Page 79 of Tastes Like Summer

Rachel’s face falls. “Well, that’s why people date, right? To get married? And if you get married, wouldn’t that make Cami and Emi kinda like my sisters?”

“I— People don’t necessarily date to get married. Some people just want companionship, others believe that marriage isn’t necessary to make a life-long commitment to someone so they just stay together as partners. There are a ton of reasons not to get married, and a ton to get married. Everyone is different.” This is not how I thought this conversation would go and the topic of marriage is not something I thought I would be discussing with my daughter until much later in life—at least not until the whole birds and the bees thing needs to be addressed (god save me when that time comes).

Rachel pauses and carefully thinks my words over. “Okay… But, then, what do you want? Do you want to get married?”

“Whoa, okay.” I take a deep breath and stand, running my fingers through my hair. “I—” I hadn’t really thought about it lately, but until recently I lived my entire life finding the idea of me married almost hilarious—at least marriage in the conventional way. Committing to one person for the rest of my life? Having to think of someone else’s needs other than my own? No, thank you. I was always far too focused on my career and making my own life for that. But now that I’ve slowed down, that I’ve seen what it’s like to have a family, that I’ve met someone I really care about… The idea of belonging to someone—to many someones—sounds almost utopian and euphoric. “I don’t… think… I mean, I don’t know if that’s something I can answer right now.”

Rachel frowns, her brows pulled together. “But… don’t you think it’d be so nice to be, like, a family together?”

“A family?” Now my heart is on a full sprint, running for its life.

“Rachel!” Cami calls out to my daughter, (thankfully) interrupting our conversation, thereby successfully avoiding a full-blown panic attack.

Rachel pulls away from me and gleefully runs over to her friends, leaving me crouched in the grass, mind racing so fast it could rival the best Formula 1 driver.

And as the seconds tick by, the thought of it—of all of us together—transforms from a nebulous cloud of ideas of what a family would look like into a surprising amount of clear visions of what it could be for us. What it practically has been for us over the summer. Always together, always having each other’s back. Always there to care and protect the other, to make sure our children are well and happy.

“Hey, Rach! You were amazing!” Diana’s voice cuts through my blissful daydreams and realizations, and suddenly all I want is to tell her that I’ve finally got it. She and I and the girls—that’s what we are, what we’ve become: a family. And there’s no fucking way I’m going to let some fucker who doesn’t care about his kids come and destabilize that. And how could he, anyway? We’re solid. Nothing has changed since we spoke this morning other than his arrival. Our lives are still the same. We’re staying together despite the distance and will find a way to make it all work.

With a smile so wide my cheeks almost hurt, I walk quickly over to Diana, determined not to let anything stand in our way. When she sees me walking toward her, her breath catches, eyes widening as if bracing herself. And by the way I looked at her earlier and how I completely avoided her, I can understand the expression in her eyes. But she has nothing to worry about.

When I finally reach my love, I lean down and press a kiss on her cheek, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her flush into my side as I inhale her signature scent of peaches and summer and absolute perfection.

“Don’t worry,” I whisper in her ear. “I know I was upset before, but I was just jealous you kicked me out over him. But it’s okay, I get it now. He’s their father, and you had to deal. We have our whole lives to be together.”

I move to meet her gaze, expecting to find the same love and adoration I currently feel overwhelmed by. Instead, her shoulders are hunched inwards, brows pulled together as she looks up at me with apologetic eyes.

“What?” I whisper again, hoping the girls don’t catch on to our distress. “What’s wrong? God, is it Rodrigo? Did he do something?” I look around, desperately trying to find him. When I catch him a few feet away flirting with a counselor ten years his junior, I make to confront him for whatever he did to upset Diana.

But she holds me back, wrapping a hand around my bicep.

“Stop. He didn’t do anything.”

I take a beat, studying her expression. “Then I’m confused. Why do you look like a puppy died or something?”

“I… I’m—” She looks around us as if searching for help, but I keep my eyes on her, ignoring the hustle and bustle of parents congratulating children on their performances. “I’m just stressed, you know? With their dad here?” she says only loud enough for me to hear before glancing at Cami and Emi. “It’s kind of left me rattled.”

“Do you want me to ask him to leave?” I really wouldn’t mind kicking that guy to the curb.

“No, it’s fine. The girls should spend some time with him. Even though he seems to be preoccupied with something else at the moment,” she says, looking over her shoulder where Rodrigo is currently performing the “wall lean” for an entirely different counselor.

“Yeah, well. Then we should invite him to dinner, right?” See? I can play nice. Look at me being all mature, putting what I want aside for the needs of Diana’s girls. Because even though I hate to admit it, having Rodrigo here is what’s best for them after months of nothing but crickets.

“You’d do that for me?”

I nod. “Of course. But if I’m being honest, it’s mostly for Cami and Emi. I care about them, too, you know? I hate to admit it, but they should spend time with their dad. Even though I think he’s a dick and he’s only chosen to show up now, after all this time.”

Diana shakes her head, a small smile on her lips. “Michael,” she whispers.

For some wild reason, I’ve never wanted to kiss her more. Maybe it’s because everyone knows we’re together now (kind of) or that I got the green light from Rachel. Or maybe it’s just the high of standing here with a whole future ahead of us. Sure, there’s still so much to figure out, but that’s the exciting part. Because there’s no bone in my body that’s telling me that this isn’t right.

“I want to kiss you wildly,” I confess in a low voice, “and it’s taking everything in me not to.”

This makes her laugh once, her cheeks flushing. “Not gonna lie, I’d love that. But it’s a pass for obvious reasons.” She nods towards the girls who are still talking about the dance, about coordinating another one as soon as possible. “I still haven’t had the chance to really address what we are with them. And given that Cami was the one to tell Rodrigo about us… I need to proceed with caution. But yeah, I want that, too.”

I sigh, a bit frustrated, a bit thrilled.

“What’s the plan now?” Rodrigo’s voice comes up behind us, his entitled tone grating.