AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But then Franny dashes right past me and joins him. “Come on, Lily!”
“They got you, huh?” Cormac says as he walks out of the side door.
“Is it okay for them—
“Oh yeah. Everything is padded and safe, and that netting around it could hold back a pit bull, so they’re not going to tear through. Perfectly safe, and it helps them get their energy out.”
“Lily, come jump with us!” Aiden insists.
“Safe enough for adults?”
Cormac laughs. “Go for it. But shoes off.”
I kick off my shoes and run onto the trampoline. It’s more fun than I’d expected, but seconds later, the kids want to go swimming.
“Please, Lily,” Franny begs.
“I don’t have a swimsuit with me. But I promise to bring one tomorrow.”
“Fine,” she sulks.
Cormac says, “How about you two go swimming while I order some dinner or takeout?”
“I want Thai food!” Aiden declares.
“You got it.”
“Yay!” they shout together and run to get their swimsuits on.
It’s the right moment to bring up the awkwardness between us, but something else bugs me. “Why don’t I make dinner?”
He chuckles. “I didn’t want to trouble you with that on your first night.”
“The kitchen is my happy place. I’ll check out what you’ve got and whip something up. If you don’t mind watching the kids while I do it.”
“Not at all. It’d be nice to have a home-cooked meal.”
So, we trade jobs sort of, and he watches them while I scrape through the slim pickings of his kitchen. Thankfully, there’s enough to make veggie pad Thai with eggs, and when I bring it out to the pool area, the kids dig in. Aiden says, “It’s so good!”
“I even like the vegetables,” Franny mumbles around a carrot.
Cormac lets out a shocked laugh. “This was inmykitchen?”
“Yes. I think the last person who did your shopping realized rice noodles are safe for Aiden, because you have quite a good stash of them.”
Seeing his kids chow down on the meal, he quietly says, “Well done, Lily. Well done.”
“I figured since Aiden wanted Thai food—
Cormac laughs, cutting me off. He leans close enough for me to smell his cologne again. “That’s what he calls all Asian food. It’s usually the most gluten friendly, so that’s usually what we order. But he doesn’t know Thai from Chinese just yet.”
“Maybe I can work on that with him.”
“I think he’d like that.”
We dig in too, and there’s an uneasy thing between us as the kids leave the patio table to jump back into the water. I’m not sure how to bring it up, and I know they can’t hear me in there among the splashes. But I can’t do it. Breeching the topic feels odd and wrong and what if he doesn’t remember me?
It’s too fraught with expectations and insecurities. Maybe it’s just best to never say a word. Or maybe he can bring it up. Why should I have to do all the work?
