“Yeah,” he whispered.
If I was going to be a part of Simon’s life, whatever that may be, he came with a tiny accessory. I hopped on the couch, folding a leg under me.
“We’re watching superheroes.”
“Which ones?” Lucas asked with a yawn. Even if Dad let him stay up past bedtime, the little fella wouldn’t be awake for long.
“Centurions. Valiant’s in it.”
Simon set Lucas down before they joined me on thecouch. Simon left enough space between us for a little body. He kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the couch while I picked up the remote and hit the play button.
Lucas stretched out on the couch, forcing me to scoot down further. Date night had been interrupted, but how could I be mad at the poor kid? His sleepover had gone awry and now he rested his head on Dad’s lap, his eyes already half shut.
Simon rubbed the little fella’s back while he looked at me. He mouthed a silent, “I’m sorry.”
I gave him a shrug and gave his shoulder a light pat. It wasn’t how I expected our date to end.
When Lucas moved his feet onto my lap, he pinned me to the couch. Any attempts at escaping had been dashed. While Lucas was fixated on the television, my arm along the back of the couch reached for Simon. I wasn’t sure if he wanted Lucas to know this was anything other than two men watching movies. It didn’t matter when he locked fingers with me. Maybethiswas the perfect ending the date needed?
“Is that Valiant?” Lucas muttered.
“It is,” I said. “I’m glad somebody knows his superheroes. Your dad doesn’t seem to know Elixir from Lightyear.”
“Pay attention, Dad.”
I snorted. Lucas could very well be my new favorite person. I appreciated his directness. It only got funnier when Simon shot me a dirty look. If he thought I wouldn’tpartner with his son to put him through his paces, he had another thing coming.
“This is perfect,” I whispered.
“Shh,” Lucas said. “No talking.”
Our tiny dictator had set the terms for the rest of the evening. Even Simon held back a laugh. I guess the rest of the night would require subtle touches as we watched a movie. I couldn’t have asked for more.
One heroic battle later, and Lucas had fallen asleep. I wanted to say thank you for tonight, not just for making me his sous chef in the kitchen. Simon didn’t need to invite me into his life, especially not when he switched into dad mode. I tried stealing a glance at the handsome man, only to find him staring at me.
“What?” I whispered?
I stroked Lucas’s back as his breathing deepened. He let go of my hand and kissed his fingertips. When he pressed them against my lips, I melted. At the quarry, he said he’d never shied away from new experiences. I took his advice and kissed his fingers.
In this moment, much like Lucas, I experienced big feelings.
SOUND IT OUT
“You can’t kill my dwarf.” Sorry, Mike. I did.
“Killed, and now I’m dancing on your grave.”
“But… how did… are you cheating?” Pete knew better. Who needed to cheat? As the reigning champion, this was all skill.
I feigned a gasp. I spent the afternoon with three geeks from Firefly High, schooling them in the art of elven warfare. They stared at the card on the table, their disbelief scribbled across their faces. I might be the most uncool adult around, but I knew how to play the game.
“Should I explain it?” My eyebrows waggled up and down.
The store had been slow, and I loved having warm bodies in the shop. Sometimes, I found it hard to believe I had once been them, young, into dragons, elves, and magic. Heck, other than my age, I still felt like one of the gang.When Ricky asked if their club could meet here after school, I moved around racks and furniture to accommodate them.
“He’s never going to let us live this down.” Ricky shook his head, tossing his remaining cards on the table. “Please don’t dance. Please don’t?—”
I hopped up, pushing the metal chair back. It was less a dance and more of an interpretive victory cheer. All three hung their heads in shame. Someday, they’d be doing the same thing to their kids. It was only appropriate to pass the trauma from one generation to the next.
