Page 44 of For The Days We Can't Forget

“Good choice. That place is an institution. And it’s in town.”

“I thought about taking her to dinner somewhere else, maybe a town over, but I didn’t want to stay away from Sofia in case she needed me, and I didn’t want you to worry about Lisa being away.”

That seemed to be the right answer. He nodded in satisfaction. “You’re a good man. We know our daughter is safe. And you have one of your own, so I’m sure you’ll treat mine with respect.”

“Lisa is very important to me, Mr. Specter. And I’m not treating this as a fling or some fun time.”

He beamed at my response. “Elliot. Call me Elliot. Now shh, the show’s starting.”

I was getting comfortable watching the tale of a down-on-her-luck woman who had to choose between the love of two brothers when Lisa came down the stairs.

Sporting a flowing red skirt that reached above her knees, high-heeled boots, and a tight white blouse that hugged her curves, I was tongue-tied and once again entranced by that woman.

Without realizing it, I stood up and walked to her. I ran my fingers through her loose, honey hair. “You look gorgeous,Lissie.” I loved how she beamed whenever I called her that. From what I noticed, Fee and I were the only ones who did. It felt private and special.

I felt my face getting warmer when I noticed the rapt attention of her family. “Ready?” When she nodded, I took her hand and addressed their parents so they wouldn’t worry. “I’ll have her come by midnight.Come back. I meant I’ll have her back. To you, in this place.” So much for not worrying them. It didn’t help that Lisa was giggling.

Before I could correct myself—or make it all even worse—Enid smiled. “You two have fun.”

We left her house, and I guided her to my car, opening the passenger door for her to get inside. I walked around the hood and jumped into the driver’s seat. “Before we go, I have something for you.”

I picked up the box from the back seat and handed it to her. Her eyes brightened as she grabbed it from me, dancing in her seat. When she opened the lid, her eyes turned glossy. She fished the frame out of the box and caressed the picture of her and Sofia in it. They were lying together on my couch, holding hands, with a gooey green thing on their smiling faces and cucumber over their eyes. I was starting to second guess myself, thinking maybe she wouldn’t want a picture like that, but it was so special to me.

It portrayed my two girls together, having fun. My baby was happy, loved, and cared for by the wonderful woman next to me. It oozed love. It was a picture of their genuine relationship. It was an image I wanted to relive for years to come.

“How did you get this?” she asked softly, still looking at the picture.

“April took it and sent it to me.”

She stared at me with what I hoped was love in her eyes. She pulled my face down and gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips. “That was the greatest gift I’ve ever got. Thank you,” she choked out.

I pecked her lips again, and we headed to the first of many dates I wanted to have with her.

After we parked near AIO, we strode hand in hand to the entrance, and I began to notice a lot of older people. “Oh, no.”

“What?”

“Today is for the elderly. I’m so sorry! I’d forgotten about it. Do you...do you want to go somewhere else or...reschedule?” I craved our first datesomething crazy, but if she’d rather have a more romantic night, I’d give it to her.

“Don’t be silly, honey. This is perfect! Let’s have fun with the grandmas and grandpas of this town.” She squeezed my hand and traipsed to the door, pulling me with her.

Elliot was right. The place was an institution with a fitting name. All In One was dedicated to everyone in town. Its decoration was proof of that.

Portraying a myriad of black colors to bright ones, from black to pink, from no tablecloths with Harleys carved on the wooden table to rainbow tablecloths, from crocheted appliances to romantic settings, that place served couples, elders, the motorcycle club from a town nearby, the LGBTQ community. Everyone was welcome to come any day of the week. But they had special niche attractions.

Case in point, it was Bingo night for seniors. At least I wouldn’t feel so much older than Lisa among the better age.

The place wasn’t packed, but it had a respectful number of customers. We were looking for a place to sit when I spotted Izzie waving at us. We approached her table to see she was seated with Ben, Mia, and Mr. Cross.

“If you guys want to stay with us, grab a seat,” Izzie invited us. “We’re pairing up.”

I looked down at Lisa to see what she wanted to do, and she was already looking for chairs for us to join them. They made space for us, and we settled with Ben and Izzie to our left and Mia and Mr. Cross to our right.

“Where is Haley?”

“She and Gabe decided to have dinner with my parents so he could play with Teddy,” Mia answered.

We placed our orders of beverages and appetizers and embraced the chaos. As we talked and Mr. Cross grumbled, I saw a man walking toward us. Dressed in tight, bright green pants and a purple buttoned-down shirt stamped with numbers all over it, Jimmy, the local bank teller, greeted us.

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