Page 88 of 10 Signs You Need to Grovel

“School starts soon,” I say, leaning my elbows on the table. “You feeling nervous about starting fifth grade?”

He lifts a shoulder, staring more intently into the jam. “Jasmine’s in my class, I think. It’s her birthday the first week. She’s having a party at her house.”

“Do you think Camila Cabello will be invited?”

“Yeah.” He grins up at me. “She sent her an email and everything but hasn’t heard back.”

Gotta give her points for trying. “If you want, I could come dressed as Camila Cabello. Set up karaoke and perform for your friends.”

He drops the spoon in the jam, splattering strawberry on the table.

“No.” His look of abject horror is too cute.

“But I was great on the hike when we played name that tune.”

“No, Dad. Please, no.”

I chuckle, unable to keep up the charade. “Maybe next time. And if you’re having any issues with school, or with kids there, you know you can talk to me about it, right? Or your mom. Or Samantha, if that’s easier.”

“Yeah, I know,” he says quietly. “Thanks.”

I cup the back of his small neck and give it a tender squeeze.

The timer dings. He jumps up, nearly falling over as he hurries to the oven with the group. Delilah pulls out two trays and places them on the cooling racks. Our scones are easy to spot. They’re the ones shaped as hearts.

“They smell so good,” he says eagerly.

“They’ll be even better with the whipped cream and strawberry jam,” I say.

“But we have to save some for Mom.”

That’s a no-brainer. If I let Max eat more than two of those heart-shaped beauties, dripping with strawberry jam and whipped cream, Sadie would take me to task.

Twenty minutes later, I have a wet cloth in my hand, wiping strawberry off of Max’s cheek, when Sadie appears in the kitchen. She glances between us, laughing. “I’m not sure which one of you is a bigger mess.”

“Him.” Max points at me.

I laugh. “Buddy, I thought you were on my team.”

He smiles at Sadie, ignoring me. “We saved you some scones. And Dad almost overwhipped the whipped cream, and he got batter all over his apron and even in his hair. And the strawberry jam almost bubbled over the pot.”

Sadie rubs his back and studies our box of baked goods. “They look delicious, and it sounds like you had a fun morning.”

“So fun,” he says, slaying me with a beaming grin.

Delilah calls the kids over for a final chat and to hand out the recipes to take home.

I face Sadie, keeping my batter-smeared self a distance from her. “I thought I was meeting you at the house.”

“Change of plans. Delilah said she could spend the afternoon with Max. You and I have something else to do.”

“Is there nakedness involved?” I ask, dropping my voice.

“No.” But her upper chest turns red. “You’ve just done so much for us, cooking and helping around the house. I wanted to do something for you.”

“Sadie, I don’t need anything but you and Max.”

It’s been a week since we first made love, and true to her word, she’s invited me over most nights. I don’t sleep over, and we’ve kept the intimate aspects of our relationship secret from Max, but I help her cook and clean, going out of my way to make her life easier. The only thing missing in my life is a permanent place in their home.