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“Because when something they care about feels threatened, their protective instincts kick in, and they make sure to keep whatever they care about safe.”
Oliver smiles. “Yeah, that makes sense. My daddy is grumpy, but he always protects me.”
God, is there something in my eye? Seriously, can you see it? Help me get it out, please.
“Your dad is the best at protecting you.” Amelia winks over at me and goes to reach for my hand but stops before we touch.
“I wanna do that for Harper,” Oliver says before I can react to Amelia’s hesitance to touch me.
I turn back to my son. “Who’s Harper?”
Oliver sighs. “She’s a girl in my class. She’s really nice and pretty, and she has the coolest backpack.”
Amelia and I choke back laughter. “The coolest backpack, huh?”
Oliver nods slowly. “It has all the girl superheroes on it.”
I mean, I guess you can’t deny the girl has sophisticated taste for a kindergartener, but I make a mental note to dive more into his little crush later. “Okay, well, here’s the deal, Oliver. If you want to go swimming at Amelia’s house next weekend, you have to be on your best behavior this week for Grandma, me, and your teacher. I don’t want to hear about any talking back, refusing to eat your vegetables, none of that.” I know my kid well enough to know that I’m going to use this little playdate to my advantage and get the best behavior possible out of him.
“Okay, Daddy.”
“I really want you to come over, Oliver, so don’t let me down, okay?” Amelia backs me up.
“I promise.” He draws a cross over his heart.
“All right, now let’s finish our ice cream so we can get home and you can take a shower. You stink, little man.” I reach over and ruffle his hair.
“You’re stinky, Daddy!”
Amelia giggles as she takes another bite of her ice cream, watching us tease each other. It feels so normal, the three of us together, laughing and talking.
And I’m surprised by how much I like it.
When we’re finished with our ice cream, we head back to the cars, and I buckle Oliver inside, turning on the air conditioning and the soundtrack to Encanto to keep him occupied while I say goodbye to Amelia.
“See you for swimming next weekend, Amelia!” he shouts from behind his window.
She goes over to the door and opens it to give him a high five. “I’m so excited for it. Remember to be on your best behavior.”
“I will.”
She gently shuts the door and then turns to me. “I hope I wasn’t overstepping with that invitation.”
“I know I said we needed to take things slowly with him, but he really likes you, so I think a little time here and there can’t hurt.”
“I really like him too. And his dad.” She places her hand on my chest, staring up at me from behind her glasses, her hair still pulled back in her ponytail high on her head. The sun is making her skin glow, and her lips look shiny from where she just licked them.
“His dad kind of likes you too.” I press a quick peck to her lips and then rear back. If I do more than that, I’ll maul her in front of my kid.
She takes a deep breath and then speaks. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
“I’ll be there.”
Last week Amelia asked me if I’d like to join her family for dinner this Sunday. Nick is bringing Elena to introduce her, so she figured this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce me too.
I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous about it. Monica’s parents weren’t involved much in our relationship since they lived hours away. I met them a handful of times before she got pregnant with Oliver, but we didn’t see them often. However, based on what Amelia has told me and what I know of Nick, she’s very close with her parents.
So the pressure is on.
Not to mention, I need to speak with Nick and let him know that I’m dating his sister, and that she was my friend I was just seeing casually, the one we spoke of before.
I grab her by the waist and hold her in place. “You seem nervous about it.”
She nods, staring down at the ground. “I am. It’s been a long time since I’ve introduced someone to them.”
“Then I’m glad I get to be the lucky guy this time.”
That has her smiling. “Me too.”
“And I’ll make sure to speak with Nick first so he knows I’m serious about you.”
Her eyes bug out. “You haven’t talked to him yet?”
“No. Was I supposed to?”
“I just thought you would have by now.”
“We don’t talk all the time, babe. Guys aren’t like girls and their friends where they text each other a hundred times a day. Plus, I’ve been busy.” I nuzzle her neck. “There’s this woman I’m seeing who’s keeping me preoccupied.”
She moans as I kiss that spot where her neck meets her collarbone, that spot I know makes her instantly wet. “You’re lucky that you’re hot, or I’d be more mad at you.”
“Thank God for good looks.” I lift my head and kiss the tip of her nose. “It will be fine. Trust me.”
“Okay. If you say so. I’ll text you the address tomorrow.”
“See you then.” With one more kiss on her lips, I watch her get into her car and drive off before I do the same, wondering when this woman started to become more to me than any other woman I’ve met.
* * *
