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"It's great. And as it’s close to the park, some of us head there afterward to let the kids play."
"That's great; I'd love to join you if you're going there today."
George nods and sips his coffee. "I'll bring Michelle. I saw you came with a little girl?"
"Yeah, Carmen. Almost four."
George smiles. "Michelle just turned four."
George and I continue to chat, finding common ground in tech startups, and before I know it, the class is over, and I head to the park with George and some of the other parents. Once we get to the playground, a sense of contentment washes over me as I witness my daughter making new friends. Interestingly, she seems drawn to George's daughter, Michelle. It would be great if the two of them strike up a friendship, as George seems like a nice guy, and I wouldn't mind getting to know him better. It strikes me that I don’t know many single dads.
While Carmen and Michelle are busy, I pull out my phone and shoot Maddie a quick text.
Carmen is loving her art class today! Made a new friend named Michelle. Hope your day is going well too.
Sounds like a great time! she replies almost instantly. I'm glad she's having fun. My day has been good so far; catching up on some much-needed rest after yesterday's excitement!
Rest is essential, I type back with a smirk, imagining her cozy in bed with a book in hand. I'll be sure to let Carmen wear you out again on Monday.
Can't wait, she replies, followed by a winky face emoji.
Carmen plays for a little while longer, while I chat to some of the parents. They seem like a nice bunch. As people start breaking up, I walk up to Carmen.
"Time for lunch, sweetheart," I say. "We've got sandwiches waiting for us at home."
"But I want to play!" Carmen says, stomping her foot. Thankfully, George walks up to Michelle at that exact moment and tells her they need to go too.
"You see, everyone's going now. People are hungry."
"OK," Carmen says, sulkily. "I was having fun."
"We will come back next week," I promise. "And we will have fun at home too."
"Can we play with the doll's house?" Carmen asks, suddenly smiling again.
"Sure. But first lunch and a nap."
"I'm not tired." She stomps her foot again.
"I bet you will be after lunch."
"I don't think so," she says, though she starts walking as I take her hand and lead her away.
I wave at George. "I'll text you for a play date and to grab some drinks after work one day."
Carmen waves to her new friend as we leave the park hand in hand.
Back at the house, Carmen and I dig into our sandwiches, chatting about her morning adventures. Just as we're finishing up, the doorbell rings.
"Stay here, I'll see who it is," I tell Carmen, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Opening the door, I find a stern-looking man in a suit clutching a thick envelope. "Roland Carmichael?" he asks, his tone flat.
"Yes, that's me," I reply cautiously.
"You've been served," he says, thrusting the envelope into my hands. "You have two weeks to respond."
"Thank you," I manage to say, watching him turn on his heel and walk away. Closing the door, my heart pounds in my chest as I tear open the envelope.
