sharp corners, but softer edges.

and that’s exactly how jennifer jareau ended up walking into the coffee shop where she was supposed to meet elle greenaway for their normal every-two-week catch-up.

except, this time—she wasn’t alone. but before she even got to that point, before she even stepped out of the house, jj had to figure out how to dress a toddler. which, for the record, was proving to be a far greater challenge than she ever would have expected.

jj had gotten ready at emily’s house.

which, in itself, was still something she hadn’t fully processed yet. emily had to leave not long after the call came in, which is also how jj somehow ended up with a house key .

a whole house key to emily prentiss’ home .

she had stood there for a second, looking down at it in her palm as emily grabbed her bag, pressing a quick kiss to aria’s head for what had to be the eighth time and yet, somehow, that still wasn’t enough for aria, who whined again, reaching for her, her little hands outstretched.

“just lock up when you leave, thank you again!” emily had called over her shoulder, clearly fighting the urge to kiss aria one more time.

jj had immediately stepped in to distract the toddler before she could get too upset.

she gasped, her most dramatic gasp, before swooping her up and holding aria slightly above her head.

“do yooooou… wanna go get big girl brunch with me… even though we just ate?” jj wiggled her eyebrows. “we don’t have to disclose that information to elllleeee…”

aria blinked, then giggled - and nodded. jj grinned, feeling a warmth settle into her chest as she carried aria to her bedroom. she laid aria down on the plush rug, sitting cross-legged beside her as she scanned the closet for something to wear, and that’s when she really noticed it. how organized it was. how meticulously arranged every tiny piece of clothing was—little leggings and shirts, miniature jeans and sweaters, all neatly folded or hung with care.

emily had taken the time to do this. had made sure everything had a place. had folded every tiny sock, every pair of sweatpants, hung every cardigan and long sleeve in a way that said she cared about every detail of aria’s life. jj swallowed thickly, forcing herself back into the moment, back into the task at hand.

she grabbed a pair of black leggings with tiny ruffles on the butt—ones that made her actually feel like she died on the spot when she saw them—along with a soft grey long-sleeve onesie, a fresh diaper, and a pair of socks. then, she knelt beside aria, who was currently perfecting her toe touches, her little body bending in the most concentrated way imaginable than jj was always impressed by – babies were way too bendy.  jj smirked.

“alright, bug, let’s get you dressed.”

jj had seen plenty of diaper changes before. she had been around babies. she knew how this worked. she had zero concerns about it and thankfully, aria made it easy. jj gently unsnapped the buttons of her onesie, pulling it up over her belly, making soft little conversation with her as she worked.

“you are so good at this,” jj praised, tickling the side of aria’s belly as she carefully unfastened the diaper as if she was the one doing all the work. aria giggled, wiggling slightly, but she wasn’t trying to escape. jj made quick work of it, wiping her clean, tossing the old diaper in the bin (mumbling ‘threeeee pointerrr’ when she shot it like a basketball) , and grabbing the fresh one with ease.

“okay, okay, lift those little legs for me,” jj coaxed, gently lifting aria’s ankles as she slid the new diaper under her and a few fastened tabs later. 

“boom. done. nailed it,” jj declared proudly as aria grinned up at her. jj felt her heart melt a little.

getting aria into the onesie was fairly simple. she helped in her own little way—lifting her arms when jj asked, letting her slide her hands through the soft cotton sleeves. jj smiled as she gently pulled the fabric down over her belly, fastening the tiny snaps near the bottom.

“there. look at you,” jj praised, adjusting the neckline slightly, making sure everything was perfect. aria patted the fabric on her chest, seeming to approve of it. jj chuckled, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“alright, now for these wiggily legs.”

jj reached for the tiny black leggings, the little ruffles on the butt making her actually sigh out loud once again. 

“you have no idea how cute these are,” jj murmured, rolling them up slightly to get aria’s feet through. she slipped one little foot in. success. then she grabbed the other - but just as she got one ankle in, aria wiggled. jj paused.

“okay, hold still for me, baby,” she coaxed, adjusting the leggings.

aria giggled, kicking her foot right back out. jj sighed through her nose, laughing to herself.

“alright, alright, let’s try again.”

she got one foot through again. then the other. she started to pull them up— and aria arched her back, wiggling like an actual worm. jj gasped dramatically, looking at sergio, who had just walked into the room and immediately flopped onto his side.

“she’s fighting me, serg. she’s fighting me!”

sergio blinked slowly, his tail flicking like, welcome to my world, rookie. also, you chose leggings? bold. 

jj turned back to aria, who was giggling now, fully aware that this was a game.

“okay, you little squirmy worm,” jj teased, reaching down and gently pressing her hands to aria’s belly to hold her still.

“oh nos” aria mumbles, her breath turning into a soft giggle.

jj grinned, pressing a quick kiss to aria’s forehead.

“oh yes, we must!”

and finally with one swift move, she got the leggings all the way up. jj sat back, panting lightly, feeling victorious. aria just smiled up at her, looking completely unbothered by the struggle she had just put jj through.

sliding the socks onto aria’s tiny feet was easy—jj just had to make sure they were snug enough so she wouldn’t immediately kick them off. she wiggled aria’s toes playfully before securing the second one.

“there. done.”

aria blinked. then murmured randomly, as if it was just on her mind to say.

“emmy good.”

jj felt her heart melt entirely. she inhaled, steadying herself, her voice softer now.

“yeah, baby. she is.”

she glanced around the room, scanning the neatly organized space, her eyes catching on something. a small, clear container sitting on the dresser. inside? bows. jj grinned to herself. she was already having too much fun with this—more fun than she even realized—but now? now, she was all in. she patted aria’s belly gently.

“stay.”

aria blinked up at her, her little fingers curled in her lap, watching as jj got up and sifted through the selection of bows, carefully picking out a soft grey one and grabbing a hair elastic and brush. returning to aria, jj gently sat her up, tucking her close, her smile widening as she reached for the brush.

“alright, pretty girl..”

she ran the brush lightly through aria’s silky dark curls, working slowly, careful not to tug. aria stayed still, letting jj smooth her hair, the rhythmic strokes of the brush calming her, her lashes fluttering slightly like she was enjoying it. jj was enamored. she hadn’t even noticed how much she was loving this until it hit her all at once—

first off, aria was utter perfection. she was so small, so sweet, and now, so perfectly put together with her little leggings, her ruffles, the onesie, her tiny socks— and now, her bow, which jj carefully clipped in after pulling a bit of her hair up into a soft, tiny ponytail.

jj sat back, and then she grinned. because damn it, she was loving this. every single second of it. she lifted aria into her arms, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, her heart warming at the toddler’s soft little hum of happiness at the affection.

“alright, brunch date. time to go.”

she carried her downstairs, her eyes immediately landing on the jogging stroller emily had set up by the door. jj exhaled gratefully, because if she had to unfold that herself, it probably would’ve taken her a solid twenty minutes and an instructional video. she secured aria into the seat, double-checking the buckles, making sure everything was snug but comfortable. and just as she was about to step out the door—

“bye bye, sergy!”

jj paused, her hand still resting on the lock, turning slightly to glance at aria. the toddler was beaming, kicking her little legs in the stroller, completely sure that her goodbye had been heard.

jj smiled.it was so natural, the way aria called out for him. the way she expected him to say goodbye back, even though he was probably off somewhere deep in his mid-morning nap. it was clearly something she did, daily.  and before she could stop herself—

“bye, sergio,” jj said softly.

it came out so naturally, slipping from her lips before she even realized it, and it felt right. she locked the door behind her, adjusted the stroller’s handles, and stepped forward, leading them out into the morning light. the air was crisp, the sun just starting to fully settle into the sky. and for the first time in a long time, jj felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

jj walked toward the coffee shop, she caught herself smiling. not for any particular reason— or, well, maybe for one particular reason. because aria? aria was talking away to herself, babbling soft, muffled little sounds, some words clear, others just an endless stream of thought that made complete sense only to her. jj had read that speech regression could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. and she hoped—god, she hoped—that it was just a few days.

because the moments where aria did speak? where she let out her sweet, delicate little voice? it was everything jj wanted to hear. she let the words settle in the air between them, soaking in the soft little hums aria made as she gently swung her feet, watching the world around her pass by.

then a couple walked by. not just a couple, but a couple with dogs. two big, fluffy dogs, leashed together, happily trotting down the sidewalk. and aria immediately leaned forward in her stroller, gripping the straps tight, her whole little body tilting toward them like she was about to launch herself directly into the street. jj choked on a laugh, pressing a steadying hand against aria’s belly, because relax, kid, they’re not going anywhere.

then came the noise. that magnificent , breathtaking little coo of pure delight, the kind that only happens when something is so exciting that a toddler physically cannot contain it. the couple slowed just slightly, that polite thing people do when they don’t necessarily want to stop, but they also know there’s a very enthusiastic baby who has just discovered their existence .

they smiled, nodding toward jj, and the woman spoke first.

“she’s adorable.”

jj smiled back automatically, instinctively bouncing the stroller slightly under her grip.

“thanks,” she said, without even thinking about it.

the couple continued walking, the dogs happily prancing along beside them, and aria sighed dramatically, settling back in the stroller like she had just experienced the greatest thing to ever happen before eleven a.m.

and then it hit her, she had thanked them. like aria was hers. the realization landed so suddenly in jj’s chest that she had to blink herself back into reality, shaking it off, adjusting the stroller handle as she continued walking. she didn’t know why that stuck with her, didn’t know why it settled so deeply in her ribs - but she wasn’t going to analyze it right now. not when she had already reached the coffee shop.

when the bell at the front door dinged, elle didn’t look up at first. why would she? she wasn’t expecting jj to be walking in with a stroller. she had been waiting, sipping her coffee, half-scrolling through something on her phone, her posture relaxed, like she had no reason to assume today would be any different than their usual meetups.

but then she heard the familiar voice say, “hi.”

that got her attention. elle looked up, and her entire expression shifted. because there jj was, with a baby. with a baby she had seen before. but that baby? the last time elle saw her, she was on emily prentiss’ hip - and here she was on jj’s.

elle blinked. then blinked again.

“oh, holy shit, hi?”

jj laughed, adjusting the stroller slightly, already amused by elle’s reaction.

“good morning to you too,” she teased, stepping toward the table.

elle leaned forward, looking between jj and aria like she was trying to put pieces together.

“i—what? how? what?”

jj smirked, unbuckling aria’s straps and lifting her up, balancing her easily on her hip.

“relax, i didn’t steal her,” she quipped. “yet.”

elle narrowed her eyes, but she was grinning now, shaking her head.

“okay, but i need this story, like, immediately,” elle demanded, nodding toward the extra chair.

jj chuckled, patting aria’s back.

“alright, alright, let me get a coffee first, and then i’ll tell you everything.”

elle crossed her arms, still eyeing her suspiciously, but she was smirking.

“you better.”

jj just smiled, because yeah— this was going to be fun to explain to elle who usually needed every single detail. she walked to the counter, shifting her weight from side to side as she scanned the menu, her free hand absentmindedly patting aria’s bottom in that slow, soothing rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. like she had been doing this for years.

she glanced down at aria, lowering her voice as she murmured,

“we are totally not telling elle we already had breakfast because she thinks we’re here to eat with her, and she gets crabby about that. i don’t know why. i mean—” she exhaled, tilting her head. “i do. but still.”

aria let out a soft, confused noise, a tiny little huff, like jj had just overcomplicated the universe for her tiny toddler brain.

jj nodded, as if aria had given her the confirmation she needed.

“i know, right?”

the barista looked up expectantly, and jj quickly ordered a coffee for herself, plus a bagel—because elle would kill her if she sat through brunch and didn’t eat anything. just as she finished, she caught something. aria’s eyes—completely locked onto something. jj followed her gaze, right to the bin of applesauce pouches sitting on the counter. she didn’t miss how aria reached for one, her little fingers stretching as far as they could go, her body leaning slightly in jj’s arms.

jj smirked.

“technically, you did eat your breakfast, so…”

she grabbed a pouch and added it to her order. aria hummed softly, her hands grasping the air excitedly as jj handed it over to her after paying. jj adjusted her hold on aria as she turned back toward elle, who was sitting at the table, arms crossed, watching intently. not in a judgmental way, not even in a confused way. just… watching. jj raised an eyebrow as she sat down across from her.

“what?” she asked, pulling the lid off her coffee.

elle just tilted her head, nodding slightly toward aria, who was now happily sipping from her applesauce pouch, completely content in jj’s lap.

“nothing.” elle’s lips curled slightly, like she was trying to hold back a smirk. “just… watching.”

jj rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her coffee.

“that’s ominous.”

elle hummed.

“i just get the feeling,” she said, tapping her fingers against her cup, “that you’ve seen her more than you’ve told me about.”

jj paused for half a second. not because elle was wrong, but because she was so right that it almost startled her. because yeah, she had been with aria more than she had told elle, and she hadn’t even realized it until now. because it had just… happened. like this was already her life. jj cleared her throat, reaching for her bagel.

“so, are we gonna have brunch, or are we just gonna stare at me the whole time?”

elle smirked, taking a slow sip of her coffee.

“oh, we’re definitely talking about this.”

jj laughed, shifting aria slightly in her lap, making sure the toddler was comfortable before taking a bite of her bagel, raising her brows at elle like what now? elle, however, was not backing down. she tilted her head, crossing her arms, leaning forward slightly.

“spill it. all of it.”

jj chewed casually, letting the anticipation build for a second—because if elle wanted a story, she was about to get one. so, she started talking. told her everything, or mostly everything. how she and emily had started meeting up every saturday morning at the farmers market, and how they had been doing it for the past eight weeks—which, jj realized, was far longer than she had initially processed. how they had also met up for walks. how it was just something they did now, something unspoken, something that had become so naturally ingrained in her routine that she hadn’t even thought to mention it before.

elle listened, sipping her coffee, nodding slowly, as if she was absorbing all of this—like she was making sense of something jj wasn’t even trying to make sense of yet. and then jj told her about last night. how she had spent the night at emily’s house.

and that? that was the moment elle choked on her coffee.

jj had seen a lot in her life, but watching elle greenaway almost collapse in a coffee shop over this? that was a new one. elle coughed, hacked, her eyes widening as she slammed her coffee cup onto the table, her body jolting forward as she fought for air.

aria? jj felt the little girl shift in her lap, the slight tug as she pulled the applesauce pouch from her mouth, her big brown eyes narrowing slightly in concern. her tiny body leaned forward, brows furrowing together as she stared directly at elle—like she was deeply invested in whether or not elle was currently fighting for her life.

jj bit back a laugh, placing a steadying hand on aria’s back.

“you good?” she teased, reaching for her napkin and sliding it toward elle. elle snatched it up, wiping her mouth, her entire expression still one of pure disbelief.

“you—” she coughed again, clearing her throat. “you what?”

jj shrugged, reaching for her coffee.

“spent the night at emily’s house,” she repeated simply, taking a slow sip.

elle stared at her.

“as in… you slept at emily’s house?”

“ yes, elle, that is generally what ‘spending the night’ entails,” jj teased.

elle pointed at her, shaking her head.

“you’re messing with me.”

“i’m not.”

“you are.”

“i’m really not.”

elle leaned back, her entire posture shifting as she absorbed this information. jj waited, sipping her coffee, letting her process. then elle narrowed her eyes.

“i thought you were on some booty call that you tried to sneak around me, but instead you’re over at emily’s house?..did you sleep in the guest room?”

jj smirked.

“what do you think?”

elle groaned, rubbing her hands over her face.

“jesus christ, jennifer.”

jj laughed, shifting aria slightly as the toddler was still watching elle intensely, her little head tilting slightly, like she was still assessing whether elle was in imminent danger.

“relax,” jj teased. “it wasn’t like that. emily just needed help with aria last night, and i offered to stay.”

elle let out a long breath, nodding slowly, as if trying to convince herself to believe that answer.

“uh-huh.”

jj chuckled, setting her coffee down.

“why does it sound like you don’t believe me?”

elle just gave her a look, reaching for her cup again, exhaling.

“because you’ve already kept all of this from me.”

jj bit her lip, realizing she was toeing the line of telling too much of emily’s business but elle was right. she had kept things from her. a lot, actually.  so, she tried to wrap it up the best she could, shifting aria into a more cradled position in her lap.

the toddler, now halfway through her applesauce pouch, was still keeping her big brown eyes locked on elle— like she was assessing her, still.  like she was thinking, hey jayje, this lady is crazy. she’s spilling coffee and acting whacky.

jj could almost feel aria’s little silent commentary. and honestly? elle could probably read it too, but jj pulled her attention back, shifting slightly as she exhaled quietly.

“emily’s a single parent at this point.”

she said it softly, but it carried weight. elle lifted a brow, and jj’s jaw tightened slightly. she hesitated—just for a second—before she finally gave the full truth.

“i signed as a witness on custody papers a few weeks ago.”

elle blinked and jj continued, watching her closely.

“legally, aria is hers. and she’s trying to adjust. and she needed help because they’re both going through changes. okay?”

elle just stared at her for a moment, taking it all in. then, with a small nod—

“oh.”

jj nodded back, her hand absentmindedly patting aria’s back, feeling the steady rise and fall of the toddler’s little breaths. elle sipped her coffee, looking down for a second before she lifted her eyes again, and jj could tell—the next words were coming from a different place now.

“is she okay?”

it wasn’t teasing. it wasn’t poking at her. it was genuine. that was elle. she might be a smart ass, but she cared, and she cared about what jj cared about. and this? this was what jj cared about.

jj nodded slowly, shifting slightly as she looked down at aria, smoothing the fabric of her little leggings.

“she’s doing her best,” jj admitted. “i’m just trying to help where i can.”

elle studied her. jj could feel it, that classic elle greenaway urge to push her, to poke at her, to make her admit things she wasn’t ready to say out loud. because elle wanted to tell her— ‘hey. you care about them. you care about emily and aria more than i’ve seen you care about anything. you’re holding her daughter like she’s yours. you’ve been keeping this from me for months, only giving me surface-level work bullshit.’

elle wanted to give her hell for it. wanted to press her until she admitted something, anything - but she didn’t. because jj was sitting in new feelings. she was in new territory. and elle? elle could recognize when someone needed space to figure it out on their own. so instead she leaned back, sipping her coffee, and replied simply,

“it’s good you’re helping.”

she held jj’s gaze, letting the words sink in.

“emily seems like she needs people she can trust.”

a beat.

“and you seem to be that.”

jj swallowed, nodding once. because she was, she wanted to be, and she wasn’t going anywhere. she wasn’t going to abandon emily and aria like others so easily did. 

elle looked down at aria, who had thoroughly emptied the applesauce pouch but was still going at it, determined to squeeze every last possible drop. she raised an eyebrow, her teasing smirk softening into something warmer.

“and how exactly did you end up being mommy today , though?”

jj barely had time to react to the tease before aria abruptly pulled the pouch from her mouth, cocking her little brow in the most prentiss way possible and correcting elle immediately.

“jayje.”

elle blinked, then she laughed, sitting back in her chair, shaking her head.

“oh, excuse me, miss aria, ” she smirked, raising her hands slightly in mock surrender. “didn’t mean to get it wrong.”

jj grinned, bouncing aria slightly on her lap.

“she’s very particular about names,” jj mused. aria let out a pleased hum, like yes, correct, finally someone understands.

elle tilted her head, looking back at jj.

“alright, so seriously, how did you end up here with a whole baby in your lap today?”

jj let out a soft breath, adjusting aria slightly as she leaned back in her chair.

“emily got called in last-minute. there was something new on the davis case, and her sitter was out of town, so…” jj shrugged, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “i volunteered.”

elle gave her a look.

“you volunteered.”

jj took a sip of her coffee.

“yes, elle, that’s what i said.”

elle smirked, leaning forward slightly.

“and you what, just happened to have an open morning?”

jj rolled her eyes.

“i had brunch with you, remember?”

elle grinned.

“oh, i remember, i just didn’t know i was the backup plan for the toddler in your lap.”

jj let out a soft laugh, nudging aria’s foot.

“she’s a great brunch date, actually.”

elle nodded, watching as aria carefully pressed the now-empty applesauce pouch against the tray, as if testing whether or not she could manifest more applesauce by sheer will alone.

“oh, i didn't disagree,” elle mused.

she hesitated for half a second, then, with the kind of careful effort that said she didn’t exactly know what she was doing, she leaned forward, directing her words toward aria now.

“so, aria, how’s your morning been?”

jj raised an eyebrow, fighting back a grin. aria, still focused on her empty pouch, glanced up briefly at elle, blinking once. nothing. just a long stare. jj snorted, shaking her head.

“you’ve got to earn a response,” she teased, rubbing aria’s back.

elle huffed, sitting back again.

“i asked nicely.”

jj shrugged, smirking.

“yeah, well, she’s vetting you first.”

elle raised an eyebrow, looking at aria, who was still watching her with a level of intensity that no toddler should possess.

“what, like she’s judging my character?”

jj nodded, dead serious.

“one hundred percent.”

elle laughed, shaking her head.

“man, she really is prentiss’ kid, huh?”

aria nodded. a small, soft, definitive little nod. jj lost it, laughing so hard she had to tilt her head back. elle gaped.

“wait, wait, you agree with that, kid?” elle gestured at her, eyes wide.

aria, still calm as ever, simply sucked on the empty pouch again, then leaned her head back against jj’s chest.

“yeah, that’s it, i’m out,” elle muttered, shaking her head.

jj just smirked, pressing a kiss to the top of aria’s head.

“told you,” she murmured.

elle falls silent for a moment. her gaze drops to the now-empty applesauce pouch sitting on the table. without warning, she immediately gets up. jj watches her, confused, shifting aria slightly as she tracks elle’s sudden movement.

“what are you doing?” jj asks, raising an eyebrow.

elle simply holds up a finger, wordlessly telling her to give her a minute, before striding toward the register. jj furrows her brows, watching as elle casually exchanges a few words with the barista before reaching into her wallet.

meanwhile aria has officially reached the toddler wiggle phase, shifting in jj’s lap, her tiny hands now grabbing at everything in reach. jj’s shirt, the strap of her bag, a loose thread on her sleeve - anything she could occupy herself with.

“alright, okay, you busy little thing,” jj murmurs, gently adjusting her grip, pressing a soft kiss to aria’s head to keep her still.

just as she does, elle returns, a fresh applesauce pouch in hand. she clears her throat dramatically. it works. both jj and aria freeze—both of them glancing back at her at the exact same time. aria blinks. jj squints, then lets out a small laugh, shaking her head.

“what are you doing?”

elle waves her off, twisting the cap of the pouch and setting it down in the middle of the table with deliberate precision. then, she leans forward slightly, steepling her hands in front of her.

“so, aria…”

of course, now she has aria’s full attention. or, more accurately, the applesauce pouch has her full attention. jj glances between them, her eyes narrowing.

“elle, do not mess with her, she’s just shy. c’mon—”

elle tsks, waving her hand dismissively.

“if you say elle, i’ll let you have it.”

jj’s jaw tightens slightly, already knowing exactly where this is going. aria, however, just frowns a bit, sinking into jj’s chest. jj’s protective instincts kick in immediately, her voice dipping into a tone that’s firmer now - something that elle hasn’t really heard. sure, she’s heard her firm on cases - but this is a protective tone she’d never heard come from jj. 

“elle, she’s having a hard time using her words right now. seriously. i’m not kidding. that’s half the reason i was over at emily’s.”

that makes elle pause. jj watches as her teasing expression flickers into something softer, guilt creeping up just slightly as she glances back at the applesauce pouch.

“oh—” elle sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. “sorry. geez. i feel like an ass now, here.”

she picks up the pouch, holding it up like a peace offering, her expression genuinely apologetic. jj already knows aria won’t reach for it, she doesn’t take things from people most of the time. so, instead, jj takes it herself, then gently places it into aria’s little hands. and that, at least, earns a response. aria presses the spout to her lips, contentedly drinking it, settling slightly in jj’s arms. elle watches her for a moment, smiling just a bit, before she glances back at jj.

“i didn’t know,” she says quietly, genuinely. “i wouldn’t have made the applesauce an ultimatum here. i just—”

but she’s cut off. it’s soft. it’s tiny. but it’s there.

“ewwwwll.”

her best little attempt at elle.

jj smiles immediately, rubbing slow circles into aria’s back speaking softy. 

“hey..look at you, that was a good job aria..”

elle pauses for a second, blinking, before her lips curve into a grin, and then she laughs.

“heck yeah, auntie elle will take that.”

jj raises an eyebrow.

“auntie elle?”

elle shrugs, taking another sip of her coffee.

“if you get to play mommy for a day, don’t i get to play auntie?”

jj rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

“you wish.”

but the way her smile lingers says she doesn’t actually mind it at all.