“What did you all do today?” Sam asked as they walked into the house together.
“We went to the park!” Sophie exclaimed. “And Mommy tried to play catch with me, but she really isn’t as good as you are, Sam.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shot her mother a look.
Alex just chuckled. “I mean, I tried, Soph.” She looked up at Sam with a gleam in her eyes. “But let’s face it. We all know I’m not a quarter of the athlete that Sam is.”
Sophie uncrossed her arms and patted Alex on the arm. “That’s okay, Mommy. That’s what we have Sam for.” She looked at Sam with a big smile, and Sam felt her heart melt. Sophie looked at her with so much wonder and admiration, it made her feel like the most special person in the world. Sam drew her attention back to Sophie, who was still chatting animatedly. “And then we had a picnic. Mommy made cookies, and sandwiches, and lemonade.”
Sam looked over at Alex, who was grinning back at her and shaking her head. She opened her arms, and Alex stepped into them for a chaste hug. When she pulled away, Sam felt the cold loss from where her body had been. “Maybe we can play together after dinner,” Sam said to Sophie.
Sophie’s eyes lit up. “Yes, can we? Please?” She looked from Sam to Alex and back again, bouncing with excitement.
“Of course, honey,” Alex replied. “If you eat all your dinner.”
“Yes!” Sophie raised her fist in celebration. She sat down atthe kitchen table and started pulling out coloring books and pencils. “Sam.” Her little voice was serious. “You don’t have any pictures in here. I’m going to color you something.”
“That would be great, Sophie. I’d love that.” Sam smiled down at her before turning her attention to Alex. “So, what are we having for dinner?” Sam asked. “We don’t have much in the house, so I was just thinking of ordering something…” Her voice trailed off as Alex held up a grocery bag.
“I thought we could make those homemade pizzas we used to make in high school.” Alex smiled shyly at Sam from under her lashes. “Remember those?”
Sam laughed, the sound echoing around the kitchen as she remembered the many evenings they had spent there together, their hands covered in flour. “Of course I remember. Those nights with you were some of the best nights of my life,” she said.
Alex nodded, giving Sam a slight smile. She moved past Sam and started to empty the contents of the bag onto the counter. “I have dough, which just needs to rise, sauce, cheese, sausage, and pepperoni.” She looked up at Sam, who nodded in appreciation.
“Mommy also got salad,” Sophie chimed in. “We have to eat our vegetables.”
“Yes, we do,” Sam agreed. She reached into the fridge and grabbed two bottles of beer. After she popped the tops off, she handed one to Alex.
Alex took the beer, her eyes meeting Sam’s as she raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? You’re not trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, are you?” she teased, her voice light and playful.
“Not yet.” Sam laughed. “I’m saving that for later.”
“You know,” Alex purred, her voice low enough for only Sam to hear. “You don’t evenneedto get me drunk first.”
Sophie, who had been watching the exchange with a curious look, tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowed. “Why would you want to get Mommy drunk, Sam?” she asked, her voice filled with genuine confusion.
Alex blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. She looked wide-eyed at Sam, who was returning her gaze with astricken look on her face. “Oh, sweetie. It’s just a silly expression. Nothing to worry about,” she stammered, coming around the counter to affectionately ruffle Sophie’s hair.
Sophie squinted at her mother for a few more moments before turning back to her coloring.
“Nice save,” Sam mouthed.
Alex turned back to Sam and made an exaggerated gesture of relief. “Besides,” she whispered to Sam as she moved back to the counter to work on the pizza dough, “I think we’re both going to need a drink or two to get through tonight.”
Sam chuckled as she nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right about that.” She clapped her hands and looked over at Sophie. “How about you, Soph? Do you need a drink?”
Sophie scrunched her nose up in thought. “Do we have any more lemonade?” she asked, her tone hopeful.
“Sure do,” Sam confirmed. “One lemonade, coming right up.” She grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filled it with ice, and then added lemonade. She set it down at the table in front of Sophie. “Here you go, sweetie.”
Sophie looked up at her gratefully and reached out to grab the glass. “Thanks!”
“It’s cold,” Sam warned. “Don’t gulp it all down at once, or you’ll get a cold headache.”
Sophie nodded seriously at her and took a small sip of the drink before placing it back on the table. “Mmm, tasty.” She grinned at Sam.
As Sam turned back to face Alex, their eyes met. They shared a secret smile, the weight of their shared past in that kitchen hanging over them, along with the promise of a new start for the three of them. Alex broke the gaze first, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked back down at her pizza dough. After a moment, she raised her head. “You know,” she teased, “I never told Sophie about what a terrible influence you were on me in high school.”
Sam squinted at her, biting her lip. She sensed that Alex was avoiding something, but she decided to go along with it. “I don’t know that I’d say that I was aterribleinfluence,” Sam drawled,taking a drink of her beer. “I’d like to think of it more as encouraging you to branch out. You know, do things you’d never done before.”
