first person to sign up. Then, over the next few weeks, he had talked to the neighbors, casually bragging about the job they did, how careful they were, how professional, how fair the price was.
Before long, houses all over the subdivision were calling for slots.
It had been a simple thing.
Greg had never brought it up himself. He had not wanted credit or repayment. He was just helping because that was what people did. Ava’s family were good people, and good people deserved a break sometimes. He had not been able to do much, but he had been able to do that.
And Ava knew.
Her parents knew too. They always asked new customers how they had heard about them, and Greg’s name had come up enough that no one needed to say it out loud.
Seeing Ava now, older, smiling, more confident and secure, felt like its own reward.
She was a good kid.
Greg was glad she was friends with Madison. Her and Krysi both kept things balanced. Greg had always thought of them as Madison’s true friends. The kind who would still check in years later, even after college or jobs or whatever life threw at them. The kind who would make time during holidays when everyone came home.
He was not as sure about Evan and Brooklyn.
Not because they were bad friends, exactly. They cared about Madison. He could see that. But life had a way of pulling people apart. College, careers, relationships, distance. Sometimes friendships ended not with a fight or a blowup, but because the speed of life did not slow down for anyone.
Ava and Krysi felt different.
Ava crouched slightly, hands on her knees, so she was closer to Greg’s level in Madison’s hand. “Thanks. I’m so ready.”
“Do you have a Little lined up,” Greg asked, genuinely curious, “or are you waiting until after you’re fully trained?”
The question left a strange taste in his mouth as soon as he said it.
A Little.
As if he were not one.
As if he were still only a father asking one of his daughter’s friends about her future plans.
Ava did not notice his hesitation.
“Yeah, I can’t wait,” she said. “I have to get a female, though. I kind of wanted a male Little, but my parents said if we’re spending the money, we need to get a bigger one. One that can do more to help out.”
She shrugged, still smiling.
“But I’m still excited either way. I get to give a Little a home.”
“Oh my god, stop,” Brooklyn said, throwing her head back against the couch. “You sound like you’re getting rescues.”
“I mean, kind of,” Ava said.
Brooklyn pointed at her. “See? That. That right there. You’re going to be such a good Guardian it’s actually annoying.”
Ava laughed.
“You should have seen her practicing her Little walk the other day, Greggy,” Brooklyn continued. “It’s really good. So much better than Madison and me when we were in training.”
“I still remember when you both were practicing at Brooklyn’s,” Krysi said, laughing already, “and you were competitive Little-walking and ran into the recliner. Both of you just fully ate it.”
Madison groaned. “Ugh, that was Brooklyn’s fault. She was super obsessed with those platform sneakers.”
Brooklyn sat up, offended. “Excuse you, bitch. Still obsessed. I stand by that purchase.”
Krysi pointed a Pizza Roll at her. “You almost killed both of you.”
“I elevated the sport,” Brooklyn said.
“You elevated yourself into a recliner,” Madison shot back.
Ava laughed and resumed her little dance, softer now, more teasing than performative. “Honestly, I wish someone had filmed it.”
“No,” Madison said immediately.
Brooklyn grinned. “There might be footage.”
Madison’s head snapped toward her. “There is not footage.”
Krysi’s smile widened around another Pizza Roll.
Madison stared at her. “Krysi.”
Krysi held up both hands. “I’m eating. I know nothing.”
Greg felt Madison’s hand shift as she laughed, and for a moment, he let himself relax into the sound of it.
It was strange.
Too loud.
Too careless.
Too much like the old house and nothing like it at all.
But Madison was smiling.
And for now, that mattered.
~~~~
The Ava Cruz Model was updated this weekend. I wanted to attempt to more closely make Ava look Mexican. I’m not fully happy with it but its better then the original.
Ava does sound like she’d be a good guardian.
Her family being Mexican would probably follow some Mexican little standards but Ava being american would incorporate some american standards so the idea she i would be a bit blended.