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Caitlin’s heart twisted in her chest even though Pearl’s tone was purely curious. “I promise you’ll see him sometimes. He still loves you very much and we can call him whenever you want. But day to day, it would just be us.”
Pearl didn’t speak for a few moments, making the air in Caitlin’s lungs feel thin. Even though James had spent a significant amount of time at the restaurant or working when he was at home, he was around. He’d sit at the kitchen table with his laptop while Pearl worked on a coloring page, or he’d sit in the living room with his nose in his work while Pearl watched a movie.
Not having him around was going to be a significant change, one that would make her stand out from many of her future classmates. Pearl probably wasn’t thinking that far ahead, but it was still something she’d have to face.
But finally Pearl nodded. “I wanna stay here and do all the fun stuff Aunt Alissa talked about.”
Tension rolled out of Caitlin’s shoulders. “Good. I’m excited to do those things too.”
“Will I get a new daddy?”
Caitlin nearly choked on her iced coffee. That question had come out of left field. But the more Caitlin thought about it, the more it made sense. Pearl probably knew other kids with divorced parents and had seen some of them remarry, even if a lot of them hadn’t. Caitlin cleared her throat and took another sip of coffee as she considered her wording.
“Do you know other kids who got new dads or moms?” she asked.
“Yeah. Molly got a new mommy and she likes her. That’s why I asked.”
Caitlin nibbled on the end of her straw. The thought of dating someone new was so hard to imagine. She felt like she was barely holding together at the seams, like a shirt that had been through the wash so many times that it was worn through and threadbare.
And even if she did feel like dating, she had no idea how it would work. The dating world had changed significantly since she’d met James. Someone had introduced them at a party, so she didn’t have to figure out how to meet someone. She had no idea how to date with a daughter who she cared about more than anything else in the world either. And dating apps? She felt like she had more of a grip on astrophysics.
Not that it mattered. Dating was miles away from her to-do list. She was still trying to get her footing and worried how long it would take.
But then, Alissa and Dane popped into her head. She wanted what they had. The love and trust and affection.
“Maybe someday I’ll find someone I want to marry,” Caitlin said. “But I’m not looking for that right now. Would that be okay with you?”
Pearl nodded. “I just want you to be happy.”
Caitlin blinked back tears and looked off at the far end of the beach to gather herself. She stopped and pulled Pearl into a hug.
“You already make me happy, sweetheart.”
She took Pearl’s hand again and they continued their walk, enjoying each other’s company.
CHAPTER THREE
Dane walked into the offices of his publication, The Outlet, with a full stomach and a new burst of energy to finish out his Friday afternoon. He’d grabbed a crab roll sandwich at The Crab, his favorite lunch spot, and ate it while sitting outside with a book. Both the book and the sandwich were so good that he nearly lost track of time and stayed too long. He hoped the weather would be just as perfect later so he could read outside on his patio.
He never used to take relaxing lunch breaks like that until his girlfriend, Alissa, came along. Her vibrant, easygoing ways had rubbed off on him.
Dane glanced at her office, which was empty today since she’d taken the day off. It was strange not having her there, typing away with the bright, warm look in her eye that he’d fallen in love with.
When he first started The Outlet, he hadn’t imagined that he’d work side by side with his girlfriend. Now he couldn’t imagine being without her. She made all of his ideas stronger and wasn’t afraid to challenge him when she thought he was getting too in his head about a problem.
Plus, she made things like leisurely lunches even better, even if they were both reading. He’d had a few moments where he wanted to tell her about something he’d learned, but she wasn’t there.
He sat back down at his desk, jiggling his mouse to wake up his computer. When it booted up, an email from the paper’s administrative assistant, Josie, was at the top of his inbox. Josie was indispensable, and without her he doubted Alissa would be his girlfriend.
He and Alissa had started off on the wrong foot, or at least, he hadn’t put forth the best first impression. He was self-aware enough to see how cranky he could come across, especially when he was stressed.
And his early days running The Outlet were the very definition of that. He’d gone through writer after writer, not finding the right person he needed. Some were too flowery with their language, while others were too spartan. Some pushed back against feedback, no matter how gently he gave it. And others just got bored and left before he could fire them. Finding reliable writers who really understood the area and what he needed was almost impossible.
Despite that, he’d nearly turned Alissa away when she came into The Outlet’s offices with the same upbeat attitude that he’d come to love.
He had been too jaded to handle how much she unabashedly embraced writing and Blueberry Bay, which had been new to her at the time. He figured she’d lose some of that shine when she worked with him, as many equally upbeat writers had when they started working for him. Writing had become all business to him, especially since he was starting the paper on his own after leaving the poorly-run publication he’d been with in his former home of New York City.
But Josie had told him to give her a chance, and Alissa had taken it. Alissa had blown him away with her writing, and her sunny attitude had changed him for the better. Together they’d come up with the idea for a magazine, an offshoot of The Outlet, and it was gaining traction too. He never imagined the levels of success that both publications were achieving, especially since the area was far smaller than New York.
