Page 5 of Picture Perfect

I take a breath to clear my head and thankfully, my wine and check arrive. The server mouths, “Sorry,” with a flick of her eyes to Bill, before retreating behind the bar. I drink half and pull out cash, not wanting to relive tonight when I look at my banking app.

He frowns. “What are you doing?”

“Paying my tab.”

“I thought we were having fun.”

“Is that so?”

He scoffs. “Well,Iwas.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Bill, maybe there’s a decent guy somewhere deep down inside, but I don’t have the patience to dig him out of you, so I’m going to head out.”

“This is what I get for dating anage-appropriatewoman.” He rolls his eyes.

I grab my clutch and my check to make sure it gets to the server. I tell him, “Thanks for reminding me why I hated dating. Call me never.”

I leave him there and go straight to our server. “Here, thanks, and good luck.”

She huffs. “Thanks. He’s here every night. I’m used to it. But you’re not exactly his type.”

“How do you mean?”

“You’re a grown-up.”

I chuckle. “Yikes.”

On the drive home, I start to laugh. The whole thing was just so awful. Still, itismy first date since the divorce, and I hate that it left such a bad taste in my mouth.

Back in the day, I’d hated dating. I love going out with people and having adventures, but when the worddategets used, it adds a pressure that I loathe and brings out the worst in people. I want to dodge bullshit nights like this.

Thereisone good thing about tonight, though. I get to tell Rowan all about it, and he is going to laugh.

3

Rowan

When I get home, the kids are already asleep in their pajamas in the living room. They flank the babysitter, each with their heads on her knees on the couch. Hannah smiles and puts a finger up to her lips to keep me quiet. Our usual routine.

I pick up Ellie first and carry her to bed. She hardly stirs. My daughter has always been a good sleeper. Jonah, on the other hand, hasn’t had a night he has slept all the way through. By the time I return to get him, he’s half-awake and yawning next to Hannah. Quietly, I tell him, “Hey buddy, time for bed.”

“I’m not tired.”

“I know.” I scoop him up and carry him to his room. If I’d let him walk there, he would wake up more. I’d made that mistake before. Tucking him in, I kiss him on the forehead, and he rolls over. I turn out the light and see why. “No screens, Jonah.”

He huffs and turns it off, so I close the door and tap my feet on the hardwood floor so he thinks I walked away. Thankfully, he doesn’t realize his iPad lights up the entire room, or that I can see the light beneath his door. I fling the door open and he fakes a snore. It’s all I can do not to laugh. The iPad is still on.

I gently pluck it from his arm as he continues to pretend to be asleep and walk out. Hannah waits in the living room. She says, “I tried to get them to go to bed, but they were pretty adamant about staying up for you.”

“I’ve been working a lot.” I pull out my phone to pay her on the app. “Thanks for staying late.”

“No problem, Mr. Cargill. Ellie and Jonah are my favorite kids to sit for.”

“I bet you tell all the parents that.”

“I do,” she says cheekily. “But you’re the only one I mean it with. Seriously, they’re great. I’ve never sat on a tack here. They don’t put things in my food—"

“Other kids do that?”

---