The conversation tapered off. With a slight push, the swing moved back and forth. The chains groaned as we sat in silence. If not for the topic we both danced around, it would have been the perfect way to spend the evening. Having seen Mom and Dad do it for years, I wanted what they had. Would she spend evenings on the swing with Gerald now? As much as I balked at the idea of Mom dating, I hoped she found somebody worthy of taking up Dad’s seat.
“I saw her.” The words came out in a whisper.
He rested a hand on my leg. I appreciated the gesture. “I’m sorry. That must have been… weird.”
“So weird,” I said.
His hand ran back and forth across my thigh. The casualness of his touch quieted my insecurities, but I still had questions that needed answering.
“This is a new one for me,” I admitted. “I’ve dated plenty of daddies, but noactualdads. And never a divorced guy. I’m not?—”
“Full disclosure.” Wow, those two words were more terrifying than ‘we should talk.’ What had he been keeping a secret? When he turned, I could see the seriousness on his face. My brain went into overdrive. Had he been cheating this entire time? Did that make me the other woman?
I braced for the admission.
“I’m still married.”
My fears became a reality. “Oh…”
Something on my face gave away my internal monologue. He reached for my hand, holding it in his. I could feel the callousness of his fingers as they ran along my palm.
“No. No. It’s not what you think. I’ve signed the— Lucy is just— I…”
He hung his head. The rush to explain himself eased the tension. It didn’t remove my fears, but I appreciated his attempts at honesty.
“Just talk to me,” I said. If this thing between us had any potential to take off, I wanted it to be from a place of honesty.
“We’relegallymarried.” I noted the emphasis. “I signed the papers before we moved. We agreed to it before she left for Africa. There was no rush, so she said she’d sign them when she got back.”
“She’s just here to sign papers?” I didn’t comment on how slowly she must sign documents to still be in town.
“Sort of. Lucy likes to do things on her schedule. I’m nudging her. A lot. I’m sure she’ll sign them before she leaves.”
It didn’t quite answer the burning question. Was it rude to ask when she’d be on a plane? I’m sure there were people in Africa who needed her attention at this very moment. I’d help her book the flight.
“Turnabout is fair play. You have to talk to me, too.”
“How long is she here for?”
As the realization spread across his face, he said a silent, “Oh.” Simon didn’t let go of my hand as he pondered the situation. I had to remember the only virgin thing between us was the territory.
“Lucy is going to be part of my life forever. Whatever disagreements we have about marriage, she’s my partner raising Lucas.” I had said I’d be okay being number two. I understood Lucas would always come first in his life, and that made me admire him even more. Being bumped to number three might be too far from the top for me.
“I sold our home when I moved here. Lucy didn’t have any place to come back to. With her schedule, it made sense for her to stay with us until her next deployment.”
The progressive side of me wanted to commend them for making things work. However, something about the situation made me uncomfortable. I think the newness of us, his switching of teams, and the divorce combined gave me pause.
“It’s platonic?”
“As platonic as you and Jon.”
I forgot Simon had met my ex on our first outing. He didn’t bat an eye as Jon sandwiched me between him and Simon. If we could have a relationship that stayed strictly in the friend column, why couldn’t Simon and Lucy? Even as I attempted to rationalize away the discomfort, something tugged at me.
“Does she know?” I gestured to each of us.
He shook his head. “About this cute guy from Firefly who makes me smile? Not yet.” He pushed through, givingme a ray of hope. Did he have these same conversations with Lucas when he had big feelings?
“It’s not fair to ask, I know. But can you give me some time with that?”
