She jumps off the sidewalk with the hula hoop around her arm, heading toward the grassy area where there are a few other families.
Penelope falls into step beside me.
“I could’ve picked you up to help with this, then we could’ve headed to the park.”
She side-eyes me. “That seems a little close to a date.”
“You are dating now, aren’t you?”
She doesn’t respond, and I regret my words. That’s the problem with us—things leak out because we’re trying to gate-keep every one of our thoughts.
“I wouldn’t say one date is dating.”
Hazel continues ahead, and though my arms are getting a little tired, I don’t want to rush her. I like having time with just her mom, even if it’s only a few stolen moments.
“Want to talk about how it was?”
She huffs out a laugh. “Nope.”
I let it go. It really is none of my business, even though I’m dying to know if she hit it off with the doctor.
“Hazel, you gotta pick a spot, honey. Decker is going to strain a bicep, and Grandpa will blame us for taking out his best third baseman.”
Hazel stops and looks around as if she’s searching for the perfect place. Then she points to the right, and we head in that direction, closer to the playground. Smart girl.
“That’s up for debate,” I say about my position at third base. I’ve been playing well, but so far no one in the Colts organization has approached me about a new contract. Every game feels as though I’ve got a knife at my throat, and if I boot a ball, I’ve sealed my fate.
“Oh, stop it, you know you are. And if the Colts are idiots and let you go, well, they’re idiots like I said.”
I smile that she believes in me that much.
“Here!” Hazel stops at a spot by a tree on the edge of the playground area. It’s pretty crowded around here.
I put the cooler down and lower my hat a little more.
“Oh, I forgot we’re with a celebrity. We could have just gone to my house.” Penelope pulls a blanket from the bag.
“It’s fine. I do go out in public.”
“I know, but I know how it is. My dad went with us to the children’s museum and got stuck in the archeology dig area with five dads circling him, telling him how to manage the team.”
I grab one side of the blanket to help her straighten it.
“Hazel, do you mind taking that side?” I ask, and her small hands tug on the other side of the blanket. It feels as if we’re a family. It’s nice. But it’s just a fantasy.
Once the blanket is down, I place the cooler on one end to stop the wind from taking it.
“Do you want to help me find some rocks to secure the other sides of the blanket?” I ask Hazel.
“Yeah.”
“We’ll be back,” I say to Penelope. “I’d rather be here than holed up in a small backyard. It’s life, but I apologize ahead of time if we get interrupted.”
She smiles but says nothing.
Hazel slides her hand into mine, and I clock Penelope’s gaze fall to them, her face neutral and not telling me what’s going on in her head.
“Let’s go,” Hazel says.
