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Leo pointed his spatula at her. “That’s up to your mother.”
“If you eat your pancakes,” I promised, feeling generous since my dream seemed like it was finally coming true.
“Yay!” Evie cried, doing a little dance.
I appreciated that Leo asked me before making any promises. Maybe this thing between us could work.
Evie helped Leo mix the batter and dump in way too many chocolate chips, but I couldn’t bring myself to chide them. They were adorable together. By the time the batter was poured onto the griddle, they were covered in flour, and Evie’s mouth was covered in chocolate.
While they waited for the pancakes to cook, Leo played music, and they danced around the kitchen. Leo sang into the wooden spoon until Evie snatched it for herself. My heart felt close to bursting as I watched.
I found myself videotaping it on my phone so I could look at it later. There was something about these moments with Leo that felt fleeting, and I didn’t want to forget them.
All of a sudden, Evie stopped dancing and shrieked, “The pancakes!”
“I completely forgot about them,” Leo said, and the two of them erupted into laughter. Leo was genuinely having a good time with my daughter.
I never thought anyone would want to deal with a single mother and her child. Evie’s own father wanted nothing to do with her. But Leo was breaking all my preconceptions. I wondered if it was because he’d already bonded with Evie.
Leo showed her how to flip the pancakes, but after several attempts, he took over for her and said they’d have to keep practicing.
I wondered if he’d stop by for pancakes more often. The fact that Leo already knew Evie might make dating him easier. She wouldn’t question us spending time together unless she caught us kissing.
When the pancakes were cooked and eaten, I cleaned up the kitchen while Leo supervised Evie washing her hands and changing her clothes. She’d gotten chocolate and syrup everywhere.
When we were done, we put on our shoes and headed outside.
We didn’t hold hands, and I wasn’t sure if that was for Evie’s benefit or in case we ran into one of the Giovannis while we were out. I vowed not to worry about the what-ifs, especially not when things were so new.
We got drinks from the coffee shop and made our way to the playground. There were only a few kids there so early.
We sat on a bench and watched while Evie played with one of the other kids.
Leo tipped his head in her direction. “Is she that friendly with everyone?”
“She knows the mailman, the delivery guy, and everyone who lives in the neighborhood, and the crazy thing is, she remembers things about them. Their pets’ names, if their kid was sick, or whether their family lived outside of town. She’s so unlike me in that respect.” I was so quiet and shy. It was a godsend when I befriended Gia, who had more of an outgoing personality.
“Maybe it’s because of our family. We are loud.”
I huffed out a laugh. “That’s true. Especially when you’re all together.”
“Have you thought about having more kids? I’ve always wanted a big family like mine.”
“I don’t want to be a single mom again. I’d want the father to be involved, and I’d want their support.” I didn’t voice my worries out loud, but how did you know if the guy would be the type to stick around?
“That makes sense.”
I wondered if he was asking about us, but it was too soon. How could he possibly know if he wanted kids with me?
“You wanted something different for Evie, but just because it didn’t work out the way you thought, doesn’t mean something better won’t come along.”
I nudged his shoulder with mine. “You mean—with you?”
“I meant someone who loves your daughter and you. You deserve everything.”
The space between my shoulder blades tightened. “My mom didn’t get that.”
“She made her choices. She dated guys who weren’t interested in commitment. She blamed it on them, but it was her.”
