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“Syd’s my friend, Daddy.”

That made me smile, and I said, “I will always be your friend. That will never change. And I’m still your nanny. That won’t change either.”

“What do you think about that?” he asked her.

She was quiet for a moment and finally responded, “Will we still do fun things together?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” I said so softly, “of course we will. We’ll do all the things we’ve done before.”

“Yay!”

I connected eyes with Ford before he leaned toward Everly.

“You understand that means that Sydney is now my girlfriend and she’s going to be at the house a lot more?” He turned her face, locking their eyes. “We’re still going to have our special time together—I want you to know that. But Sydney will join us during some of those occasions, and sometimes, you and I will be alone.”

She said nothing.

And then, slowly, a devilish grin came across her face. “Daddy, are you gonna smooch Syd like Uncle D smooched Kendall at my birthday party?”

This kid.

I couldn’t possibly adore her more.

An