eighty-six

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"Pepper and I got ice cream today

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"Pepper and I got ice cream today. I didn't like it,"

"You didn't like it, did you?" the sound of disgust in Aurora's voice brought a smile to Audelia's lips, longing to see her daughter in person and not just hear her voice over a phone.

"Mint is not for me,"

Deli's eyes scanned the sidewalks as she watched all of the children, young to old, walking along the streets as the schools let out for the day. She leaned back against the brick wall of the old Queens apartment building behind her, clutching the phone to her ear as she awaited the arrival of her fiance.

"Your dad likes mint, but it's never been my favorite. I've always favored chocolate chip,"

"I know, sixty-six percent of women like plain flavors while sixty-three percent of men like special flavors,"

An eidetic memory. Nathan and Pepper had brought her in to be tested after Rora had stumbled into Tony's lab and recited the entire first chapter of a psychology textbook a month ago after looking at it once. She barely knew what half of the words meant, and yet she read it all. An IQ test score of 110, a number that doctor's said was only going to grow with age.

A genius girl, her girl, and she had missed it all.

"Don't always rely completely on facts, Rora. Sometimes they can be-"

"When are you and daddy going to be home?"

The question, one that Deli was all too familiar with, brought a sigh to her lips.

"I don't know, baby. There's some stuff going on with your uncle Steve, and your dad will probably call Pepper when he's on his way back-"

"I meant Tony,"

Now this was new. A simple sentence that brought tears to Audelia's eyes. Her daughter didn't even understand the weight of what she had just said, but it was like music to her ears.

"I...I don't know honey. Whenever we talk to your uncle Steve then we will be,"

"...I miss you guys,"

"And we miss you more than you will ever understand baby," the doors of the building opened, revealing Tony beyond them. "Listen, when I come home I promise I will be there for awhile. I won't go anywhere, and we'll go wherever you want to go."

"Like the zoo?"

"Yes, baby. I have to go, but I'll be home soon. I love you so much,"

"I love you too, mommy. Tell daddies I love them!"

With a smile on her face Audelia slid her phone into her pocket as Tony wound an arm around her waist, raising en eyebrow down at the women.

"This is the first time I've seen you smile in awhile, what did you do?"

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