Page 28 of Ace

“It wasn’t,” Lizzie confirmed, “but it’s good advice and I know you’re right. It’s just going to be hard telling him and figuring out when to tell him and how to tell him.”

“Sometimes it’s like a Band-Aid. You just have to rip it off and get it over with, or something.”

The analogy made Lizzie giggle. “Thank you. I’ll tell him soon. I just want to get through our perfect day before I go and mess everything up.”

“You aren’t gonna mess everything up. And it’s okay to wait and have your day first because again, you didn’t really break a rule. Just tell him tonight or tomorrow morning or something.”

“I will,” Lizzie promised, pulling Jade in for a quick hug. She really liked the wiser, older Little.

“Is it safe to come in?”

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Lizzie turned and found both Jade’s Daddy and her Daddy waiting in the entranceway of the chapel.

“I’m coming out!” she called and skipped down the center aisle. She already felt a lot better, and when she reached her Daddy, she jumped into his arms, and he pulled her tightly against his chest, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“Come on, little one. We have things to do.”

Chapter 11

Lizzie

“So, we’ve still got about an hour before anything opens. What do you want to do until then?”

Lizzie looked out at the bright lights and heard the clanging songs of the casino machines and had to tamp down her bigger side. A Vegas native, she was no stranger to gambling and even enjoyed it sometimes. But it would put her in a Big headspace and that wasn’t what she wanted to be in. “Can we just walk around and explore?”

“Sure. A lot of things might still be closed this early, but we can walk around and see what there is.”

“Can you carry me?” she asked, still clinging to his neck, “or am I too heavy?” She had to remind herself sometimes, that she wasn’t actually four, and her height and weight were that of a grown-ass woman.

“I can carry you for a bit,” Daddy said, turning to stride toward the section of the resort where the shops and restaurants were held. The sheer number of fun and Little-geared stores had her eyes going wide and money burning a hole in her pocket. There was a Disney store, a Marvel store, a Sanrio Store, a store that sold every fun T-shirt known to man, a Little art gallery, two giant candy stores, a Build-A-Bear and a shop that sold nothing but stuffed animals. “Wow,” she breathed when Daddy stopped to let her peek through the window.

“Does Bert need a friend?” Daddy asked.

“He might,” Lizzie answered solemnly.

“Well, I thought we might win him one at the fair, but if we don’t, maybe we can stop here later,” he promised before moving on. The food options were just as tempting as the shops. Cinnabon and Mickey-D’s, bakeries full of exquisitely decorated cookies, and decadent-looking donuts, a shop that sold crazy cereal concoctions, a Mexican place called Nacho Daddy… Lizzie wanted to try it all.

Finally, they got past the shops and restaurants and into the part of the resort that held the fun stuff. Amusement parks, and playgrounds, bowling alleys, trampoline parks, and of course, the aquarium.

“Oooh,” she gasped, as they came to a wall that actually showcased different fish and sharks behind the glass.

“Cool, isn’t it?”

“Can we go in?”

“It’s still not open, but you know what? I bet it would be okay if we snuck in early and explored before it got too busy.”

“Oh, yes please!” she cried before she could stop herself from giving away her true feelings. She quickly lowered her voice. “Are you sure it will be okay? I don’t wanna get you in trouble.”

Ace leaned as close as he could, until their foreheads were touching. “See the cool thing about that is… I’m kinda the boss.”

“Oh yeah!” Lizzie giggled joyously. “I forgot! Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Daddy used his key to unlock it, and they immediately went through a tunnel where they were surrounded by sea creatures on all sides. Daddy gave her an excellent tour, telling her all about his job and sharing all the facts he usually shared with visitors. He held her the whole time, supporting her body with one arm, while using the opposite arm to point out cool creatures all through the aquarium.

When they finally got to the tank where the stingrays were, Daddy set her on her feet and she ran straight up to the glass. “Hi, little stingray!” she cried, chasing the smallest one as it glided through the water. “Hi, baby! Oh my god, Daddy! They’re so cute!”

She stopped moving for a second, and just stared. Daddy came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. “They are pretty cute, little one, but they are nowhere near as cute as you.”