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“I know. It was really nice.” Alissa smiled. “I’m still a little intimidated by her, to be honest, but we both agreed to give each other another chance.”
“That’s great to hear. It finally seems like things are looking up for both of us,” Caitlin said with a smile.
“Yeah. It is.” Alissa smiled too.
* * *
“Can you rinse these tomatoes?” Caitlin asked Pearl. They had their cooking routine down. Pearl was too little to use knives, but she was more than happy to help Caitlin mix, rinse, or stir something. Even though it took much longer when Pearl helped, Caitlin loved moments like this. She hoped that Pearl would love cooking just as much as she did when she got older. And even if she didn’t, Caitlin knew she’d be skilled enough to make herself or her family something delicious.
“Yup.” Pearl took the colander filled with cherry tomatoes and stepped onto her stool so she could rinse the tomatoes. She cleaned them thoroughly and shook off the excess water, just like Caitlin had showed her.
“Nice work.” Caitlin took the tomatoes back. “Can you get the spinach from the fridge too?”
Pearl hopped off her stool and went to the fridge. Caitlin had gotten some fresh spinach from the farmers market and washed it right away before drying it in her salad spinner. Cutting out the step to wash and dry greens made her actually cook them instead of letting them slowly disintegrate into goop.
Caitlin glanced at Pearl, who was nibbling on some carrot slices and hummus that she’d put out. Otherwise she and Pearl would nibble through all of the ingredients before they actually finished cooking.
Caitlin minced some garlic, then sliced the tomatoes in half. The farmers market sounded like a fun date. Michael had loved her food before, but she wondered what other things he loved to eat.
Michael popped into her head constantly. After their great date at the ice cream shop, he’d driven them home. Pearl’s sugar high came crashing down and she passed out on the couch. Caitlin had been sleepy, but content too. It was such a simple outing, but she knew she wouldn’t forget it for a long time.
“Did you have fun with Michael at the ice cream shop?” Caitlin asked, pouring some oil into her pan to heat.
“Yeah! He’s really nice and knows a lot of stuff. And he’s really good at surfing too.” A smile spread across Pearl’s face. “Do you think I could get really good at surfing too?”
“I bet. You just have to practice a lot.”
“Can Michael take me?”
“Of course.” Caitlin put the minced garlic in the pan and pushed it around a little bit.
“Good. I like him a lot.” Pearl stepped back onto her stool so she could see what Caitlin was doing. “He’s fun.”
Caitlin had seen just how much fun the two had between the surfing competition and their outings, but she had still been worried. Everything with Michael had happened so suddenly on top of all the other changes both she and Pearl were going through.
“He is a lot of fun and I like him too.” Caitlin dumped the chopped tomatoes into the pan. “We’ll probably be seeing a lot more of him. Is that cool?”
“Yes!” Pearl was so excited that she nearly stumbled off her stool. Caitlin’s hand shot out to right her before she fell. “Is Michael your boyfriend?”
Caitlin’s eyebrows lifted. Pearl had surprised her before by asking about whether she’d get a new daddy. Her daughter was much more perceptive than she realized sometimes. Dancing around what he was to her wasn’t going to be beneficial in the long run.
“Yes, I think he is. We’re dating.” Caitlin noticed the slight furrow of confusion in Pearl’s brow. “Dating is when two people go out on dates because they like each other. Like going to dinner or for a walk. It’s a way for grown-ups to decide if they’re a good fit for each other and to have fun.”
Pearl considered her words, nodding. “I think you and Michael will fit.”
Caitlin’s throat tightened, tears suddenly springing to her eyes. Having Pearl on board meant the world to her. If Pearl hadn’t been happy with him, she wouldn’t have dated him at all. But the two’s bond was already growing and was going to grow even more. As excited as Caitlin was for more one-on-one dates with Michael, she was even more excited for all the fun that the three of them could get up to together.
Caitlin pulled Pearl into a hug, squeezing her tight.
“I’m really lucky to have a kid like you, you know that?” Caitlin said.
Pearl wrapped her arms around her mother and squeezed her back for a few moments. Caitlin held on longer than she normally would have. She didn’t want to forget these moments. Pearl was growing up so quickly.
“Mommmm,” Pearl said, squirming out of her grasp.
“I know, I know.” Caitlin ruffled her hair and pushed the tomatoes around on the pan again. “Too much mushy stuff.”
“Can I put the spinach in?” Pearl asked.
