“Mom, where is my sparkly scrunchie?” Presley calls from the bathroom.
“In the drawer with all your hair things,” I call back to her. I’m staring into my closet, trying to find something to wear to the zoo today. It’s nearly one hundred degrees, plus humidity and it’s only going to get hotter as the day goes on.
I thought about rescheduling, but something about spending the day with Jason and his daughter, only the four of us, with no interruptions, seemed too good to pass up. Presley’s friend, Natalie, was supposed to come, but her family went out of town this week. I have on a pair of comfy jean shorts and am debating on a tank top to wear. It shouldn’t be this hard of a decision, he’s seen me naked, but yet, I can’t help but overthink it.
I throw my hair up into a ponytail, knowing I’ll need it up and off my neck today.
“Mommy!” Presley calls, and I pick the first tank top I see, a powder blue one and slide on my comfortable shoes, knowing I need practical over cute shoes today for footwear.
“Coming,” I call.
When I reach the bathroom, Pres is running a brush through her dirty blonde hair. “Can you braid my hair?” she asks.
“Sure, honey. What do you think about a French braid into a ponytail so it’s off your neck? I don’t want you to get too hot today,” I offer, hoping it’s a fair compromise.
“Yes!” she heartily agrees. “But only if we use my purple sparkly ponytail. I want to match my purple tank top.” She points to the purple top she’s wearing with Disney Princesses on it.
“You got it, sweetie.”
Ten minutes later, her hair is braided and ready to go. I brush my teeth and swipe a few coats of mascara onto my lashes. My phone buzzes in my back pocket with a text from Jason, telling me he’s here. I shoo Presley out the door and grab the bag I packed with our water bottles, snacks, and extra sunscreen before locking the front door behind myself.
Jason’s SUV is parked in the driveway of my townhome, and he must have seen Presley’s booster seat sitting in front of the garage door, because he’s helping her get buckled.
The sun is beating down on my skin already, and I’m grateful I thought to put a layer of sunscreen on us already. I push my sunglasses off my head and down over my eyes to block out some of the harsh sun.
“Hey,” I greet Jason when I reach the passenger side back door. He’s buckled Presley in, and she and Lennie are already happily chattering. “Thanks for buckling her in,” I say.
“No problem,” he replies. “Ready?”
“Yep.” I climb into Jason’s passenger seat, and Jason closes the door behind me. It’s stupid really, but the simple action is enough to give me butterflies. It’s not something Brad everdid for me.
When Jason climbs into the air conditioned vehicle, I notice he wipes a drop of sweat off his brow. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the beach, or reschedule?”
He glances over at me. “It’s really up to you. I’ve got enough water to hydrate ten people, but if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. If anything, we can go to the inside exhibits if we get too hot.”
“Exactly. It will be alright,” he says. The girls in the backseat are totally oblivious to our conversation, only talking about which animals they’re excited to see.
Jason reverses out of my driveway, and we start the drive in silence. I don’t exactly know what to talk to him about, seeing as every conversation with us leads to something deeper and I’m not sure I’m ready for that so early in the day.
“Miss Fallon,” Lennie says, pulling my attention to her. “Are you married?”
I swallow thickly. “Um, no, Lennie, I’m not. Why?” I ask.
“I think you should marry my daddy.”
I nearly choke on the spit in my mouth, and cough.
Jason sighs. “Lennie, we talked about this.”
I shift in my seat to look back at her. “That’s really sweet that you want me to marry your daddy.” I can’t say anything else, because I’m being interrupted by both girls.
“Then we could be sisters,” Presley chimes.
“And you could be my mom!” Lennie yells.
I don’t know what to say. I look to Jason for help, but he apparently doesn’t know what to say either. I guess the girls have been plotting against us for a while. Well, I guess I get to be the one to break their hearts. “I know you two would love for us to get married, but we are only friends. Friendsdon’t really get married. People who are in love get married, like your Uncle Andrew and Auntie Josie,” I say to Lennie, hoping an example will help.
