I wrap my arms around her waist and give her one last kiss before we begin our day. My gaze lingers on her, uncertain what the future holds for us, but certain we can make it work if we take it one day at a time.
As if she can read my mind, smiles back at me before turning away to collect the rest of her things.
Chapter 19
Catherine
“Theindoorplaygroundisover there,” Erica says from the passenger’s seat, pointing toward a building in the corner ahead of us.
I pull the car to a stop in front of the building. It’s a one-story brick building with a red and yellow sign that reads “FunZone” in bold letters. The parking lot is packed with cars, showing we’re at the right place for Alice’s friend’s birthday party.
As I turn off the ignition, I turn to Alice with a big smile on my face. “We’re here,” I sing.
Alice turns to me with a matching grin. “Yay!” she squeals, unbuckling her seatbelt and bouncing in her seat in excitement.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to her. “Are you ready to have some fun?” I ask, ruffling her hair.
She giggles and nods eagerly. “Yes, Catherine.”
We step out of the car and head toward the entrance of FunZone. The sound of children laughing and playing fills the air.
As we enter the building, I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia. The colorful play structures, the sound of plastic balls, and the smell of fresh popcorn take me back to my childhood.
I smile at Alice and take her hand as we navigate through the maze of tunnels and slides, entering the main area.
“Why is it so complicated just to get to the lobby?” Erica quips, a wrapped birthday gift cradled in her arms.
I laugh to myself. “I think it’s cute.”
As we make our way into the main area, I see Alice’s friend’s parents waving to us from a table in the corner. Above them is a banner that reads, “Happy Birthday, Billy!” in a big blue font.
“I’ll go put the present down and greet Billy’s mother,” Erica tells me. “I’ve met her twice before.”
“Thanks,” I say, then turn to Alice. “What do you want to do first?”
“All of my friends are over there,” Alice says, and runs on ahead toward a bounce house where several kids are gathered around. They all anxiously await their turn to climb in, and Alice wastes no time chatting them up.
I glance over at Erica as she returns by my side. “Well, that was easy.”
“Why don’t we find a place to sit nearby?” she suggests, then gently leads me by the arm over to a bench right outside the bounce house.
As we settle onto the bench, Erica’s phone goes off. When she pulls out her phone, she smiles to herself.
“Who’s that?” I tease.
She peers up at me with flushed cheeks. “You know who it is.”
“Do you ever plan to tell me how the two of you started dating?” I ask.
“Maybe,” Erica says with a laugh, and returns to her text.
I laugh and shake my head. “Oh, come on now. Don’t leave me in suspense.”
Erica laughs, too. Taking a deep breath, she begins her story. “It all started a couple months ago when I got a flat tire while driving back home from visiting my parents.” She pauses for a moment, recollecting her memories before continuing.
“I called Oliver for help, but he sent Fred to help me out instead.” An affectionate grin crosses her face as she thinks back to that day. “Fred was such a gentleman; he fixed my tire in minutes. We got to talking, and he suggested we go out to eat.
Nothing happened right away, but then we matched on a dating app. He asked if I wanted to get drinks, and I said yes. We’ve been meeting up to hang out ever since.”
