“Can you give me a few minutes?” I ask Noah, jutting my chin in the direction of Finn. He’s standing against the wall with a sour face. I’m going to put an end to this.

“Of course.”

“Aubrey, do you think you could show Noah where the map is? He’s never been here before.”

Her eyes brighten, and she takes Noah’s hand and tugs. “Come on! I can show you.”

Noah doesn’t seem to mind, and after a few steps, he lifts Aubrey into his arms as she points toward the information area. Another brick around my heart pulverizes. Seeing him with my children means more to me than anything. They are my heart and soul and him trying matters.

I look back over to Finn and sigh. I don’t want to push him, but I raised him better than this. Noah tried to engage him in a conversation several times, and he was rude. I don’t tolerate my kids being disrespectful.

I nudge Finn’s arm, and he turns to the side a little. “Hey, you ready to go inside?”

“I don’t want to be here.”

My knee-jerk reaction is to tell him too freaking bad, but I would like him to be less of a turd. I hear my mother’s voice in my head, telling me to pick my battles.

“I know you’re angry, and you’re allowed to be, but you’re not going to be rude to my friends, do you understand?” I ask him.

His eyes narrow, and I see the defiance swirling. “Fine.”

“I mean it, Finn. Noah and I are friends, and he wants to hang out with you and your sister.”

We’re friends who are trying to figure out where we go from here, or I am, at least.

“I said fine.” Finn continues to pout.

There are times when he’s so grown up, and then there are times like this, which remind me how young he really is. He’s in so much pain, but he doesn’t know how to process it. Instead of talking, Finn shuts down. It’s heartbreaking to watch my sweet little boy struggle with things beyond his control.

“Okay then. I hoped you would be a little happy since you love this place.”

Finn crosses his arms against his chest. “Dad took us here.”

And there it is. “Don’t you think your dad would be happy you’re here?”

He looks at me with his lip trembling. “I don’t want a new Dad. I don’t want a new Mom.”

Asshole is the most selfish person I know. The only reason the kids found out he was going to marry Jillian is that Finn heard her screaming at him about the wedding.

Scott tried to explain that nothing will change for them, but Finn isn’t stupid.

“Noah just wants to be your friend.” I look at Aubrey, who is now leading him to another one of her favorite spots, the gift shop. “He was hoping to talk to you more about the show . . . what is it called again?”

He fiddles with the cord of his headphones. “You don’t have to pretend.”

This kid is too smart for his own good. “Okay, I’m just saying you love Noah’s character, and here’s your chance to hang out with him.”

Finn smiles but then seems to remember he’s supposed to be pissed off at the world. “Why? Why does he want to know me?”

I shrug. “Maybe because I told him how cool you were.”

Finn may have done his best to ignore Noah, but I caught him looking at him with wide eyes a few times. Heather and Finn watched A Thin Blue Line marathon, and he was hooked.

“Can you smile and try?” I ask.

“I’m so excited.” At least I know the kid can nail sarcasm.

I didn’t want to have to do it, but he’s left me no choice. I need to pull out the big guns.

I blow a raspberry against his cheek, and he makes a noise. “Mom!”

“Don’t be a grump, and I won’t kiss you in public.” I grin.

“You’re so weird.”

“You say weird, I say coolest mom ever.”

Finn rolls his eyes. I take pride in his reaction to my goofiness. I’ve always been this way with him, and it’s kind of our thing. I’m over the top, and he lets me know how uncool I am. “No way.”

“I’m cool. I’m friends with Noah Frazier, and you’re not.” I stick my tongue out. “That makes me cool.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Don’t make me hug you and yell your name.”

He puts his hands up in surrender. “Fine. Let’s go have fun.”

Mom wins again.

We start to walk toward where Aubrey has Noah holding about twenty different stuffed sea animals in his arms. The look of sheer panic in his eyes at my tiny maniac daughter is hilarious. She continues around the bins, stacking the animals higher as Noah follows her.

“Mom? Is Noah your boyfriend?”

I don’t want to lie to him, but I don’t even know what we are. “No, right now we’re friends who are getting to know each other. But I like him and want you guys to get to know him.” I tell him the kid’s version of the truth.

“So, you’re not getting a new family, too?” Finn asks with fear in his voice.

You would think I just got hit by a car with how much that hurt me. He must be suffering so much with the anxiety he’s feeling.

“Never. Even if Noah and I decide to become more than friends, you and Aubrey are my family. Always.”

Finn nods. “Okay.”

“Okay, let’s go save Noah before Aubrey convinces him to buy the aquarium.” I smile.

We walk over and Aubrey looks like she won the lottery. You can barely see Noah’s face over the pile she’s accumulated.

“What mess did you get in?” I ask while biting my lips to keep from laughing.

“Mommy, look at all the toys Noah said I can get!” She twirls.

I turn and look at him, wondering what exactly he told her.

“If I say no, she makes this face,” he tells me.

“Yeah, that’s called being six and a girl.” I start pulling the stuffed animals out of his arms and tossing them back into their bins. “She already knows how to use her cuteness as a weapon.”

I turn to my daughter, prepared to be the bad guy. “No toys, we’re here to see the fish, not create an aquarium at the house.”

“Okay,” she says with a dejected tone.

She’s a mess. Aubrey has this down to a science and is very good at getting what she wants. I couldn’t believe when she was able to do it to my father. He had to stop taking her to stores because she’d come back with a bag full of whatever she asked for. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought he’d never dealt with a little girl before, but according to him, Aubrey is different. My parents were strict with me, but my kids rule the world.

Noah looks over at Finn. “Have you seen the Harry Potter movies?”

I hold my breath, hoping Finn gives him a chance. His room is filled with all kinds of things from the books and movies. We’ve gone to the theme park countless times. Finn has read the series, seen every movie, and can probably recite most of the lines.

“Have you?”

“Heck yeah!” Noah smiles. “Who is your favorite character?”

“Who is yours?” he counters.

Noah grins at him. “Sirius. Hands down.”

Finn looks to me and then back to Noah. “Me, too! Did you cry when he died?”

The two of them start talking about the plot and what they would’ve done if they were each character. Noah and Finn take turns laughing at the ideas they come up with and the reasons why.

Aubrey and I follow behind them, and for the first time in a long time, I feel whole.

Even with all the crap that happened today, it’s as if my life just clicked into place. My son is smiling, even though a few hours ago he was in tears. My daughter is happy and smitten with Noah. And I know how lucky I am to have found this man.

As we walk, people stare, whisper, and a few take photos, but he doesn’t acknowledge anyone. He only gives the three of us his time.

“You having fun?” Noah asks as the kids run off to see the sharks.

I wish I could kiss him right now, but this isn’t the right time. We’re in public, and the kids are in no way ready to see anything close to a relationship. “I am. I miss our bubble, though.”

He leans against the railing beside me. Our arms brush against each other, which is the most touching we’ve done. “I do, too. I liked our privacy.”

“Hi, Mr. Frazier, I was wondering if I could take a picture with you?” A girl in her early twenties asks, giving him the face Aubrey uses.

“I’m sorry, I’m here with some friends, and we’re trying to stay low-key.” He politely declines her question, but she still pouts a bit as she nods.

“Oh, sure. Thanks anyway.”

When we went to dinner weeks ago, he said he doesn’t like to turn fans away. I’m confused about why he would do it now. “You could’ve taken a photo.”

He leans in, and I feel his breath on my face. “Not when we’re together, sweetheart. When I’m with you or your kids, I’m just Noah. There’s no photos or any of that, it’s us.”

My eyes meet his and even in the dark, I see the meaning behind his words. Noah is choosing us over anything else. He’s giving us his time, his heart, his attention. Things that matter. If I could bottle this feeling, I would.

“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”

Noah smiles. “I’m pretty sure I can guess.”

“You’ll just have to make up the lost time.”

“Yeah?”

I move my finger so it just touches his hand. “I’m thinking tonight.”

“Noah!” Aubrey yells with her hands on the glass. “Come see! The shark is going to eat Finn!”

He hooks his pinky with mine. “You’re on.”

I lean my head back and wonder what the hell I did in this life to deserve him. Here’s a man who could get any woman he wants, and yet, he’s with me. I’m sure Noah’s life is filled with invites, parties, and probably no shortage of indulgences, but he’s at an aquarium with two kids and a divorcee. Life is good, and I’m a lucky bitch.