Page 56 of Shattered Dreams

Rylee and Maddox are both covered in what looks like cake or cookie batter, and Dre isn’t faring any better. There are several plates of cooked food on the kitchen table, half-drunk glasses and mugs. My chest tightens; this weird feeling making my stomach twist and my throat dry. I swear I could watch them forever, my best friend—my boyfriend, because I’m pretty sure that’s what this is, at this point—but unfortunately, my creepy staring is interrupted when Rylee calls me out and everyone looks up.

“Morning,” I say, clearing my throat.

Dre’s gaze catches mine, and I have to fight the urge to kiss him as I walk over to the island. It’s not that we’re embarrassed or that we want to hide things, especially from the kids, but we both agreed to take our time with doing so, not just because of us being together, but because kids talk, and Dre’s still new on the roster, and we agreed it might be best, at least for a while to take things slow, work our way up to that kind of revelation. I’ve had this job longer, and Andre, whether he wants to admit it or not, is still well-known enough, and the last thing he needs is any sort of drama or rumors in his life after the year he’s had.

Telling his parents was hard enough. Though they didn’t seem to have much of an opinion on the matter, and I’m not sure if that’s better or worse, given the circumstances. Either way, I’m not anticipating having the same discussion with Amelia. Not that I think she’d have a problem with Dre and I being together… in this kind of capacity, but telling her makes it real. Makes it serious. Not that this isn’t those things, but it’s just… different from telling Dre’s parents. Amelia and I used to be married. We used to have sex, albeit that happened less over the years; we have a kid for heaven’s sakes. She knows me almost, if not just as intimately as Dre does now.

So yeah, maybe I’m nervous as hell to tell her after all the dates I’ve turned down that she’s tried to set me up on, that Dre and I are more than friends. Because I know admitting that out loud, means I’m admitting more than just the fact we’re dating. At least, to her.

And knowing Amelia, she’s going to want every blessed detail about how and when this happened, and I just… don’t want to deal with that just yet.

“What are you three doing?” I ask, walking up next to my son.

“Baking cookies!” Maddox says with a grin. “Andre said I could take some home for Mom.”

I glance at Dre, a smirk on his face; almost as if he’s waiting for me to challenge him.

“Breakfast might need to be warmed up,” he says cooly. “But coffee’s still hot.”

I nod as I head towards the counter to grab a mug, knocking into him on the way over. I give him a smirk of my own, though for a moment, I think about kissing him. I want to. I know I should feel weird about that, especially with the kids here, but I don’t. Though I know we both need to be on the same page, especially with that sort of thing, so I resist the urge, but I can’t deny that makes me a little sadder than it should.

I grab my coffee first, watching out of my peripheral vision as Dre keeps both Maddox and Rylee busy with different things. Maddox mixes the batter while Rylee rolls the dough into a ball and then presses little cookie balls down onto the pan. The morning feels like an eternity as I heat up my breakfast, eat, and help Maddox and Rylee add the finishing touches—sprinkles—to the cookies alongside Dre.

“Maddox, go get your stuff. It’s time to go,” I tell him just as Dre finishes boxing up some cookies for him to take home. Rylee’s invested in some movie about a Frankenweenie, whatever that is, on the couch, completely oblivious to us.

Maddox groans, but does as I ask, heading for his bedroom to get his things.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

Dre shrugs, crossing his arms. “I know. But I wanted to.”

He twists his lips, glancing from my eyes to my mouth, and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. I move a step closer, contemplating doing it. Kissing him. It could be quick. I doubt Rylee would notice, and Maddox…

But just as I consider it, Maddox comes barreling around the bend with his backpack, and the moment is over.

Damnit.

“That everything?” I ask, clearing my throat as Andre carefully steps away to start washing the cookie-spattered dishes.

“Yup!” Maddox says as I grab the box of cookies and say our goodbyes.

When we pull up to Amelia’s, I notice she’s on the porch with her coffee, and Sean’s car’s in the driveway. Which is something that I’ve noticed a lot more on these drop-off days. Part of me wants to ask what their plans are, where they see their relationship going, but I also know that’s super hypocritical of me, so I don’t. It’s not really any of my business, but it sort of is because it affects Maddox, though he doesn’t seem to mind Sean most of the time. I pull up behind Sean’s BMW, and just as I throw the car into park, Maddox takes off, throwing the door open and not bothering to close it. I shake my head as I get out of the car to shut it, and hear Amelia tell him to take the cookies inside and she’ll be there in a minute.

Just as I am rounding the driver’s side, she calls out my name.

“Hey, Paul, can I talk to you for a sec?”

I stop and turn to face her, her familiar brown eyes finding mine.

“Yeah, what’s up? Everything okay?”

She tucks some hair behind her ear. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to talk to you about Maddox’s birthday party next weekend…”

“What’s wrong? Did he change his mind about the pumpkin patch?”

Every year for Maddox’s birthday, since he was three, we’ve had the tradition of taking him to the local farm to get photos and pick out a birthday pumpkin. We usually spend the day there and do all the activities as a family. Even after the divorce, we kept up the tradition and agreed that we would as long as Maddox wanted to do it, because we both know soon enough he’ll be too old for it. That he’ll want bigger, cooler things, and to spend his time with other kids, eventually…

“No, no, nothing like that,” she says, and I can tell by the way she’s fidgeting, she wants to say something.