Page 9 of The Opposite of Romance
“Morally gray MMC? You realize this is real life?” I take her pen and cross off a few items. “No stalkers, no kidnappers, and definitely noserial killers.”
She’s laughing out loud now. “Fine, but I won’t let you cross off mafia. It’s a favorite of mine.”
“You know I love a good mafia romance, but how do you expect this to work? Should I set my Hinge bio to ‘looking for made men’?”
“Don’t be so literal, sis. We don’t have to go out looking for each of these men. Some might be a lucky coincidence.” She shrugs, her eyes gleaming. “For example, small town romance. You live in a small town now. Some romance is bound to happen.”
I ignore her optimism and continue, “Unrequited love? Been there, done that.” I cross off another item. “Accidental pregnancy? No, thank you,” I scoff. “Reverse harem? I don’t think so.”
“Your loss.” She shrugs.
“Come on, Dee. My own husband couldn’t love me. You honestly believe that I could make multiple men fall madly in love with me?” It was supposed to be a joke, but the truth of it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
The corners of Sandy’s eyes drop slightly before she rolls an arm around my shoulder. “You’re in denial, Sadie baby. You don’t see how incredible you are. But let’s leave this to me. I’ll handle it. Just be open to the experience.”
“You have a newborn baby, Dee. You’re not responsible for my dating life. Matter of fact, I’m paying for your maternity leave.”
“Well, it turns out Stella is an A-plus baby and her mommy is used to juggling a million different things. And maybe she would prefer to be useful, rather than bejusta mom, even though she loves it.” My breath hitches, her words surprising me. “Let me do this. For both of us.”
“Ok.” I kiss the top of her head.
“Ok? Really?” Her ears perk up, like a dog who hears the word ‘treat.’
“Yes, really.” My lips turn up into a smile.
Tiny twigs crunchand snap beneath our feet as we take another step on the nature trail just outside the town. We weren’t used to it in the city, but here, the nature is breathtaking. Since it was a lovely sunny Saturday, I decided we should make an effort to try new things.
Asher was thrilled with the possibility of seeing a snake—I really hope he doesn’t get his wish—and Olivia shrugged her shoulders, which for her is the equivalent of jumping up and down with excitement.
“Liv, I was thinking. Maybe I can get Kayla’s mom’s number, and she can come to our house one of these days.”
She shrugs again.Yes! “She lives with her dad; I don’t know where her mom is.”
“Oh, her dad’s number, then.”
“Sure.” Is that a hint of happiness I detect in her voice?
“What do you guys think of the forest?”
“There are no snakes,” Asher notices with mild disappointment, but by the way he’s skipping through the trail, my guess is he likes it.
“It’s fine, I guess,” Liv responds. “I would prefer to see some snakes, too,” she adds with a smirk.
“Of course you would.” I playfully tussle her hair, which she love-hates.
An hour later, I’m a sweaty mess, finally seeing our car.
But Asher also spots an ice cream shop on the other side. “Please, Mom! Can we have some ice cream?”
Even Olivia shoots me a hopeful look, tipping the scales in their favor.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Ocean’s Harbor is mostly a tourist town, coming alive in the warmer months. Though the tourist season isn’t in full swing yet, there is a good amount of hustle and bustle on the streets. Sweet little shops adorn the main street, not a franchise in sight.
This place is truly beautiful. Asher gets to the ice cream shop first, and the door chimes, announcing ourarrival. Colorful pastels cover the walls, the counters lined with jars of sprinkles, candies, and sauces. Asher glues himself to the glass display, hungrily eyeing rows of ice cream flavors.
“Hi. How can I help you?” A cute guy roughly my age asks us with a bright smile.
