He glanced over at Arlo, who was playing contentedly with his toys in the corner of the room. "All right then," he said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately as they passed by him on their way out the door. "Have fun with Grandma today, buddy."

As they stepped outside and into the bright sunshine, he turned to her and smiled. "Where to first?" he asked eagerly, a sense of anticipation humming through him like electricity.

"Well," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye, leading him down the front steps and toward the car. "I thought we could just see where the day takes us." He nodded slowly, feeling his heart skip a beat at the prospect of letting fate guide their path for once.

As they climbed into the car and started driving, he reached over and took her hand again, giving it a squeeze. "I'm ready for whatever comes our way," he said with a grin. "