The Sister Between Them

Chapter 32

After stopping at Breanna's shop to load up on coffee and tons of snacks for the road, they were finally heading out of Sun City. 

"Where are we going?" Dani asked as she sipped her mocha.

"Zoo!" Gavin chirped from his car seat in the back.

"Not the zoo today, Buddy," Rocco said with a slight chuckle. The further he got from Alyssa, the happier he was feeling. That entire environment there had become so toxic. It happened slowly enough to where he didn't notice it immediately, but he did now.

"I want to see the tiger," Gavin whined.

"We will see him again," Rocco promised. "Just not today."

"On Fun-day?" Gavin asked.

Dani laughed out loud and looked at Rocco to answer.

"We're going to have a fun week instead. We're going to go and stay in a cabin in the mountains. Lexi and Dante will come in a couple of days too." Rocco told him, and the little boy's face lit up.

"Yay! Gavi likes mon-tins," he said excitably.

"You do?" Dani asked with an amused expression.

"Yeah!"

"You get up to the mountains often, then?" Rocco asked Gavin, looking over at Dani with a wink.

"Yeah, I do, Daddy." Gavin nodded, his little expression so serious.

"You got some business up there we don't know about or...?" Rocco asked, and Dani started laughing again.

It was contagious, and he found himself joining in. After a few seconds Gavin, not entirely understanding that he was the reason, started laughing too.

Once they'd all settled down, Rocco handed Dani his phone.

"I started looking for a cabin near Pinewood Park. Can you scroll around and find us a nice one? Don't worry about the cost." He handed her his card as well. "You'll like it there; there's a tall pine tree forest, lakes, mountain views everywhere."

"That sounds fun," Dani chirped as he opened his phone.

"These are the kinds of things. I've always wanted to do with him." Rocco said. "I want him to experience nature."

"Then you should," Dani advised as she continued to scroll through his phone. "He can't be stuck in that city all the time."

"I don't think I'll keep the house," Rocco said thoughtfully. "It'll make more sense to sell anyway."

She looked up in surprise. "Sell the house?"

"I mean after the..." he glanced back at Gavin. "Well, you know."

"I didn't realize your mind was made up. I mean, I know you said things were going get... bad." She whispered the word bad. Gavin was too busy playing with Kiki to notice.

"It was made up the second I saw him on the floor." 

"I get that," she said softly.

"Any luck yet?" He said, anxious to change the subject for now. He'd be swimming in divorce talk soon enough, so it was best to enjoy this week and put that off.

"I found one I like," she said, "I just don't know if you all will. It's smaller than any of you are used to."

"We're camping." Rocco assured her. "it doesn't have to be big."

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking concerned.

"I'm not as high maintenance as you think, Valentine. I can handle a small cabin." He laughed a little.