Page 20 of All in December
Nash
“Hi, princess! I missed you,” I say, breaking into a grin as I jog toward Emma.
“Daddy!” she yells, bolting toward me from Tess’s car, her little legs pumping as fast as they can go. The second she’s close enough, I scoop her up and spin her around, earning a squeal that makes everything feel a little lighter. She clings to me, burying her face in my neck for a second. “I missed you too!”
I close my eyes and just hold her there. Seeing her always makes me so happy, but I can’t help but feel like I left part of my heart in the mountains.
“How was your boys’ weekend away?” Tess asks as I lower Emma back to the ground.
“It was awesome, Mom!” Benji cuts in. “We met Caleb and Sam, and Sam’s so cool. We skied together all weekend! I want to hang out with him again, it was so fun.”
I laugh at his enthusiasm, but it also tugs at my heart because I haven’t stopped thinking about Caleb for a second since we left. It’s surreal how someone can take up so muchspace in my mind after such a short time, and I keep wondering if he’s thinking about me too.
Now that I’ve had a glimpse of what dating could be like with someone who feels like they fit with me, I want to know what it looks like when we’re not wrapped in a snowy mountain weekend, but in the chaos of day-to-day life with our children. Because the way he made me feel in less than forty-eight hours of knowing him? I’d be a fool not to chase that. Especially since it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time with someone—and the easiest.
Tess, Emma, and Benji are still catching up, so I pull my phone out to text Caleb, as promised.
Made it back safe. Hope you and Sam did too.
He replies almost instantly.
Caleb:
We did. Thanks for such a great weekend, Nash.
I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face just seeing his name on my phone.
“Alright, kids, go inside. It’s freezing out here,” Tess says. “I’ll see you next weekend. I love you!”
“Okay! Love you!” the kids yell as they bolt toward the house. She lingers behind, arms crossed, eyes narrowing just slightly as she looks at me.
“I’ve known you too long not to recognize that smile,” she says with a knowing smile and teasing tone. “So… Caleb and Sam, huh? Who are they?”
Tess and I have always been friendly like this, even after the divorce. It was never dramatic or messy. She’s a greatperson, just not the right person for me. Somewhere along the way, we both realized we made better co-parents than partners, and when we talked about separating and neither of us fell apart, we knew it was the right call. She’s dated since then, and I can tell she’s genuinely happier now. And despite everything, we’ve stayed on the same page where it counts: The kids always come first. We even live a couple of streets apart on purpose to make it even easier for them and us.
“They’re a father and son we met skiing,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral, even though my heart hasn’t figured out how to slow down since we left them. “Benji and Sam hit it off right away. Caleb and I just… connected.”
“Connected,” she repeats, amused. “That’s your word?”
I give a little shrug, but the truth is, it was more than a connection. It felt like a collision in the best way. Completely inevitable and impossible to ignore.
“Well, Benji seems pretty thrilled,” she says, nodding toward the house. “Think you’ll see them again?”
“I hope so,” I admit, and I don’t even try to hide the smile this time.
She studies me for a second, then grins. “Good. It’s nice to see you… I don’t know, happy.”
“Thanks, Tess.”
She takes a few steps back toward her car, then glances over her shoulder. “Alright, have fun with the kids. I’ll see you on Sunday for drop off.”
“See ya,” I call after her.
She drives off, and I stand here for a second, gathering myself before heading inside.
Benji and Emma are already digging through the snack cabinet, and all I can do is smile.
“I’ll make dinner soon,” I tell them. “Just let me unpack a bit, okay?”
