Page 77 of For The Weekend
Roman
Less than twenty-four hours after Eloise left my house, and I’m already back in her presence, pretending as if seeing her hold Mazie’s hand doesn’t have me coming up with all these ridiculous ideas that involve rings and changing last names.
It was Mazie’s idea to go to the park today, but it was my idea to see if Eloise wanted to come. Since it’s right by her apartment building, she could walk there. When I offered the suggestion to my daughter, she jumped on it and demanded my cell phone so she could personally invite Eloise. I found her contact then handed it over, happy I didn’t have to admit how much of a simp I am.
Not like now.
Standing off to the side with Eloise’s pink purse over my shoulder as she helps Mazie across the monkey bars. They go up and down the slide a few times before moving on to the swings, but Mazie doesn’t stay there long once she spots a kid from her class, and the two run off to the slides together.
Wordlessly, Eloise and I decide to take a seat on one of thebenches, watching Mazie run around the park, talking with a third child now. I’m so proud of her.
“Last year, if you’d told me Mazie would walk up to other kids to play with them, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Eloise’s light brown eyebrows rise. “Oh yeah?”
I glance over, noticing the tip of her nose is red, along with her cheeks. Even though she’s got a cream-colored beanie on her head, she must be cold, and I drape my arm over her shoulders. “She used to be afraid of her shadow.”
Eloise huffs out a dubious sound. “Hard to believe. She’s so amazing.”
I nod, finding a bit too much comfort in the words of the woman who’s not Mazie’s mom, but who so easily slips into a maternal role that it’s hard not to imagine it.
“I was worried,” I confess as her green eyes drift back and forth between my own, her hand finding mine over her shoulder, linking our fingers together. I don’t understand how she always knows exactly what to do to make me feel less anxious with her touch alone, but it’s enough for me to beg her never to stop.
Never to leave.
Yet it’s not like we’re eventogether.
We had one weekend pretending.
Then an afternoon.
And last night.
And now…whatever this is. Sitting here, sharing a bench, watching Mazie run around with friends.
I keep my eyes on Mazie climbing the jungle gym. “I only ever wanted to give her a stable family, a stable life.”
“You are. Look at her out there. Look how happy she is. Not everyone would have the courage to do the hard things for their kids, but you did. You do.” Eloise places her hand on myjaw, her palm cool when she turns my head to face her. “Tell me one thing you’re good at.”
“You gonna show me what you’re good at in return?”
“Maybe.”
I relax my legs, widening my stance. Being a big guy, I try to be careful of the space I take up, but I forget all about that with Eloise. She doesn’t mind that I crowd her. In fact, I think she likes it.
“Something I’m good at,” I repeat, and she settles more into my side, her right hand on the top of my thigh. “Fixing up cars.”
“Obviously. Something else.”
“Making you come.”
“Shh!” She backhands my stomach. “Not on the playground, Roman.”
I lean over, my mouth against the shell of her ear when I say, “Making you scream.”
She flushes pink, and I give her the answer I know she wants to hear. “And I’m a good dad.”
“Fuck right, you are.”
