Page 57 of Second Dance
I didn’t know how to respond, so just smiled. Like many teenage girls, Bella was all over the place. Friendly. Then not. Then back again. But she seemed to be warming up to me a little. Grace was helping with that, God bless her.
“Tell me how school was for you this year,” I said, nodding toward Bella and then Peter. “Has it been hard to adjust to a new school?”
Peter lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t want to leave my friends or my baseball team, but, once I got used to the change, it’s been good. I love it here.”
“Where we lived in the city was noisy and super busy,” Bella said. “When we first lived here, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and not know where I was. It was so quiet. Other than the sound of waves crashing to shore.”
“Do you enjoy hearing the ocean?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Totally,” Bella said. “I love it here too. Even though I miss our old house and neighborhood. I had a lot of friends. Ones I’d known a long time.”
“It must have been hard to start at a new school,” Grace said. “I’ve always lived here and can’t imagine not being with my friends I’ve grown up with.”
“It was,” Bella said softly. “But not the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. These children had been through so much, losing their mother and then moving to a new town. And now? Would they be tested further with Darren back in their lives? I’d downplayed my worry with Alex earlier, but, in truth, I was terrified for them all. When they understood Alex hadn’t legally adopted them, it would surely trigger intense responses. Even Peter, as easy-going as he appeared to be, would take it hard.
Where did I fit into their lives? Was there room for Grace and me? But I was getting ahead of myself. We’d only been on two dates. Yet we’d fallen back into an easy rhythm. Just as we had all those years before. From the very first night I met him, we’d been together every second we could be and never ran out of subjects to talk about. Only now, we were adults, with responsibilities and children who needed us. Was it selfish to even consider a future with Alex when his kids were so fragile?
Grace reached over to give Bella’s arm a squeeze. I watched as the girls exchanged a smile. Leave it to Grace to draw Bella out. I felt as if I might burst with pride.
“Do you want to come to my soccer game tomorrow?” Bella asked Grace. “And you too, Gillian?”
Amazed, I simply nodded. “I would love to.”
“Me too,” Grace said. “Actually, I was already going to be there because Annie’s playing. But now I’ll be there for two reasons.”
“We should go in the hot tub,” Bella said. “Can we, Dad?”
“Clear your plates and then go for it,” Alex said. “Be sure to thank Sonya for dinner on your way up.”
“Come on, Grace.” Bella jumped to her feet, grabbing her plate. “I’ll lend you a suit.”
That left Alex and me alone with Peter.
Peter looked over at me. “Bella can be a lot.”
“So can Grace,” I said.
“She likes you, though,” Peter said. “Even if it’s hard to tell. She can be prickly sometimes, but she’s actually really sweet.”
“I understand perfectly,” I said. “I remember what it’s like to be fourteen.”
Alex’s phone buzzed from where he’d left it by the grill. “Oh, that’s my alarm to remind me to take my supplement. I’ll be right back.”
“And now there are two,” I said.
Peter cocked his head, his dark eyes studying me in the dim evening light. Overhead, gulls screamed. The water feature clicked on, filling the pool with a steady rush. “Dad told me what happened earlier today. With the sperm donor.”
“You mean Darren?”
“Yeah. He said you handled it really well.”
“Did he? That’s nice to hear. Unfortunately, I knew a lot of guys like that growing up.”
“I’m grateful you were there to help. He’s been lonely, I think. Even though he never complains or anything. I haven’t seen him smile like he did tonight in a while. Thanks for that.”
Touched, I felt tears spring to my eyes. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”
