Page 5 of Just a Heartbeat Away

Now he just had to Google eggplant recipes. And then find some way to trick his son into eating it.

He chose some kale and lettuce, bypassed the bok choy and snatched up the last good bunch of carrots. He paid the vendor, pushed everything into the tote bag over his shoulder and checked his watch. He had approximately nine minutes before Matty’s karate class was over. Just enough time to pick up a cup of coffee. Perfect. Sebastian clicked his tongue at Crabby and the dog sprang forward like he’d been born to prance through that farmers market.

Sebastian sidestepped a loudly arguing couple and tossed some change into a hardworking saxophonist’s case. Traffic whizzed by on all sides of the plaza and it seemed like every driver was extra appreciative of their car horns and middle fingers today.Ah, the soothing sounds of Brooklyn.

He stopped at the coffee truck on the other side of the plaza and was grabbing his cup of coffee when a soft, familiar voice spoke from just over his shoulder.

“Oh, hi!”

Sebastian looked back and immediately bobbled his coffee. “Miss DeRosa! Damn. Hot. The coffee, I mean.”

She pulled a napkin from her purse and handed it over so he could mop the coffee off his hand. “Via.”

“Sorry?” He looked up at her and blinked.

“Via. You can call me Via, now that Matty’s not in my class anymore.”

“Oh right. Then you can, of course, call me Sebastian, Seb, whatever.”Brilliant, Sebastian, a real wordsmith.He balled up the napkin and tossed it, thanking God when it banked into a trashcan. At least he didn’t look like a complete doof. “Via’s a pretty name.”

“Short for Violetta.” She crossed her arms and smiled down at the dog who was once again hovering his butt above the ground, his tail thumping with the regularity of a windmill. “And who’s this?”

“This is Crabby.”

She chuckled, flashing slightly crooked teeth at him. “Matty named him?”

Sebastian nodded. “He put his foot down, said it was either Crabby or Sebastian. I think I chose wisely.”

That made her really laugh; her head tipped to one side, her hair dusting her shoulder. Had she been this pretty when Matty had been in her pre-K class? Her glossy, dark hair was shorter now. It was in a blunt cut just above her shoulders, still just as wavy, though. She wore a bit more makeup than she used to, making her look a touch older. Her dark eyes took up nearly half her face, and her small, slightly squished nose was just like he remembered. He hadn’t remembered that mouth, though. Small and plump, her lips were a lovely mauve against her golden skin.

“Sounds like Matty. How’s he doing? How’re both of you doing?”

For a second, that day in her classroom lanced through Sebastian and he fought the urge to visibly wince. The white-hot shame of being told he was neglecting his son had never quite subsided. No matter how good a father he was now. But he swallowed hard and pushed the feeling down. She hadn’t been judgmental then, and she didn’t seem judgmental now.

“We’re doing really well. Got our hands full with this guy.” He nodded down at Crabby. “And we moved a few months ago, so we’re still settling into the new place.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Still in Bensonhurst. I didn’t want him to have to change districts, so we found a spot not too far from our old place.”

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “I’m in Bensonhurst now, too. I actually just got a job at an elementary school there. Matty would be going into second grade already?”

“Good memory. Yeah. I can’t believe it, honestly. Second grade already. So, you’re not in pre-K anymore?” His phone buzzed in his pocket, another message from Cupcake, he was sure. It reminded him how much he didn’t want to do things that way. And here, right in front of him, was this pretty woman who’d helped him out of one of the darkest moments in his life. Plus, she was looking very cute in a summery dress and her perfect little sneakers.

This was the kind of woman he’d like to go out with. He didn’t have to squint at a profile pic or read between the lines of the two-hundred-word description of her life. He could just absorb the heat of her sunshine on a perfectly good late summer Saturday. Live. In person.Ask her. Just do it.

“Pre-K was what paid the bills while I got my certificate, but I knew I wanted to be in the counseling department of an elementary school somewhere.”

“So you won’t lead a classroom?”

She shook her head.

Just do it.

“Via, you know I never really took the chance to truly thank you. For what you did for me and Matty. I’m not sure I know how to really express it... Ah, I was wondering if you’d let me buy you d—”

“Hey, babe, you wanted me to get olive oil and what else?”

Sebastian’s attention focused immediately on the extremely good-looking man who’d just walked up to them. Like, stupid good-looking. He had a model’s face and a swatch of long, carefully unruly black hair. This was Brooklyn, so of course the kid was way too hip for mankind. He wore suspenders over a flannel shirt. Seb tried hard not to raise his eyebrows.

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