“Who do you think is going to win? Caleb or Gabriel?”
“I hope it’s my brother,” Caroline said softly. “I really like Lina, and I’d love to see him bringing a partner to our family gatherings.”
“Caleb’s serious about her. He even gets his hair cut regularly now just because she said he looks better with it short.”
Caroline snorted. “That’s hilarious. Mom and I practically had to wrestle him into a chair just to get a trim.”
“But I know Gabriel is serious too,” I said. “He’s been working hard to win her over.”
Caroline chuckled. “Gabriel’s subtle and careful. My brother, on the other hand, is a shameless bulldozer. He doesn’t even try to hide it.”
I laughed. “So classic Caleb.”
From a distance, I saw Cameron running toward us, followed closely by Kent, Caroline’s husband. He was out of breath as he nudged me to the side to make room. “God, it’s so hard to find parking around here.”
Kent gave Caroline a gentle nudge, too, and soon the four of us were squeezed onto the single bench.
“Someone needs to lose weight here.” She looked at her husband pointedly, who just huffed in return. “We cannot all squeeze in here.”
“Just give me a minute,” Cameron said, glancing at our kids. Nicholas was fixated on the small climbing structure, his little hands gripping the sides as he tried to hoist himself up. His legs wobbled with each attempt, determination written all over his face. Harper, already nine and taller, climbed the other structure easily, casting a smirk at her little brother. Nicholas frowned, frustrated.
“I’m going to help Nick climb that,” he said, then jumped up and jogged toward them.
“I’m going to join them,” I told Caroline before following Cameron.
“And I’m going to stay right here,” Caroline said, not moving an inch.
“Me too,” Kent added, settling in beside her.
We played at the park for another hour until it was time for our restaurant reservation. We walked across the park toward the Italian spot, Cameron holding Harper’s hand while I carried Nicholas. Our mothers and the older kids had already gone ahead, and Kent had arrived a few minutes earlier to ensure they hadn’t given away our table, as we were running a bit late. Getting the kids to leave the playground had been a real struggle.
Cameron and Harper laughed the entire walk, teasing each other, with Harper giggling at the dry jokes her father made. I walked behind them, smiling and laughing along, when a sudden feeling prickled the back of my neck. Someone was watching.
I stopped, and Caroline, walking beside me, halted too.
I glanced to the right.
And then I saw her.
Evie.
She stood alone across the narrow street, only a few feet away. Her eyes flicked to me, to Nicholas, then to Cameron, and back to me. Our gazes locked, an unspoken tension stretching between us.
“Holy fuck, is that…” Caroline hissed, trailing off.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“What is she doing here?”
“Probably just a coincidence,” I said, forcing a calm I didn’t feel.
“What do you want me to do?” Caroline asked rapidly. “Should I say something to her? Make her go away?”
I shook my head slowly, still watching Evie, noticing her expression shift from surprise to hurt, then to sadness. “No need. Let’s just go.”
Cameron finally noticed we weren’t keeping up. He spun to the left and glanced at us. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Come on.”
I quickly turned to him, forcing a bright smile. “Okay, coming!” I tightened my hold on Nicholas and started walking again. Caroline lingered a few steps behind, probably still glaring at Evie, before finally falling in beside me.
