SAINT NOBODY ── RIO [GOOD GIRLS]

four ━━ ᴛᴡᴏ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴅᴜᴄᴋꜱ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ꜱᴡɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ.

"Three little ducks went swimming one day, over the hill and far away. Mother duck said 'quack quack quack quack,' and only two little ducks came back!"

Booping Avery's button nose with a soft giggle, Beth's smile broadened when the child scrunched her features up in amusement. Intently listening to Beth's soothing crooning, Avery nestled deeper into the blanket draped over her, the material bunched in her small hands.

While she tucked the blanket into the car seat and droned along with the melodic intermission of the rhyme, Beth turned her head from side to side with it.

"Two little ducks went swimming one day..."

She scarcely heard the car radio cutting off and Levi's low singing waning just after when he pulled up to the Bolend driveway.

"All right, that's us."Levi apprised, slumping against his seat after pulling his keys from the ignition.

The nursery rhyme came to an end when Avery yawned, Beth yawning herself as she looked up and out of the window. It finally registering that they'd pulled up to her house, Beth sat up straighter on the seat and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"You're sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"

"You have no idea how much I'd love to,"Levi flashed Beth a grateful smile and hopped out of the car."but i've got to clock in before six and I'm hoping I can catch some Zs before I do."

With a parting smile at a half-asleep Avery, Beth exited the car just as Faye hip-checked the passenger door shut.

"All right."She hummed in understanding, smoothing down her sweater before clamping her hands on her hips."But remember to eat something before you leave otherwise you'll be starving halfway through your shift."

Levi dutifully saluted Beth who smiled her approval. Faye leaned in to retrieve Avery's diaper bag and check on her daughter as Beth made her way to the rear end of the car.

"Looks like she was just about to drop off,"Faye mentioned, smiling over her shoulder at Avery. She joined Levi on the sidewalk, bag in hand."Hopefully, she'll go down without a fight tonight."

"Oh to be required to have a handful of naps and sleep half a day."Levi commiserated, sucking his teeth with a shake of his head."I miss it."

Faye eyed him drolly as she unzipped the bag, positioning it on her elevated thigh so she could search through it with more ease.

"You miss Firefly."Faye quipped, head bowed and blonde locks covering her face. And the knowing smirk stretching at her lips, Levi guessed."And your Simpsons boxers."

Snorting indignantly, Levi opened his mouth to retort. Only for Beth to interject with a call of his name.

"Hmm?"

"If you're not having dinner you need to eat something."Beth rucked up the sleeves of her sweater and opened the trunk, reaching in for her bags."What about a Butterfinger? It's not as if the kids know we have them anyway."