Page 55 of Enemy Ex's Secret Baby

Gillian and Fran start to gab about something. I tune them out while I continue people watching. With each passing moment, my guilt seems to grow. I’d be getting rid of this? A space so alive and free? For what? Another fucking condo.

It’d be wrong.

I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it’d be so wrong.

My eyes continue to gravitate toward Stella as she threads in and out of games with different groups of friends. She crabwalks, cartwheels, runs like the wind, all with a breathless smile on her face. It’s a place where she can be free. Be herself.

And her mother…

I glance at Gillian. Her eyes flick to Stella from time to time, but she’s mostly involved in conversation with Fran.

This is freedom for Gillian too. Where she can trust in a big city such as LA that her community will take care of her and her little girl.

It’s all hitting me at once so hard I think I might need to lay down.

“Okay, I need to grab Jacob so he can eat or else his blood sugar is going to drop and he’s going to be grumpy,” Fran says, popping to her feet. “Jacob! Time to eat!”

“You want me to grab Stella?” I ask.

Gillian shakes her head. “She’ll come along too.”

We sit in silence as we watch Fran chase down the game and almost get bowled over by a clump of kids playing a game of Five Hundred. I laugh and, as my laughter fades out, I say what’s been on my mind since I’ve arrived. “Okay, you win.”

“Hm?”

I look at Gillian. Her warm brown eyes are waiting for me to go on. “You win. I get it. Why you’re fighting for this place.”

She smiles in surprise. “Well, that’s something, I guess. Too bad you’re not on the city council. Then that’d actually mean something.”

I shake my head. “We don’t need city council.”

Gillian starts to unload the picnic basket. “What are you talking about?”

“What if I was able to make this into a real park?”

She stops and looks at me. “Hitchins wants to make a park?”

“Well, not in so many words. It’s just started dawning in on me, honestly, but being here…” I sigh. “You’re right. It would be a tragedy to get rid of it.”

Gillian frowns. “Are you okay? Did you hit your head earlier today?”

I consider her for a moment. The breeze tousles her dirty blonde hair. Of course she has no reason to believe me. After everything. But I want her to. Desperately. “No, I think I’ve just gotten some clarity.”

Her frown relaxes.

“We could have a jungle gym over here and have an open field over there. Entertainment for the kids, but still give space for communal events. And then we could–”

“Swings,” Gillian interrupts. “We need swings.”

I smile. “Yes, a park without swings would be nothing.”

“And a bathroom. We need a bathroom.”

“Of course.”

“Water fountains.”

I grin. “You’ve thought a lot about this.”

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