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The whistle blows before I can answer her, and Oliver comes running over to us. “Daddy! We won!”
“I know, buddy! You did so great!” I bend down and hug him, soaking up the dirt on his cheeks and the smelliness that makes him a little boy. But then he looks up and sees Amelia.
“Amelia! Did you see me play soccer?”
“I did! You did such a fantastic job, Oliver. You worked so well with your team.”
“Daddy is gonna buy me ice cream ‘cause I scored a goal. You wanna get ice cream with us?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” my mother interjects. And I know exactly what she’s doing right now.
Amelia’s eyes flick to mine, questioning me with her gaze.
“I mean, we’re going to the gelato place by the office, and I know you love it there.”
“I do.” She smiles softly. “But I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”
“You’re not,” I interrupt her. “We’re inviting you.”
“Yes!” Oliver shouts. “You have to come with us! We can both get the lemon kind since that’s our favorite!”
Amelia laughs and tucks a loose curl behind her ear. “Okay. I’m there.”
My mother bends down to hug Oliver. “You three have a good time.” And then she pats me on the shoulder. “It was lovely to see you again, Amelia. I hope we see more of each other soon.”
“Nice to see you too.”
“Let’s go, Daddy!” Oliver tries to run toward the car, but I have to remind him that there are things to do at the end of the game with his coach before we can leave.
Once the kids have high fived each other and all the after-game snacks have been passed out, the three of us walk over to my car.
“I wanna walk with you, Amelia.” Oliver grabs Amelia’s hand with his free one, the other holding his Capri Sun.
“Oh, okay.” She hesitantly wraps her hand around his and then peers back at me, asking me for permission with her eyes.
The sight of the two of them together squeezes my chest and cracks open the vault I keep tight under lock and key—the place where I stored images of Monica doing the same thing with him, something she chose to walk away from.
My heart lurches at the possibility of pain, but I can’t keep them apart any longer—Oliver is the biggest part of my world, and Amelia is quickly becoming the second.
And in that moment, I know I’m taking a huge risk here—with my son and my heart. I just hope it’s worth it.
* * *
“Lemon and strawberry today?”
Oliver nods his head since his mouth is full. “Daddy said I got two scoops since I scored a goal.”
Amelia smiles around her spoon as she talks with my son. We’re seated on the outdoor patio of the gelato shop, enjoying our treats in the shade. The September weather is still quite warm, but the gelato is definitely helping us cool off.
“That is very impressive, Oliver. Congratulations.”
“Daddy and my coach say I’m a natural.”
“Well, you must have gotten some of your talent from your dad then.” She turns to me. “Did you play soccer?”
“Nope. Football guy, remember?” I point my thumb to my chest. “But he wanted to play soccer, so I’m learning about it as I go. We watched YouTube videos this summer to prepare and learn.”
“That was smart. I grew up playing soccer though,” she says, turning back to Oliver.
“You did?”
“Yup. I played defense and goalie.”
“I don’t like goalie. I played that in practice one night, and people scored on me. It made me feel bad.”
“Yeah, that part was never fun. But it happens. That’s how you win the game, though, by scoring goals.”
“Yeah.”
“I also swam in high school.”
“Really?” I ask, taking note that this isn’t something Amelia and I have discussed yet.
“Yeah, I only did it my junior year, but I was actually pretty good.”
“I bet you looked good doing it too,” I tease, bouncing my eyebrows at her.
“I love to swim!” Oliver exclaims, inserting himself back into the conversation.
“You do? Well, guess what? I have a pool at my house…”
“Really?”
“Yup. Maybe if it’s okay with your dad, you two can come over and go swimming with me next weekend after your soccer game?” She turns to me, lifting a brow.
And my first inclination is to say it’s too soon, but that’s not how I really feel.
“Can we, Daddy? Please!” Oliver juts out his lip and everything, laying it on thick. And Amelia smirks when she sees his manipulation tactics.
“I think we could make that happen.”
“Yes!” Oliver throws his fist in the air. “Do you have pool toys? And rafts? Or a slide?” His mouth starts moving one hundred miles an hour. “Oh! And do you have gnomes at your house too?”
Amelia’s eyes go wide. “I do. And do you know what? I think all the gnomes have been talking because the ones at my house started moving the other day after the ones at my office did. Something must be happening, and they’re all trying to protect their treasure.”
Oliver’s eyes bug out. “I bet it’s gold. Gold is shiny and worth a lot of money!”
“I think you’re right.”
“Do you have a grumpy gnome at your house too? Like the one that looks like my dad?”
“I do. Every place needs a grumpy gnome because they are the best ones at protecting the treasure.”
“Why?”
