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I step back to give them a little space. “I’ll be right here if you need me, Aurora.”
“K, Mommy.” She reaches out with both hands to Apollo. “Can you take me to the slide now?”
His smile says it all. She’s made his day, taking to him so quickly. “Sure can.” He picks her up, and they go to the slide. “Do you like playing in the park?”
“Yes.” She touches his hair, then touches hers. “Why is your hair two colors?”
“Well, it’s growing out is why that is. But later on, I have to get it colored again, so it will all be black the next time I see you.”
“What if you don’t color it and let it be the other color?” She plays with his hair, wrapping a lock around her little finger.
“They won’t let me do that. See, I’m kind of like an actor. I play a role and I have to look a certain way. My boss tells me what I have to do and look like.”
I like the idea of him having a role instead of the rockstar being who he really is.
Watching them together makes my heart pound hard in my chest. I didn’t know I would feel this way. It’s kind of uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time.
“I have a babysitter who tells me what to do all the time. And Mommy tells me what to do too.”
“I have a manager who tells me what to do.” He laughs. "Seems we both get bossed around a lot.”
She looks around the playground, zeroing in on her favorite piece of equipment. “Can we go to the merry-go-round?”
“Slowly,” I call out. “Or she’ll fall off.”
Apollo nods as he smiles at me. “Maybe after we play, we could get some ice cream. Are you allowed to eat ice cream?”
“I love ice cream. Chocolate is my favorite.”
“Well, I like chocolate, too.” He helps her climb onto the merry-go-round. “Hold on tight, and I’ll spin this around.”
“Okay.”
She holds on tightly and then he pushes it slowly.
She laughs. “You can go faster.”
He looks at me, and I shake my head, so he says, “This is fast enough for now.”
I like that he’s listening to me, not trying to take over, do things his way.
With a long sigh, I sit on the top of a nearby picnic table to watch them bond.
Watching them together isn’t a thing I ever thought I’d be doing, but now that it’s happening, I find myself pretty damn happy about the whole thing.
I watch as my daughter can’t take her eyes off her father. There’s something in her eyes that says she knows this man is more than just mommy’s old friend.
She’s more comfortable with him than I thought she would be this early on. And he’s comfortable with her too.
I didn’t see this coming. It occurs to me that I might have been wrong all this time.
When he stops the ride, Aurora hops off, then she hugs him
Tears spring from my eyes, and I hurry to wipe them away, so she won’t see me crying.
When Apollo turns around, I can see there are tears in his eyes too as he hugs her back.
He can’t seem to say anything but then she looks up at him and he smiles at her as he says, “I think we’re going to become best friends.”
