“Ow, Papa, that hurts.”

Sabra’s eyes popped open at hearing Ava’s voice. The new surroundings took a moment to register. She was in the middle of an enormous bed with the best sheets she’d ever experienced.

It all came rushing back as Ava made another noise of protest.

“That’s not how Aunt Bronnie does it. Papa, I don’t think that piece goes there.”

What were they doing?

Sabra sat up noticing her thigh was better but still held a dull, muted pain deep down. She listened to try to figure out what Colson and Ava were up to. She didn’t want to intrude if he was giving the child a bath. Then she shook her head realizing Ava was old enough to give herself a bath.

“Hold still so I can get this part to fit through this one,” she heard Colson say.

“Stop, that hurts. It’s too tight,” Ava wailed.

That was it. Sabra had to know. Her suspicions said he was trying to comb the child’s hair. She eyed her scooter in the far corner of the room and made the necessary hops to reach it.

Sabra wanted to curse at how much her loose breasts flopped about as she’d made her way to the corner that might as well have been in Downtown Atlanta for how much effort it took to get there.

“Yep, just as I thought,” she said making it to the door of Colson’s bathroom to see what looked like an electrified lion’s mane of hair in angry protest to Colson’s hair combing skills.

Sabra pressed the scooter into the large bathroom and demanded the comb and for him to move out of her way with a silent eye stare down.

“Okay, fine, you take a try,” he said dropping the comb in her hand.

That poor child. Ava’s face was streaked with tears and frustration as the neat plaits from yesterday were gone to be replaced with a thick wall of long hair with a mind of its own.

“Hi, Miss Bria,” the child said through sad little sobs.

“Hi, baby girl.” To Colson Sabra asked, “how did you manage to turn her hair into this?”

“All I did was take down the plaits and try to freshen them up. This always happens, and I don’t know how to get them back in.”

Sabra ran fingers through what she could of Ava’s tangled mass of hair. The child had beautiful hair that was coarser and wavier than Colson’s. She managed to part the child’s hair with her fingers to see her little scalp was red and irritated.

Sliding back into hair work mode as easy as melting butter, Sabra looked around for the minimum hair items.

To Colson, she asked, “Where are her hair cream, water bottle, and barrette box?”

“Her what and what?” His look of confusion would have been cute if Ava wasn’t still sniffling from the colossal mess he’d made of the child’s hair. Before lashing into him, Sabra took a moment to regain perspective and patience.

“Miss Bria, can you do my hair like Aunt Bronnie? We get to go to the big library today, and I wanted my hair to look like when Aunt Bronnie did it, but I messed it up when I went to sleep.”

“Yes, baby girl. We’ll make your hair look good.” To Colson, she asked, “Did you make sure to tie her hair down last night before she went to bed? And, where is her hair bonnet?”

More confused looks ran across the gorgeous man’s face. “I wish I knew what you were talking about.”

Ava spoke up, “He doesn’t have the stuff that Aunt Bronnie has, but she said she put stuff for my hair in my treat bags from the mall.”

Without Sabra having to ask, Colson turned and said on his way out of the bathroom, “I’ll get them.”

Alone with Ava, Sabra placed a gentle kiss on the little girl’s tear-stained cheek and said, “Don’t you worry, we’ll have you fixed up so pretty, your friends will want to wear their hair like yours.”

Ava’s eyes lit up. “You think so?”

Sabra’s heart melted at the little girl’s growing faith in her. There wasn’t anything Sabra wouldn’t do to make sure this baby went to school with the best hairstyle possible.

“How much time do we have before you have to leave?” She was about to say never mind and that she’d ask Colson when Ava replied.

“Forty-three minutes. That includes my breakfast and getting dressed.”

“Oh, yeah, don’t know how I forgot that part about you Dragons with your excellent perception of time.”

“Yeah, Uncle Mac wears a watch, so people don’t think he’s special,” Ava volunteered.

“You talk about your Uncle Mac a lot. You must really like being around him.”

“Yes, because he’s so happy now.”

Sabra’s curiosity meter jumped again. “Why was he not always so happy?”

“Yes, before Aunt Bronnie was around. He wasn’t around that much. He was gone most of the time, but when she came and made his Dragon happy, he became so cool.” Ava looked up into the mirror to capture Sabra’s attention before adding, “You do that for my Papa and me. He was so happy this morning, and I am too.” Ava paused and picked up one of the barrettes Colson had been struggling with earlier to twiddle around her fingers. “Miss Bria?”

“Yes, baby girl?”

Ava looked to be contemplating her next words. Sabra encouraged her to speak her mind.

“Go on, say what you want.”

Ava was still quiet. Sabra proceeded to turn on the sink faucet to warm up the water. Ava watched as she checked under the counter to find some of Colson’s hair pomade. Sabra determined to stay busy and give Ava enough time to gather her words and courage to speak up.

She had finished smelling the three different men’s grooming creams to determine which one smelled the least like a guy to use on Ava’s hair when the little girl spoke.

“Miss Bria?”

Sabra softened her tone and lowered her voice before answering, “Yes, my love?”

Ava smiled at the term of endearment as if it was what she’d wanted to hear. “I was going to ask if you’ll still be willing to be my Mommy when my little brother comes?”

“Huh? When your brother comes?”

“Yes, from your tummy. He told me he’ll be coming soon, but I want to make sure you can still be my Mommy too.”

Sabra put the pomade down to focus on the child. “Ava, how do you know that? I’m not—I mean—I don’t have a baby in my tummy.”

“I know that. Not yet, but you will soon. He told me that I was going to be his big sister.”

“Okay, and what else did he tell you?”

“That’s it and that you’re a great Mommy.”

“Oh, I see.” Sabra grasped at all the training she could remember to deal with what Ava said. Unable to find any previous memories of how to deal with this, she decided to wing it. “Baby girl, do you know things like this often?”

Ava was back to playing with the barrette but stopped to consider Sabra’s questions. “Yes, I guess so. But you didn’t say yes.”

“Say yes? Oh! Yes, of course. I’d love to be your Mommy. I just want to make sure that you never forget your first Mommy. I’ll take over from here if you’re all right with that.”

Ava thought about it and without looking proposed a solution. “Miss Bria, may I call you Mama then? That way I’ll keep Mommy for my first Mommy, and you’ll be my Mama that’s here with Papa. That way, I’ll have a Mama and a Papa, with me here then.”

Sabra was dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say. Before she could form words, Ava turned and plastered her face into Sabra’s stomach without warning. Wild hair cascaded down to Ava’s waist as the child forgot about the barrette and anything else, but the vice grip hold she had on Sabra’s hips.

The soft wisp of a thought lit Sabra from within that Ava had been waiting for her for as long as she’d been alive. This time the tears stung as they fell with force down Sabra’s face.

Colson came back into the bathroom with a handful of plastic bags to see his mate and child having an emotional love fest. Without Sabra having to explain, he came up behind and hugged them both as the newly forming family took a moment to just be.

Ava’s voice broke the moment as she announced, we have thirty-six minutes. Everyone jumped into action at her time check. Sabra made a mental note to get Bronwyn’s number and call her today. Seeing his work was done, Colson beat a hasty retreat to the bedroom to grab Ava’s clothes.

Inside the bags were the best hair products, cute hair accessories, and maintenance bonnets and silk tie downs. Sabra went into her zone like this was a costume change of mere minutes. With the new tools, Sabra’s skillful hands worked to make an intricate lattice pattern in the crown of the child’s head. With the amount of hair Ava hosted, the effect would be jaw-dropping. Sabra wanted to make anyone seeing the child’s hair envious of how beautiful it was. She didn’t know how she knew, but Sabra could tell Ava had been ridiculed for her hair many times. It was that and the idea that Colson was clueless about the proper way to care for his daughter’s hair needs.

Unlike with her father earlier, Ava held still without as much as a word while Sabra worked to interweave in pastel ribbons. She finished with a fat but immaculate princess braid around the perimeter of Ava’s head and made sure Ava’s edges were secured with the right hair product to keep the little wispy baby hair controlled.

“Time-check?” Sabra asked as both Colson and Ava told her they had eighteen minutes.

Ava looked in the mirror and jumped up and down with excitement. Colson came back into the bathroom from gathering his daughter’s clothes from her bedroom to stare in wonder.

“How did you manage to do that? I’ve never seen something so amazing,” he mused staring at Ava’s hair.

The little girl indeed looked like a princess. Sabra had made her air into a tiara that would stay in place the entire day. Hair done, Sabra moved out of the way to let them finish getting Ava dressed and ready for school.

She scooted out behind them following to the kitchen where Colson pulled out a plate of fresh fruit and began to make cheese and veggie omelets. He placed one in front of Ava and the other in front of her.

When Sabra asked where his plate was, his comeback was quick.

“You’re my plate when I get back.”

Ava continued to eat as if nothing happened, humming through her meal. The rest of the process was a whirlwind of activity. Ava grabbed the cutest backpack while Colson packed another one of those bento boxes with her lunch.

At the door to the garage where Sabra saw three late model expensive vehicles, Ava reached up for a hug. As Sabra finished the hug and placed another kiss on the child’s cheek, Ava said, “Thank you for my hair. I love it.” She gave Sabra a quick peck on her cheek and added, “You always smell so good.”

Then she was off to follow her father to one of the cars. Sabra watched as he buckled the child into the booster seat in the back. Ava waved frantically through the tinted window and turned to say something to her father. Her window rolled down. As the vehicle pulled out of the garage, Ava shouted, “Be here when I get home, please?”

“I will,” Sabra yelled back.

“See you when I get home, Mama!” the little girl said before the window rolled back up.

Sabra’s hand stopped in mid-wave. Ava had called her Mama, and it made her want to cry with joy.

Sabra turned the scooter around surprised her thigh wasn’t smarting. Colson had promised he’d be back within an hour. That would give her enough time to wash up, check and return calls and get ready to be mated!