Ross

Dad!”

Sophia was shouting in my ear and I couldn’t believe that she still tended to wake me up, the same way that she’d been doing since she was five. I’d hoped that, seeing as she was older, she would stop acting like a human alarm clock that I could never turn off. I groaned and rolled away from the loud sound shouted directly into my ear. When I heard a whine in response to my actions, I groaned louder and pulled my pillow and covers over my head.

“Five more minutes, hon,” I grunted, muffled under all the covers.

She heard me, but her whining was only getting louder. A little body suddenly jumped on me, little hands trying to shake me and barely managing to move me.

“Dad! Can you please get up? I’m gonna be late for school!”

I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t get to go back to sleep. I pushed off my pillows and covers, letting out a hiss of breath when she moved to get off me and kneed me in the stomach. I sat up blearily and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I blinked them open and looked down at my daughter.

Hair as dark as mine fell around her face, over her shoulders, and down her back. It was getting a little long, but she’d stopped cutting it last year, saying she wanted it to grow out. She even had my slightly tanned skin, her bright green eyes one of the features she didn’t get from me.

She sat on her knees at the edge of the bed, arms folded over her chest.

Sophia was seven, soon to be eight, and considered herself in charge of me, even though I was the parent.

“Aren’t you up a little early, Sophia? I’m sure it can’t be that late.”

She just sighed and rolled her eyes. “Look at the clock and tell me that.”

I frowned, and my gaze turned to the alarm clock I kept on my nightstand. I’d bought one a while back after my phone woke me up one morning and I dropped it on the floor trying to shut off the alarm. I groaned when I caught the time.

“The alarm must be broken,” I murmured, turning to Sophia with a look of apology. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll come down to cook you breakfast, okay?”

She persisted with the sour look for a moment longer, before her expression burst into a wide smile.

“Sure, Dad! I’ll just shower and change. Don’t take too long!”

I just hummed. Not that she waited for an answer, because she scrambled off the bed and ran out. I pushed myself out of bed a moment later, picked some clothes from my closet, and went to have my shower. I was out ten minutes later, feeling refreshed, picked my phone from the nightstand and headed for the kitchen to get started on breakfast.

I was serving two plates of eggs, toast, and pancakes when I heard her running down the stairs.

“Come and have your breakfast already!” I called as I placed the plates on our tiny dining table. Then she came into the kitchen, and I winced. “Just what are you wearing?”

She frowned at me. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Dammit, Sophia.

She was dressed in all pink, her favorite color at the moment. The pink dress was fine, if a little too much for school. She had the pair of bright pink shoes with a strap my mother bought her as a present, with a short heel and a large flower on the buckles. She also had matching tights and hat, with more flowers on top of it.

“It’s fine, honey,” I said hesitantly. “It’s just a little…”

She pouted at me again. “Too much? Or not enough? I wanted to add a scarf; I have the fluffy one grandma bought for me—”

“No, Sophia.” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was pretty sure everything she had on was bought by my mother.

“It’s all nice, but I think your grandmother would prefer it if you dressed like this for a party. Not for school.”

Sophia crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

“Your birthday isn’t that far away,” I tried to bargain.

“You can dress up for your birthday, and I’m sure grandma will bring you more pretty clothes. You don’t want to get them dirty, do you?”

There was some hesitation, but then her arms dropped. She stuck her tongue out at me and ran back out of the kitchen. I chuckled tiredly as I took a seat at the table but held back on eating first.

I was grateful to my mom on the days she took care of Sophia when I couldn’t, and I was happy that she had such a wonderful relationship with her grandchild, but she spoiled her too much. Besides, this parenting thing was so fucking hard at times! Sophia needed a woman’s touch, but at times Mom’s touch could be a bit over the top, as she seemed to smother Sophia at the best of times. Mom told me that Sophia was going through her ‘princess phase’ and there was nothing wrong with spoiling her. I was just worried about all the clothes that would be tossed aside when she grew out of the phase.

She was back minutes later, and I gave her a once over. She’d kept the tights, but switched everything else for a pink top, jean jacket, and beige shorts, with black sports shoes. I nodded once in approval, and she skipped over to the table.

“My hands are clean!” she told me, holding them out to me as evidence.

I smiled. “I see that. Eat up so I can take you to school.”

School started at eight a.m. and I usually tried to get her there around five minutes before the bell. She’d woken me up at fifteen past seven and I was cutting it fine, but I had to fucking make it. I ate my meal and was done before she was halfway done with her own.

“Did you do your homework last night?” I got up from the table with my dirty dishes and left them in the sink. I’d have to wash up when I got back; there wouldn’t be enough time now. “Tell me where your backpack is, and your stuff for school. I’ll bring them down while you get ready.”

She chewed and swallowed her food before answering. “I did all my homework, and my books are on my table. My bag is right under it.”

“I’ll be right back, then.”

I pecked her on the temple as I passed her and headed back upstairs. The door to her room was just a short distance from my own. It was a mirror of mine, only better suited for a young girl. She had a small bed, her little bookshelf shoved up against the wall, with a small table and chair right next to it. The little plastic table had books strewn all over it, and I sighed as I put everything to rights. Her backpack was where she said it was, under the table, and I packed it up, then went down the stairs with it in hand.

Sophia was just putting her dishes in the washer when I walked back into the kitchen, and I gave her another smile of approval. The smile she gifted me with was bigger and happier, and I couldn’t help chuckling.

“It’s time for school, now, baby. Let’s go.”

“’Kay, dad!”

I held my hand out for her, and she skipped over to me and took my hand. I wanted to carry her. I’d gotten so used to it that it was hard when she suddenly refused to be carried around because she was ‘a Big Girl’. Remembering how she sat me down to explain it all to me still made me crack a smile, though it had been over a year now.

I picked up two sets of keys on our way out—one for the house, and the other for my car, with a spare key for work.

The drive wasn’t too long. The only reason we took the car was that I didn’t want to tire her out before she got to school. We lived in a relatively small town, so plenty of people were out walking. I let Sophia in the back, set her bag on her lap and did up her seat belt, then got in the driver’s seat.

“Put on the music, dad!” she shouted when I didn’t move to do so immediately. “Please, daddy?”

I arched my eyebrow at her in the back, not surprised to see her with her hands held out in front of her, palms pressed together, eyes wide, imploring, as she pouted.

“You don’t have to beg me, you know,” I said, amused by her drama.

The CD was in the player, so I just turned it on and played the music. It was a compilation of popular kids’ songs, another present from my mom. Immediately, she was singing along as loud as she could. I just laughed and sang along to the parts I knew, though I’d pretty much memorized all of them by this point.

On the streets to either side of us were other people waking up, some taking their little ones to school. I got shouts and waves from a few people, and I waved back. Less than ten minutes later, we arrived at the school parking lot.

“We’re here, baby,” I told Sophia.

She was pouting before I turned off her music, but she took hold of her bag. She waited for me to get out and help her out of her seat belt. I held her under her armpits and pulled her out of the car, letting her down on the pavement.

“Dad, look! She’s here; she’s here!”

I smiled as she jumped at me impatiently. She knew better than to run ahead without me, though, after I’d scolded her for it a couple of times. The parking lot was at the school, but, while cars knew better than to rush around this street, it was better to stay cautious.

I was in a hurry, as well, so I didn’t hold her back too much. I was excited myself, and couldn’t help grinning. Once we were across the road, she took off with a squeal, and I was a little jealous I couldn’t do the same.

“Jessica!”

“Hi, Sophia!” I watched as my daughter's teacher crouched down to receive her bear hug, giving her a tight squeeze before pulling back to smile at Sophia. “You’re as beautiful as ever today. How was your morning?”

Sophia practically vibrated in place with pleasure. “I had to get Dad out of bed, and he made me take off my dress, but he made me breakfast!”

Jessica glanced up at me. “Did he now? And did you thank your dad?”

Sophia suddenly stilled under Jessica’s eyes. Then she turned around and looked up at me with a serious expression. It was so cute on her face, still chubby with baby fat. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back a smile.

“Thanks, Dad,” she said solemnly.

I did smile because she was acting way too serious about the whole thing.

“It’s fine, baby. Don’t you need to head to class now?” I prompted.

I wanted her to go so I could have some time to talk to Jessica. I didn’t have to check my watch to know it was almost time for school to begin, and I would have to leave then. Sophia seemed to realize what I wanted, and she narrowed her eyes at me for a moment. But then she abruptly gave Jessica another hug, then wrapped her arms tightly around my legs, before turning away and running into the school.

We both watched her go; then I held my hand out to help Jessica up from her crouch. She watched my hand for a moment, wary, and I breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t just rebuff me. Her soft hand slid into mine and I pulled her up. She didn’t immediately pull her hand out of mine, and I counted that as a victory.

“Good morning, Ross,” she said politely.

“How’ve you been, Jessica?” I asked, trying to be informal but really wanting to have her in my arms.

She pursed her lips. “Fine,” she answered curtly. Then she paused and hesitated, before sighing. “My Aunt Hayley was in town over the weekend; she helped my mom over at the diner.”

There were a few diners in town, but the biggest, not to mention the most famous, was owned by Jessica’s fifty-five-year-old mom, Rita. Our moms had known each other forever, even with my mom being five years older. Much like them, Jessica and I had been born and raised together.

“Hayley was in town, huh. I kinda wish I’d passed by the diner, now.”

She gave me a curious look. “Sophia was there with your mom. I was going to ask them why you didn’t come along, but then our moms got talking, and I couldn’t get a word in the whole time. So, I just ordered and ate. I didn’t understand why they even bothered to ask me to come along. It was clear that they didn’t want my company.”

I shrugged, then grinned. “I had my mom take care of her because I was working on your car all weekend.”

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping. “Y-you don’t need to spend so much time and work on it.” She started to frown as if I’d said something wrong. Maybe she felt guilty about me missing out because I was working on her car.

“But you brought it to me so I could fix it!”

“Yes, because it’s a cheap car. If I could have afforded it, I would have gotten something that didn’t break down every other day. If you keep working on it, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to afford it.”

I smiled a little, because it was fun to see her flustered. I took a step closer, and my hand rose on its own to touch my fingertips to her cheek. That made her freeze, and her eyes turned up to me. She didn’t move away from me, though. After a moment, I pulled my hand away and shoved it in my pocket. I had to tread carefully.

Jessica had left town and only recently gotten back. We had some history, the kind that made her want to avoid me when she got back. Sophia, and being my daughter’s teacher, was the only reason she couldn’t—though the thought of her becoming a quiet school teacher never occurred to me back in high school, it suits her so well.

If I was ever going to get her to go on a date with me—my obvious flirting wasn’t getting to her—I wanted her to be at ease around me.

It had taken too long to get this far for me to ruin it now because I couldn’t control myself.

“I already told you not to worry about the price; you’ll be able to afford it. You already gave me your budget, remember? I won’t go above it. And you did bring your car to me because my prices are more reasonable.”

She was still for a moment, then she pouted. I wasn’t sure she knew she was doing it, but it reminded me so much of Sophia at that moment that I had to bite my cheek to hold back a smile.

“Well, yes, but hasn’t it been too long? I’m sure you have other work to be doing…”

I shrugged. “Well, I do get a few drive-bys come to the garage, but they’re usually for small jobs. You told me I could take my time, so don’t worry, I’m not going to go broke because it’s taking so long.” Then I grinned. “You could always come by the garage later, and you can see. You could bring Sophia with you.”

She narrowed her eyes at that, even as her lips twitched slightly up at the corners. She opened her mouth to say something, only to pause for a moment. We were interrupted by the sound of the school bell, and we both looked toward the building, where the remaining children outside rushed indoors.

“Maybe some other time,” she said instead of whatever she’d had in mind.

I watched her turn and walk away, wishing we’d had enough time so I knew what she would have said. Before she walked through the entrance, she turned around and waved at me. She wasn’t so far that I didn’t notice the smile. I smiled back as I waved, then she was gone.

I turned away from the school and walked back to the parking lot so I could head to work, the smile still on my face, thinking that she was getting sexier the older she got. That was for sure. I knew that this was stage one and she’d be mine by the end of it. It was just a matter of time. I could wait because I knew that, this time, she was in town for good and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. No matter how many times she tried to keep me at bay.

Jessica

I breathed a sigh of relief as the bell to end the school day finally rang. Not to say that I didn’t adore my students, but it was hard, sometimes, keeping up with them. Today, for some reason, they all decided to start acting up.

Since morning, I’d had to break up petty fights, comfort a few crying kids, and scold others, which led to some more crying and comforting. It was exhausting, today, especially, after working with my mom and my aunt at the family-owned diner over the weekend. But the kids were my responsibility, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“All right, class,” I called to everyone. “Pack up all your things, and don’t forget to do your homework, please!”

There were groans around the room at the reminder, but it just made me smile. None of my kids ever missed handing in their homework.

I watched them scramble to pack their things, while still talking to their friends, some of them saying goodbye for the day. I loved being their class teacher, even though the position should have rightfully gone to someone else; after all, it had only been a few months since I’d been awarded the job.

A light knock on the door had me looking up, and I smiled. I glanced at the students, then moved to the door where Mary, a fellow teacher and an old friend back in high school before I left town, was waiting.

“Hey, there,” she said with a smile, glancing inside the class. “I came to see how you’re faring.”

I rolled my eyes at the obvious lie. “I’ve been on my own with this class for a while now, Mary, I’m sure I can handle things on my own. Besides, don’t you have your class to look after?”

She sighed and cocked her hip, folding her arms over her chest. “Well, yeah, but I was assigned to an older class since you came back. It’s full of little adults that don’t invite being chaperoned.”

“Oh,” I murmured. Sometimes, I forget she used to be in charge of the class, although I’d switched when her old students moved up a grade. “But wouldn’t you have missed your students if they moved on without you?”

“Well, yeah, but this is school. It happens, and children are supposed to grow.”

I hummed and looked back into the room, at one little girl, in particular. Ross’s daughter. I had been surprised when I came back to find him with a daughter. Save for her eyes, she looked a lot like her father, and it reminded me of the two of us growing up.

“That’s true, I guess,” I murmured. Then I turned back to Mary with an eyebrow arched. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”

She widened her eyes in an innocent look. When I frowned at her, the look dropped as she smirked at me. I rolled my eyes, figuring out what she wanted from that alone.

“I came to ask what you talked to Ross about this morning,” she admitted.

I sighed in exasperation and gave her a tired look. “You know, if you’d like to know so bad, then show up at the gate in the morning. You can talk to him yourself. I thought you were done with asking me the same thing over and over.”

“I’m usually busy supervising the kids inside while you’re outside waiting for your kids. I’m in an older class now, remember? I have no reason to be out at the gate early in the morning. And, anyway, before you came back, Ross didn’t stick around for long after dropping off his daughter.”

I gave her an unimpressed look. “You’re just giving me excuses now, aren’t you?”

She shook her head, her expression growing more serious. “No. Some of the other female teachers are jealous of you, you know? At least, the ones in our age group are.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with me, though,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

Mary shook her head again, this time looking amused. “You think that, but no one else sees it that way. Ross is a popular bachelor in the area, you know? Having a wonderful kid like Sophia only makes him more attractive to the single women around here.”

“So, no different from high school, huh?” I muttered. “Just with a kid in the picture.”

Mary giggled. Fucking giggled, and I wanted to roll my eyes again.

“Don’t forget, he’s a hot mechanic, too. Summers around here get pretty hot, and sometimes when the weather is too much, he’ll work outside without his shirt. You should see the kind of crowds he pulls!”

I pursed my lips, even as I had to admit, at least to myself, that it would probably be a nice view. But I shook my head and pushed the picture out of my mind. I wasn’t supposed to be imagining Ross like that. I wasn’t supposed to like him at all. The only reason I was civil should be his daughter and nothing more, no matter how charming he can be.

“You don’t need to explain everything to me, Mary, I can understand. I come from the city; you see a lot of attractive people there. But I’m not into Ross like that.”

Her expression was blank one moment, and the next she looked like she was holding back a laugh. I felt my face warm up in a blush at the look she was giving me, like she’d somehow guessed what I was imagining before.

“You don’t have to lie to me,” she said, waving her hand at me. “You can tell me the truth, Jessica. You think he’s hot, too, don’t you?”

“All right,” I said quickly, flailing my hands as I glanced into the classroom. I didn’t think any of the children heard that, but they would be coming out of the room at any moment. I grabbed Mary by the shoulders and moved her a bit away from the door and lowered my voice. “He’s hot, Mary, I will admit that. But that doesn’t mean I want to date him.”

“And yet, you seem to be the only woman he’s paid so much attention to in a while.” She rolled her eyes. “Even around town. You should see how blatantly women flirt with him. There aren’t exactly a lot of choices, so a few women have their eyes set on him. And yet, he’s still single.”

I shrugged. “Maybe he’s doing it for his daughter’s sake?” I offered. “That could be it.”

Mary’s expression went serious again. “Maybe,” she allowed. “You should have been there, Jess. He’s a better dad than anyone would have thought, and he’s done a lot of it all by himself.”

I could just imagine the kind of shock that would have been, though I couldn’t imagine being around back then, considering Ross was a big part of the reason I’d skipped town as soon as I could.

“But, seriously,” Mary said, “I know he flirts with you, Jessica, whether you admit it or not. He obviously likes you. Why don’t you give him a chance?”

I frowned at her. “You, of all people, should know why I keep blowing him off, Mary.”

The look she aimed at me then was sympathetic, but it only made me frown more and look away from her. I didn’t need her sympathy. I saw my students already walking out of the room, and I got a little distracted.

It wasn’t necessarily part of the job, to wait for them at the gate and to walk them out at the end of classes. But I loved kids. It’s the reason why I’d gotten into teaching elementary classes. I wasn’t required to supervise them, but I did it anyway, because I wanted all of them to have good experiences at school. After all, school had been hell for me growing up, particularly high school. I hated the thought of these kids going through any of the things I had.

Considering Ross was a part of what made school so unbearable for me, I shouldn’t want to interact with him at all. I should stay as far away from him as possible, especially because he was a player. There wasn’t a woman in town that he’d hadn’t been with. I may have been quiet when we were in the diner this weekend, but that didn’t mean that I wasn’t listening to the conversations that were taking place.

But, even as I thought it, I knew better. I didn’t want to change my habits, waiting at the gate for my students to arrive in the morning, or to get picked up in the afternoon, so I got to spend more time than I wanted to around him. It only amounted to about fifteen minutes a day, but Ross had used it to wear me down. I didn’t like admitting it, but it was working.

I heard Mary sigh, and I turned back to her. “Don’t you think you're too hard on him?”

I sniffed and jutted my chin out in defiance as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said coldly.

“Of course you do, Jessica. We’ve been friends too long for you to pull one over me like that.”

I glanced at the kids, then leaned closer to Mary. “No. Just fucking no.”

When I swore, she glanced around her in panic, and we leaned even closer to each other, voices lowering to a whisper.

“Come on, Jessica—”

“No, Mary. It hurt, all right, what he did to me. Yeah, he’s been nice and helpful since I came back. He’s fixing my car for me, and, no matter what he says, I know he’s making it fucking cheap for my sake. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just forgive what he did before.”

She was giving me that sympathetic look again. “It’s been years, Jess. Almost a whole decade. Can't you get over it?”

Yeah, right. I scowled at her. The time had passed, but that didn’t make it easier to forget what had happened. When I got back, the moment I saw him, I was taken back to that time. I’d been tempted to smack him, and would probably have done it, if his daughter wasn’t with him at the time.

I didn’t even want to come back. I only did it because I had to, to help out my mom, who was left alone after my dad died several months ago. There was some lingering guilt for not visiting as often as I should have before he passed, and I blamed that on Ross, as well.

I opened my mouth to voice my complaint, when another voice stopped me.

“Jessica?”

We both stilled, and I turned around to see Sophia standing just behind us. I got a little paranoid, wondering if she’d heard us talking about her father. But she was just standing there with her head tilted to the side in innocent curiosity.

“Can I help you with something, Sophia?”

She hesitated before she spoke. “I wanted to ask you to walk me to the gate?”

I couldn’t help but smile at the question. Just because I didn’t like her father, didn’t mean I wasn’t going to be nice to his daughter. She held her hand out for me and I took it in mine. I glanced back at Mary, who just smiled at the two of us.

“It’s fine; we can talk later. I need to go check out my classroom, make sure my students didn’t destroy it. Goodbye, Sophia.”

The little girl waved shyly at Mary as she left. I looked down at Sophia.

“Do you mind if I check the classroom first, before we go?”

She shook her head. “It’s fine, Jessica. Everyone’s left already, though.”

She bounced happily at my side as we walked back to the classroom door, and I glanced inside. I felt relieved when I saw the room was put to rights, and all the students were gone. Usually, I came back to finish cleaning up after my students left, but I’d started having them put things away before they left the classroom, and I was happy to see they were making it into a habit.

“All right, then.” I looked down at Sophia with a wide smile. “Why don’t we head out now?”

I would head back for a final once-over before I locked up, but I’d let myself get caught up in my little chat with Mary.

The two of us headed out of the school. There were students running all over the yard, and I sighed. There were other teachers shouting at them to slow down, though, so I didn’t bother.

At the gate, parents and guardians were coming to pick up the kids. Some of the older ones that lived nearby were left to go on their own, as long as they went in groups. It was a relatively safe small town, but the school was cautious. I got to see some of my students get picked up, and I waved to them as they left.

I didn’t see him drive up, but then he was suddenly strutting across the road from the parking lot. Because of my conversation with Mary, and my imaginings from earlier, I couldn’t stop my eyes from staring down his body.

He’d filled out since high school. He had been good looking before, but with his dark hair and dark eyes, and his skin lightly tanned, his appeal had only grown over the years. I could get why a lot of women had an interest in him.

But I couldn’t allow myself to fall for his charm this time. Even as he smiled and waved at me.

“Hey, Dad!” Sophia shouted from beside me, though, instead of running towards her father, she kept her hand in mine and bounced in place. “You’re late.”

The smile he aimed at her was softer, and I could feel myself melt inside at the look, because his one redeeming quality was how good he was with his daughter.

“I’m not late, you little imp. I’m right on time. I closed up work so I could take you right home, you know.”

That was another thing it had taken me a while to realize. He came to take Sophia home every day, and I’d figured he left her with someone while he went back to work. But really, he always closed up early to spend the time with his daughter, and, after dropping her off in the mornings, it meant he only worked about half a day.

“Were you very busy today, Dad?”

“Nah. No one came in, so I was working on your teacher’s car all day.”

I frowned. “How close is it to being done?”

His expression melted into an amused one. “Just about done,” he said, though I had a feeling he was just teasing me. “You know, you could always just drop by one day and check it out. Maybe over the weekend?” he offered.

“Isn’t it taking a little too long, though?” I said suspiciously.

Ross just shrugged, an innocent look on his face that was so much like Sophia’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I snorted a little as he mirrored what I’d told Mary just moments before. When he acted like this, it was easy for me to forget that I wasn’t supposed to like him. I felt a tug on my hand and looked down at Sophia.

“Can you walk us to the car, Jessica, please?”

I smiled, as I always seemed to do when I was around Sophia. “When you ask so politely, why not?”

Then I looked up and noticed Ross looking happy, which made me scowl immediately.

I tried to ignore him as we crossed the road. There was a child between us, so it should have been easy. But I couldn’t help checking him out in my peripheral vision. He had filled out well over the years, and, in spite of what I’d told Mary before, I had to admit he would stand out, even in the city.

He opened the back seat for Sophia, and she squeezed my hand and gave me a wave before scrambling inside. Ross leaned in to help her into the seat belt. Then he closed the door and turned back to me.

I arched an eyebrow when he didn’t immediately get back in the car.

“I’m sure you have things to do, so bye,” I said curtly.

“Jessica, wait.”

I stopped almost immediately at the request. His lips were turned up in one corner, but his eyes were completely serious as he regarded me. I was surprised for a moment, but then I schooled my expression into blankness and crossed my arms over my chest.

“What do you want?”

“I’ve been asking you to come and look at your car for some time now. You always say no, for some reason.”

I didn’t say anything. I had no obligation to go, after all. And I was busy myself. He waited a moment, and, when I didn’t answer, spoke again.

“I know I haven’t mentioned it before, but it’s not like I’ve forgotten.”

Was he going to talk about that now?

“I’d like to make it up to you. Maybe working on your car won’t be enough, but I am working hard on it. I know I haven’t made it obvious, but I guess what I’m saying is, I want a second chance with you.”

I stared at him blankly. “That’s… really why you’re spending so much time and effort on my car?”

He shrugged, “Well, yeah. You wouldn’t listen when I tried to apologize back then, though I did, a lot. So, when you told me about your car, I figured I could help you out.”

Wasn’t he just doing it to try and get me to have sex with him?

He kept inviting me to his garage over the weekends to check out the progress on the car, considering he’d had it for a month already. I wasn’t sure what to think, but this hadn't occurred to me.

“You don’t have to apologize,” I told him, even though a part of me was still bitter about it. “It was a long time ago.”

“I’d like to, though. Apologize, that is. And if words aren’t enough, then I’m hoping this will be.”

That should probably have made me feel better. I’d been carrying around what this man did to me for years. I’d had relationships before, but I was too quick to give up on them, so they never lasted long.

All because of Ross. What he was saying only made me feel worse. It was more my fault than his that I’d let this rule my life.

“You don’t have to do that, Ross,” I said, making my voice gentler. And, as I spoke the words, I realized it was the truth. “I forgave you for that already, so you don’t need to keep worrying yourself over it. And, if you don’t get over it, I swear I’ll get my car and go to some other garage,” I threatened when he frowned and looked about to protest.

He tightened his lips, looking unhappy, then resigned. Then he smiled, his expression back to teasing, and I rolled my eyes.

“Does that mean I get a second chance, then? It doesn’t even have to be a real date. Come out with Sophia and me some time. We’d both enjoy your company.”

If he’d asked that morning, I might have just gotten angry. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked just the same thing, but it was the first time since I came back that he hadn't ignored the bad history between us. It was enough for me that he had acknowledged it.

That didn’t mean I was ready to go out with him in any capacity, though.

“Thanks, but no. I have work I need to get to after this.”

Ross just smirked, not even fazed. “Later, then.”

I stood back as he got back in the car and drove off, but, as I turned back to the school gates, I realized there was a smile on my face. Immediately, I wiped it off and went back to my job. There were still students waiting to get picked up, and I was going to wait until the last of them was gone before I got back to my work.

Ross

I drove Sophia home, to find my mother waiting on my doorstep. I sighed, feeling exhausted even before I stopped the car. I wasn't in the mood for her company, not today. Usually, she waited for me to call her, or I went to her place. It was never a good thing when my mother dropped in to visit without warning.

The moment I stopped the car, she hurried over to open the back door for Sophia. My daughter adored her doting grandmother, so she’d already gotten herself out of her seat belt, and she scrambled out the door to launch herself at my mom.

“Grandma!” I heard her squeal.

My mom laughed, and I rolled my eyes as I got out of the car.

“And how’s my favorite granddaughter doing today, huh?”

“Grandma! I’m your only granddaughter. And you saw me yesterday!”

“Yes, I did, but how was school?”

That seemed to get her even more excited as she bounced in place. “Oh! Oh! Jessica was super pretty today!”

I winced when she said that and went on to ramble on about Jessica. It was the first time she had taken to a woman so strongly since her mother left town, and I knew my mom would have something to say about it. I locked up the car and went to open the door to let us all in. The two of them headed to the living room, while I headed to the kitchen to get us all a snack. Thankfully, I’d gone shopping recently.

After looking around, I decided on something simple, picking a pack of crackers and some cheese and putting them on a plate. I put the plate on a tray and added a three packs of apple juice and three glasses. When I walked back to where my family was, Sophia was eager to eat the moment I set the tray down, opening the crackers, taking two out and adding some cheese between them to make a sandwich, then biting into it.

I watched her with a smile as I moved to sit next to my mom.

“So,” she started.

I sighed, losing the smile, already knowing where this conversation was going.

“Oh, come on! Don’t be like that. Jessica is a nice girl.”

I pursed my lips, eyeing Sophia. My mom and I were going to have this conversation at some point, I knew that, but I didn’t want my daughter to be in on it. She loved Jessica, true, but that was as her teacher. I hadn't dated in a while, because I didn’t want to confuse my daughter. I gave my mom a look, and she caught on quickly.

“Sophia?”

“Yes, grandma?” Sophia said, still chewing on crackers and cheese.

“Why don’t we take the snacks and your bag to your room? So you can get started on your homework and eat your snack at the same time,” she offered.

Sophia thought for a moment, then nodded quickly, getting up from where she knelt beside the table. My mom picked up her backpack, then poured some crackers on the plate and cut slices of cheese, adding them to the plate. I would have bought the canned cheese instead, but a mess was usually involved with that, so I tended to avoid it. She poured some juice for Sophia, and then they were both heading for the stairs.

I decided to have something to eat myself as I waited for her, though Mom was back sooner than I expected.

“So,” she said again, the moment she walked into the room.

This time I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you have going on in that mind of yours, drop it,” I warned.

Not that my mom ever took note of my warnings.

“Ross! I’m concerned.”

That was just her polite way of saying that she wanted to interfere.

“Okay,” I said, narrowing my eyes on her. “I’ll bite. What are you concerned about?”

“Well, not so much concerned as curious, I guess you could say.” I gave her an unimpressed look. “All right, so maybe I want to be involved just a little when I find my granddaughter so attached to someone other than her darling dad or me.”

“That’s because we’re the only family she has.”

“No, no,” Mom shook a finger at me. “We’re not her only family, and that is where the problem comes in.”

I grimaced. The last thing I wanted was to be reminded of my ex and how she’d abandoned the both of us. Sophia never talked about it. I thought she’d been too young to understand, though my mom seemed so sure she must have caught some of what was going on at the time. I did have to admit, though, that my little girl might have abandonment issues. None of her teachers ever caught anything odd in how she interacted with the other kids, but she never wanted to hang out with someone outside of school.

“Don’t you think,” I said slowly, “for that reason, that maybe we should keep things going as they are? It would be better for Sophia, wouldn’t it?”

My mom gave me that look. The one that fucking works every single time. Then she moved to sit next to me on the couch, sitting sideways so she could face me.

“Look, son. I know how much you love your daughter. I know it’s been for her sake that you’ve held back on dating. But you’re not going to stay that way forever, right?”

I didn’t tell her outright, though, because I didn’t want to encourage this talk. I was barely beginning to figure things out between Jessica and me. Mom was close with Jessica’s mom, so I didn’t want to accidentally say something that she would spread around later, whether she meant to or not.

“You like Jessica, don’t you?” she continued when I didn’t answer. “And Sophia adores her. She was working at the diner over the weekend when Sophia and I went there. You should have seen just how excited she was because Jessica was there!”

Fuck, I groaned to myself.

“Mom, can I just please ask you to stay out of this?”

But then her expression went suddenly serious, and I barely held back a wince. This was what I wanted to escape.

“After the last shit storm you started up with that girl, I’m sorry, Ross, but I’m going to have to butt in.”

My mom didn’t use curse words that often, so I knew I was in trouble when she did. Not that I didn’t deserve it over this.

“You did a number on that girl, you know? When her parents found out, her father wanted to come and beat your ass up for making his daughter cry. I never allowed it, of course, because I should have done it for him.”

“I wouldn’t have minded if he had,” I muttered. “I made myself sick about it afterward.”

Even though it had been ages ago, Mom smacked the back of my head, not too hard, but not exactly lightly, either.

“You should have. I never raised my son to do things like that. It was the one time I was ever disappointed in you, Ross.”

Yeah, well, I’d been disappointed in myself. At the time, I was a teenager, and I was under pressure from my friends. I kept making excuses to myself to go on with it, it was just a prank after all, what could go wrong? All I had to do was get a pretty girl to go with me to the prom. She had always been pretty, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, though she wasn’t popular back then. I’d known her growing up but never really spoken to her much, until then.

Her reaction to me asking her had surprised me. She was so happy about the whole thing. When I saw how earnestly she took it, knowing the prank would be exposed at the prom, I should have known she would take it badly and I… felt sorry for her and annoyed at myself that I’d put her in that position.

I really should have told her the whole thing the moment I started to feel guilty. I really wanted to. Instead, because I didn’t want to annoy my friends, either, I took her to the prom. We were both all dressed up. I got through it by giving myself excuses and convincing myself that since she was enjoying herself, it would be fine. That, just maybe, she could get the joke and even laugh.

Not that it ended up that way. The night was almost over, I thought I was in the clear—until it was time to announce the prom king and queen, and my friends got it in their heads to announce the fake date to the whole school.

Sometimes I still dreamed about it, and I remembered how she had looked, with a devastated expression on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she gave me a betrayed look and ran off.

“I do regret what happened, Mom. You have no idea how badly…,” There were just no words. “I tried apologizing. So many times. But she didn’t want to hear it from me, and I couldn’t even blame her. Hell, I wrote her letters, not that it did any good when she either ripped them or threw them out the moment she knew they were from me.” I grimaced at the old memories.

After that whole thing, I stopped hanging around with those ‘friends’. I pretty much ended up a loner until the end of high school. Jessica was pretty much the same; only, she left almost immediately after graduation. I always thought it was my fault she left, but, now that I was older, I could recognize that I was just one of many factors she must have taken into account when she decided to move.

I still felt bad, though.

“I know that you regret it,” Mom said patiently. “But you have to realize it’s not going to be that easy. She is a wonderful young woman, but you hurt her at a very sensitive time in her life. If you’re planning to pursue her, you better know it’s not going to be as easy as you’re probably thinking.”

I snorted. “Who thought it was easy?”

It had taken months before I got a civil response out of her without me having to coax it out of her, after all. It was minimal progress, but it was progress, nonetheless.

I sighed. “Now that she’s back, when nearly everyone thought she was gone for good, and I’ve seen how close she and Sophia are already, I don’t want to give up on this and just let her go, Mom. I want to try, for real this time.”

Mom still didn’t look convinced, though, giving me an unimpressed look.

“All right, Mom! If this is what you came for… I like her. A lot, and I want to try everything before I just give up. Back then, I was stupid. I was a teenager, and I cared more about what other people thought of me, I wanted to be cool in front of my friends and the entire school. I acted how I thought everyone else expected me to, instead of expressing myself and acting on my own feelings.”

There was slight interest in her expression and, when I paused, she gestured with her hand for me to continue. I just sighed and rolled my eyes.

“Go on, son,” she prompted. “If you think that was enough, it’s not even close. Supposedly, you love this woman?”

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. “Mom, I am pretty sure I didn’t say—”

She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “If you want to split hairs, then she’s someone you have the potential to love. Because you wouldn’t be letting her anywhere near Sophia if that wasn’t the case.”

My jaw snapped closed, and I glared slightly, because she was right about all of it, even if it was a little too soon for me to think about being in love with Jessica.

“I’m not going to make the same mistakes I did back in high school, if that’s what you’re worried about. First, I barely have friends with all my time being taken up by work and my daughter. I’m not a little boy anymore that cares too much what other people think of him and his actions. I’m a man, and things are different.”

Her eyebrows arched, skeptical, though there was a definite approval in her eyes that made me smile a little.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I can honestly tell you right now, that the last thing I think of when I look at Jessica, is wanting to prank her.”

After pining after her for the past several months, having her naked and in my bed would be a good start.

Mom, as if she realized what I was thinking, frowned at me, though I could tell behind the look that she was pleased.

I sighed to myself as I thought about talking to Jessica’s mom, because I would have to, eventually. She wouldn’t be quite this easy.

Jessica

After locking up the classroom, I left the school and headed for home. Since I didn’t have a car, I was lucky home was only a twenty-minute walk from the school. Since I’d moved back in with my mom, I could use the family car.

Sometimes, I liked to walk; it wasn't like the city. The air was cleaner, and everything was greener. At times, memories of being home flooded through my mind as I walked home. There was only one problem -- Ross. If I could just stop thinking about Ross, then my move back home would be a lot better.

After how we’d parted in the afternoon, just a little over an hour ago, I kept thinking about our interactions from back then, and from the time I got back to town. No one could blame me for how I’d reacted when I was a teenager and had my dreams ripped apart by some careless boys’ pranks. But more recently, I should have tried to act more like an adult. A lot of time had gone by, almost a decade, in fact. I should have been over it.

But could I forgive him?

When I arrived home, it was to an unlocked door, and that could only mean my mom was home. Sure enough, when I walked into the kitchen she was seated at our little dining table with a cup of tea in front of her. She looked up at me with a smile as I walked into the room.

“Honey, you’re home,” she said with a chuckle.

I smiled, though it had an edge of sadness, because I knew she used to say that to my dad whenever he came home. After his death, she said it to me. I didn’t begrudge her such small comforts, though a part of me did feel uncomfortable.

Of course, she noticed, Mom noticed everything!

“Don’t mind this old woman.”

It was my time to chuckle. I set my bag down and moved to sit down opposite her.

“Come on, Mom. You’re not that old. I am surprised to find you at home, though. What happened to the diner?”

“Your Aunt Hayley is staying around for a few more days. She told me to stay home while she and the other workers take care of the diner.” She scoffed as she picked up her cup for a sip of her tea. “Honestly, she keeps babying me when she’s the little sister in the family.”

I smiled at her disgruntled tone. “She’s worried for you, of course she wants to coddle you.”

“You better not get any ideas into your head,” she warned me. “I can take care of myself just fine.”

I sighed but didn’t say anything. As much as she said she was okay, I knew she was still stricken with grief, even months later. Hell, so was I. I moved back home after the funeral because I was worried about her staying alone. My aunt couldn’t come and live with her when she had her own family waiting for her.

“I would never, Mom.” I got up to boil some more water for my cup of tea. “But there’s nothing wrong with relaxing now and then.”

There was an awkward silence as I waited for the water to boil. Then I made my tea and took it back to the table. We both took it black, and I offered her more before I sat down.

“So,” she started.

I barely held back a groan.

“What is it, Mom?”

She smiled knowingly. “I saw how well you got along with Cecilia’s granddaughter when they came to the diner over the weekend.”

I winced, already guessing where this discussion was going. “She’s in my class, Mom, I’m supposed to get along with her.”

“She calls you by your first name, though,” she pointed out. “Do all your kids do that?”

I pursed my lips, knowing the truth was that, no, they didn’t all call me that. It was Ross’ fault to begin with, since he called me by my name and she simply copied him. The one time I tried to get her to refer to me as all the other students did, she nearly cried, and I felt bad.

“I know what you want to talk about, Mom, and it’s not just Sophia. The two of you were busy gossiping, weren’t you? Do I even need to guess what?”

Mom shrugged, unashamed. “We were talking about you and Ross, of course.”

I sighed, taking a sip of my tea. I hadn't realized just how stressed I was, until I had that one sip and my shoulders relaxed as I slumped back into my seat.

“How have the two of you been? I know he brings Sophia to school and picks her up every day. I’m sure you’ve had a chance to talk.”

I tightened my lips and looked away from her intense gaze. “If you know already, then why are you asking?”

“Because, honey, I’ve been waiting for you to mention him to me since you got back, and you haven’t. Not once.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t feel like talking about him.”

“Are you still mad at what he did to you back when you were in high school?” she asked blankly.

No one had ever outright asked me that. And with the thoughts that had been going through my head for the past hour or so, thinking seriously about her question…

“No,” I replied, surprising myself. “Not that I forgive him—I’m still a ways from that—but I’m not still mad about it. I mean, we were both kids. We’ve both obviously matured since then.” I winced. “If anything, I regret how I’ve been treating him like a bastard since I got back.”

I looked down at my tea, watching the steam rise from it. I thought back to every glare, every curt word. When he offered to take my car off my hands to fix it up, I wasn’t nice even then. He almost always had his daughter around him, though, so I’d had to play at being civil. But it took me a few weeks to bring myself to agree to the offer, and a week after that, regretting the decision, because I knew it meant we would have to converse at some point—as if I didn’t already talk to him almost every day because of his daughter.

“I might have been… just a little too harsh,” I murmured. “If not out loud, then in my thoughts, in how I treated him. He didn’t deserve that.”

There was a moment of silence, broken when I heard my mom sigh, and there was some relief behind the sound. When I looked up, it was to see her smiling at me, looking happier than she had in a while. I just watched her, confused.

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. Ever since that incident happened with the two of you in school, I watched my little girl turn into someone I didn’t know. You became so quiet, so irritable. Your father and I worried so much about you.”

My eyes widened the more she kept talking. Yeah, I had tried to pretend the whole thing didn’t happen while I was at home, but I probably didn’t do a good enough job of it. Not that it was a surprise my family could read me so well.

“It was why we let you leave so readily when you brought it up,” she continued. “We would have rather you stuck closer to home, but we made sure you had the money you needed to leave town.” Then she smiled sadly. “We never expected you would stay away so much, though. Barely visiting…”

“I called often,” I murmured guiltily.

“Calling was never enough, though.” She pursed her lips, seeing how her words were affecting me. As they should, because everything she said was the truth. I chose to run away and it wasn’t fair, but then she changed the subject. “Anyway, what have you and Ross talked about? You know, to get rid of the bad blood between the two of you, you need to talk things out properly, right?”

“I can't say we’ve talked all that much about anything important,” I said with a twist of my lips that mimicked a smile. “I guess you could say I just realized it.”

She smiled, that knowing look back again. “Because of Sophia, right?”

I nodded. “He’s so good with her. He’s a good dad, though I never thought of him ever having children back when we were teenagers, and so young.”

“Ever since her mother left, he’s been everything to that little girl.”

“I know. She’s a very bright girl and good in school. I used to think it was just natural talent, or she was good at listening in class. But it turns out, he closes work to pick her up and spend the afternoon with her. And sometimes he helps her with her homework and teaches her ahead of the class. And because he prefers to pick Sophia up and spend time with her, I’m pretty sure he’s losing out on some work that would make him earn more from his garage.”

Not to mention how long he’d been working on my car. I hadn't passed by since I dropped it off to see just what he was doing with it that it took so long. No matter how cheaply he valued his work, I knew it would be much more than what he claimed.

“He’s working on your car, isn’t he?” my mom asked, like she could read my mind.

I sighed. “Yeah, he is. It’s a terrible car. I can't tell you how many times it’s broken down, but he said he could fix it for me.”

“And have you gone to the garage to look it over?”

She said it suggestively, and I took it to mean that, if I hadn't, I should. I didn’t think I could, though, not that quickly. After all, I’d only been truly nice to him for the first time today. I would feel too embarrassed to suddenly show up at his garage.

If he invited me again, however…

I needed to do something about our relationship, though. It wasn’t the best at the moment; though he was obviously more than willing to be nice, I just had to meet him half way.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Hmm?” she looked up at me.

“Can I take you to the diner early tomorrow, before I have to get to school? I’d like to pick something up for breakfast.”

I didn’t have to say out loud that it wasn’t for me, and she smiled again as she nodded.

Jessica

I sat in the diner waiting for my mom to warm up something for me. I’d offered to help, it was still early though we weren’t the only early risers in town, it seemed. Mom refused the offer, though. I had about half an hour to get to the school and, even then, I would be early, so I could do what I usually did and wait for my kids to arrive.

I stood by the counter talking to one of the workers. She was usually behind the cash register whenever I came by, and I knew it was because my mom trusted her in the position. She went to the same high school I had, but she must have joined after I left, and I’d been so relieved when I first heard that.

It might be ridiculous, but I was pretty much avoiding anyone I’d known well. Mary was different, because she and I had been friends before I decided to isolate myself, and, in any case, with work, it wasn’t like I could run from her.

“You know, I still can't believe he’s doing that shit to himself.”

“Yeah. If he had to stick around, fine, but Ross would be making more cash if he was at least smart about it.”

There was a laugh, then; “You say that as if you’ve ever left this town.”

“I did!”

“No way! Living in between this town and the next doesn’t mean you left town, you’re just a little further out than before.”

I hadn't meant to eavesdrop. There was a lull in my conversation with the girl at the cash register, and they weren’t that far behind me, so I heard them. I would have done the polite thing and tuned them out, but they mentioned Ross and I couldn’t help myself. Especially considering what the subject was about.

“How long has he been working on that car, anyway,” one of them said.

That made my ears perk up, as I immediately thought about my car, the one he’d been sitting on and supposedly working on for a whole month. I knew, even as I tried to kid myself that it couldn’t possibly be my car they were talking about.

“You mean that old piece of shit that he’s been working on for a month? The thing was a trash heap. I don’t know if he’s fixing it up for himself, or what, it would be a miracle if he got to restore that thing, but if he doesn’t get a mini-fortune for it, he’s a fucking idiot.”

My back stiffened in irritation. It was true that my car was a piece of shit, though. Every time it broke down and I managed to get it to a mechanic, they always told me the same thing: that I was lucky the thing was still running, and I needed to turn it in to some junkyard before it fell apart on me while I was driving and I got hurt.

I hadn't entirely trusted that Ross could fix it, either, with how messed up it was, even though he’d invited me plenty of times to check on its progress and I refused every time. Now, I kinda regretted not going at least once.

“If he wanted to make money being a mechanic, he should have considered moving shop, though,” one of the guys went on. “I brought it up to him before, but he said he didn’t want to move too far away from home.”

“It’s because of his daughter, isn’t it? His ex ran out on him and he needs his mom’s help raising the kid.”

The other guy snorted. “If he isn’t ready to raise a kid, he might as well leave her with his mom permanently. Besides, he has a car. There’s a garage for sale about an hour away. If he moved there, made more hours, got the right customers…”

“Yeah. He could make enough to live comfortably on in a year, and maybe think of expanding.” He paused and laughed. “Still needs to get rid of the trash heap, though. He’s already used up way too much time and resources on it. Even then, it’d be a miracle if it worked—”

“Here you go, honey.”

I jumped at the interruption. I was staring off into space as I listened to the conversation going on behind me. I’d glanced at them discreetly, and I was pretty sure I didn’t recognize them from high school, but they were probably Ross’s friends. My mom’s voice suddenly cutting in startled me, and when I looked up to meet her eyes, she was giving me a confused look.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, sounding a little worried.

But I shook my head quickly and tried to smile.

“I’m just fine, Mom,” I said, feeling guilty about lying to her.

I reached across the counter for the bag, but she held it away from me, frowning. I lost the smile and frowned stubbornly back. After a moment of us staring at each other, she sighed and held the bag out to me. I didn’t leave immediately, though, giving her a more natural-looking smile. It wasn’t her fault that I was mad at that idiot, again.

“Thank you for the breakfast, Mom. I appreciate it.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Yeah. Let’s hope he does as well, hmm?”

I rolled my eyes at my mother, even though she must have realized something. Ross wasn’t going to taste my mom’s pastries; I might as well just hand them over to Mary when I made it to the school. And that was exactly what I was going to do.

I turned away from my mother and caught the gaze of one of the guys I’d been eavesdropping on. But seeing him and his friend, who also turned to look at me, just reminded me of their conversation and the information I got from it. I stomped out of the diner in anger, hearing my mom call me out on it, but I ignored her.

“Fucking cheap, my ass,” I growled under my breath as I started a rapid walk down the street.

Every time he mentioned my car, I asked about the price, and I imagine the longer he had it, the more I should pay for it. Hell, some of the mechanics I’d taken the old car to had cost me double what he did for an afternoon’s work.

So why the fuck was Ross charging me next to nothing?

I froze in the middle of the sidewalk as my mind pushed through the scenarios and possibilities. Maybe he was trying for sex? Using it as an apology? I huffed and rolled my eyes, just remembering. I started walking again, but slower, with a scowl on my face. I wanted to fold my arms over my chest, but I couldn’t with the hot brown bag in my hand.

Was the bastard making a fool of me? I thought to myself with a gasp.

There couldn’t be any other possibility. I had thought we’d both matured, but, if he was still the shitty kid from back then, I was going to call him out on it. Then I was going to wait until we could get some privacy away from his daughter and the kids at my school, and I was going to tell him what I thought about him back then after what he did to me.

Ross

I stopped the car in the school parking lot and let Sophia and myself out. I held her hand as we crossed the road, and, as usual, Jessica was there waiting. As soon as we were on the other side of the street, Sophia ran to Jessica and hugged her and they chatted a bit. Then Sophia ran inside.

But then Jessica turned to me with a look that was colder than usual.

I knew, instinctively, that something had happened. What or when, I had no idea, but it had something to do with me, and I wondered how I’d managed to annoy her this time.

“Jessica, what is it?” I asked, my voice low with worry.

Anger suddenly crossed her face, and it was strong enough to make me take a step back, but just mostly because it was anger aimed at me. It was a look that brought back memories nearly a decade old and confused me at the same time. Why couldn't she fucking forget it? It was a long time ago, and she was still acting as if it was the other day.

“Okay, seriously, what’s wrong?” I grew impatient and just wanted to get straight to the point.

She opened her mouth to speak, only to pause and look around. There were still children arriving and running around. She snapped her mouth shut and shot me another glare. I was tempted to back off, maybe let her cool off a bit. Her being angry at me reminded me of how I’d felt back then after what I did to her. I’d hurt her emotionally and ended up hurting myself in the process. I was dumb enough to back off then, and, in the end, we never got to talk before she left town.

I had been hoping things would get better between us, that we could be friends, at least, and hopefully more someday. So, whatever she was mad at me for now, we needed to resolve it before I left, or she’d stop talking to me again.

“Okay, look,” she finally said, and it was obvious she was having a hard time keeping her voice down and civil. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, Ross. I would say I don’t care, but that is a self-evident lie. I will tell you right now to back the fuck off, though, if you think I’m going to let you play me again.”

I could feel my face morph into shock. I already knew she was mad and it made something in my chest shrivel up. But I forced myself to stand my ground. I reminded myself that I wasn’t an insecure teenager anymore, I was a man, and I was going to prove it to both of us.

“You’re going to have to explain something to me, Jessica,” I said after calming myself down a little, and I took a couple of steps closer. She stiffened and glanced around, but didn’t move away from me. I breathed a silent sigh of relief at that. “I don’t know why you’re suddenly so mad, or exactly what I did this time to get you to blow up at me, so explain it to me.”

“There's nothing to fucking explain,” she hissed with a glare.

“Uh, yeah, there is,” I protested, my voice lowering to match hers. “Even if nothing ever happens between us, there’s still my daughter, who happens to be in your class. You and I are going to have to get along, if for no other reason.”

I saw her grimace as she realized I was right, and I wondered what made her so mad that she’d allowed herself to forget in the first place.

She opened her mouth to say something, but someone else calling her name interrupted. It was another parent in her class, bringing her son. She was still across the road but coming quickly, and I turned to Jessica before she could let herself get distracted.

“I’m not going to leave until you tell me what the hell is going on, Jessica,” I said slowly while trying to tread delicately. There was one part of me that was so fucking mad; as soon as I think that she's put the past behind her, she proves to me once again that she hasn’t, at all.

Her face twisted as she tried not to glare at me again, now that she knew we had an audience.

“We can't talk about this here...” she hissed out, but I cut her off.

“There’s no other choice, where else would we meet, besides here? I don’t plan on making a scene, but I won’t leave until you talk to me.”

We stared at each other in stony silence, until her name was called again, only now nearer than before. So I turned away and headed back to my car. I could practically feel her gaze burning into my back, and it was all I could do to ignore it. I made it to my car, but, instead of getting inside and driving away, I leaned back against it. Jessica was still looking my way, and though she was too far for our gazes to meet, I hoped she at least realized I meant to keep my word.

I stayed there and watched as she greeted and talked to all the other parents and their kids as they came in. I felt a little disappointed that I didn’t get special treatment, but then, she wouldn’t be such a good teacher if she was preferential to Sophia and me over her other students.

After what felt like forever to me, but was probably less than ten minutes, the bell rang.

I waited, anxious, as last-minute parents and guardians waved goodbye to their kids, and the teachers led the few remaining students inside. When Jessica turned away and walked inside, I sighed and turned around to brace my arm against the car. If she was going to walk away, I didn’t want to see. Because I knew if she did, then it would take quite a while before things could go back to being smooth between the two of us, and it was just so fucking frustrating.

“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath, though it sounded more tired than anything.

“Ross?”

My eyes widened as I whirled around, surprised to see her coming back and crossing the road to stand in front of me. I glanced around and wondered just how long I’d been standing there feeling sorry for myself, because the street was pretty much empty again. Then my eyes strayed back to Jessica, and she seemed to read the look on my face.

“Don’t worry; I’m not running away from this.” She folded her arms over her chest as she scowled up at me, but it lacked the fierceness from before. “I know that’s where I made a mistake, back in school.”

I blinked at her a couple of times, then felt an unsure smile curve my lips. “Uh, I kinda wasn’t expecting… don’t you have class now?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You know I do, but you still waited for me, didn’t you?”

I scratched the back of my head, feeling a little sheepish. But then I dropped my arm and sighed, my expression becoming serious.

“I was just hoping you’d come and talk to me before the bell rang.”

Her head was shaking before I finished speaking. “I’m not about to break my routine, not even for you, Ross. The only reason I came back out here and didn’t just leave you to rot is that I managed to get someone else to cover for me for a while. But not for very long.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “I’m sorry, I guess I should have thought things through. I swear I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

She sighed, though the scowl remained. “No, you had a reason for reacting as you did, and I have to thank you. I’d just heard something that left me irritated, and letting it out on you without giving you a chance to at least defend yourself was hardly fair. You did something unforgivable to me before, but neither of us is a teenager anymore, and I’m more than willing to be mature about this. Just give me a fucking reason to trust you right now, Ross.”

My expression cleared, only for me to frown again as she spoke, because I still wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Did I do something to annoy you at some point between yesterday and this morning?” I asked, beginning to feel frustrated. “If I did, tell me what it was and I’ll apologize for it.”

Instead of answering immediately, though, she pursed her lips as she regarded me. The scrutiny made me feel a little self-conscious, like she was trying to see through me. After a moment, when I could no longer take the charged silence, I opened my mouth to speak, ask again what the problem was and hope she would answer this time, when she beat me to it.

“How’s my car coming along? And how much am I paying for all the work you’re doing?”

I only frowned harder. Why was she asking me about the damn car now?

“The car’s fine,” I said dismissively. “And the pay is the same it always has been, unless you want a discount...” I cut off when she growled at me, feeling my eyes widen in surprise again. “Okay, Jessica, seriously now, what?”

Why was she back to looking angry, like I’d run over her cat or something?

“That right there is my problem, Ross,” she said, continuing when I only gave her a confused look. “My car. You’ve spent all this time on it, are making all sorts of changes to it. You’re spending time, effort, and I’m sure money to acquire some parts or using parts you already have that you might need later. I know you’d cost differently from a mechanic in the city, but, even so, the price is too fucking low.”

Now, I was even more confused. “Are you seriously mad at me for fixing your car cheap? I mean, if you want, I could up the price, but I…”

My voice trailed off because she was blushing. She looked a little embarrassed, actually, and it was enough to let me calm down a little.

“All right,” she admitted slowly. “When you say it like that, I sound fucking ungrateful, when I don’t have all that much money to begin with, after the move.” But then she was scowling again. “Still! Why are you spending so much on it and charging me so little? You have a business to run, don’t you?”

I shook my head slowly. “Jessica, the business is mine to do with as I please. And, I will admit, your car has been a bitch to deal with. But it’s not like that’s my only problem. I close early for the sake of spending time with my daughter, and I know I could easily be working into the night. But, see, that’s my decision to make. It’s something I chose to do, for the sake of myself and my family, and it’s not a decision I chose lightly.”

She chewed her lower lip. “So, the deal with my car…”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, able to relax now that I knew the problem wasn’t something so major that it couldn’t be fixed.

“I’m pricing it how I want to, Jessica. Besides, when you think about it, I owe you. And it’s not like I’m struggling for money or anything. I get enough to support Sophia and me, and lend some to my mom when she needs it.”

“You don’t need to keep thinking that you owe me...”

“But I do,” I interrupted. “What I did to you back then was bad. I want to make up for it any way possible, and this is the one way I know how.”

I stopped and looked at her anxiously. There was more I wanted to say, but I hesitated, because I wasn’t sure how she would take it. I was very conscious of the time, knowing she would have to leave and get back to work.

I asked myself, when would I get a good chance like this again?

The tension between us had been reduced for now. She was still scowling, but I wasn’t sure it was intentional on her part because, despite her expression, she no longer seemed mad. So I shored up my courage and opened my mouth.

“Jessica… I don’t know if this is the time to say this… But it might be a while before we get this kind of privacy. I like you, Jessica, like, really. And, more than hoping you’ll forgive me for our bad history, I would like it if you considered giving me another chance.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise before she was scowling again. Still, she sounded unsure as she said, “You’re a good guy, a good dad. And even if what happened before—”

“Don’t say that.” I shook my head with a huff. “If it weren’t for what happened back then, you wouldn’t be hesitating now.” She didn’t deny it, pursing her lips, and I chuckled sadly. “I would like to take you out, Jessica. And I mean on a date, with my daughter spending some quality time with her grandmother.”

She chewed on her lip again, her uncertainty even clearer now as she stared up at me. I held my breath as I waited for her judgment, feeling my chest ache when she shook her head.

“Ross, I don’t think it would be a good idea right now.”

I was ready to take it and leave, to agree and go along so that I wouldn’t annoy her. But the second I thought that, I forced my back straight. If I kept doing that, then we would get nowhere. Eventually, my daughter would be moving up a grade, and I could no longer use dropping her off and picking her up as an excuse to get to talk to Jessica.

“You haven’t said no,” I pointed out. “And I don’t want to take a no from you. I won’t make you go on a date with me. Hell, I’d be okay with my daughter being there. I do want another chance with you, Jessica, I’m willing to beg for it, or wait for as long as you’d be comfortable.”

I waited, again with bated breath, for her opinion. She regarded me for a while, and, this time, I didn’t move to interrupt her thinking once. Then, she sighed.

“I like you, Ross,” she said suddenly, surprising me. “I’m attracted to you. But even though I’m trying here, I’m not sure I would be mature enough just to pretend that you didn’t break my heart, no matter how long ago it was.”

“I don’t expect you to,” I said quickly. “I’m not expecting you to jump into my arms.” No matter how amazing that would be. Though I knew better than to say that aloud. “We can take things at your pace, whatever to make you comfortable. Just, please, Jessica. I’m asking for a second chance here.”

She hesitated for a little more, pursing her lips again. Then she sighed. I was practically vibrating from the tension when she finally nodded slowly. It took me a moment to realize she’d agreed. I couldn’t help the grin that suddenly took over my face, though it was gone almost as soon as it was there.

Because I also noticed Jessica’s expression, and, while she was no longer angry, she didn’t exactly look happy, either. My hand twitched at my side, wanting to reach for hers. I took a step closer, but hesitated, because I didn’t miss the guarded look in her eyes.

“I am sorry for what happened back then,” I whispered in the space between us. “I swear I never meant to hurt you as bad as I obviously did.”

Her eyes were growing misty with tears, and I moved without thinking. We were out on the street; my car was barely sufficient for cover. Her school was right there across the lot, and if any students were looking out of their windows, some of them might be able to catch sight of us.

But I wasn’t thinking of any of that when I caught Jessica’s face between my hands and leaned my face closer to hers. I hesitated slightly, wondering if this would only ruin things between us if it wasn't what she wanted.

I needn’t have worried. Her hands were suddenly buried in my shirt, clinging, and, dragging me down, she rose on tiptoe to mash our lips together. I groaned as I fell into the kiss, her lips parting beneath mine allowing me to slip my tongue into her mouth as we kissed with a passion I hadn't felt in years.

Jessica

I waited with Sophia at the gate like usual, waiting for Ross to come and pick her up. I watched as my other kids, and students from other classes, got picked up by the usual large crowd at the gate, which had considerably dwindled by now.

Still no Ross.

“Sophia?” I called gently, looking down at the little girl beside me.

“Hmm?” she glanced up at me, looking unconcerned.

I hid my concern behind a smile. “Did your dad tell you he was going to be a little late to pick you up today? He’s later than usual…”

Her expression didn’t change and she just shrugged her shoulders. “He’s not late a lot, but it happens sometimes.”

I frowned, wondering if something had happened. I had been her teacher for months, and every day I waited outside until most of the kids, not just the students in my class, were gone. Ross was usually among the earliest parents, so it made no sense that he was this late.

Before I could get really worried, though, a car drove into the lot. I didn’t recognize the car, but I knew the driver. It was Cecilia, Ross’s mom. She parked and got out of the car, waving at us as she slowly walked across the road to us.

“Ma’am, I didn’t know you’d be coming today. Ross never mentioned anything about it.”

“Just call me Cecilia, Jessica,” she said warmly, smiling at me. “I’ve asked plenty of times, so you can't tell me you just keep forgetting. And he didn’t tell you because he didn’t know.” Then she looked down at Sophia. “I wanted to come see my favorite granddaughter.”

Sophia giggled as she let go of my hand and rushed forward to hug Cecilia. “I’m your only granddaughter, Grandma!”

Cecilia threw her head back in a laugh. “You know, you’re right. Though I am hoping for more, eventually.”

My face warmed in a blush when she winked at me as she said that, making the implications clear. I couldn’t even bring myself to tell her that her son and I didn’t have that kind of relationship. She would have known if we had, surely.

I knew it was probably her just making fun, but I didn’t find it funny at all, so I just stood there silently. She didn’t just take her granddaughter and leave, though. After they had their greeting, she turned back to me, smile still on her face.

“I wanted to invite Ross and Sophia for a picnic. That boy is either working or looking after Sophia and I fear he might have forgotten to live a little, so I thought taking them both out for some fresh air would be good.”

I smiled awkwardly, wondering why she was telling me this. “That’s a good idea. The weather is just perfect for a picnic.”

The smile she aimed at me then was triumphant, and it made me go still, because I realized a moment too late that I’d walked into some kind of trap.

“You know, I’m very glad you said that. I was just by the diner to pick up some food and to speak to your mother, and she happened to pick some of your favorite pastries. Why don’t you join us, Jessica? I’m sure Ross and Sophia would love to have you there.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing was coming out. The invite came from nowhere, and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be a good idea, anyway.

“Thanks, um, Cecilia, but—”

“Please, would you come?” a small voice asked, interrupting me. We both looked down at Sophia, who was pouting up at me, eyes widened cutely. Then she turned to Cecilia. “Grandma, can Jessica come with us?”

Cecilia smiled warmly. “Of course she can, sweetie. But only if she wants to.”

I wanted to grimace, but I couldn’t with Sophia watching me. I didn’t want to disappoint her by saying no, but I still hesitated a moment, before sighing. I gave Cecilia a frown, then smiled down at Sophia.

“I would love to come on a picnic with you guys.”

Immediately, Sophia’s eyes lit up, and she jumped with a whoop of excitement. “Then let’s go, already,” she said, impatient. “Why are we still standing here?”

Even taken off guard, I still laughed along with her grandmother at her sudden increase in enthusiasm.

“I’ll be driving us, so the two of you get to the car. I called Ross and asked him to meet us there so that we can go right ahead. If he’s late, though, we’ll start eating without him.”

Sophia just giggled at that, scrambling into the car when the door was opened for her. Cecilia leaned inside and helped her with the seat belt, and then we both got in the car.

We went to the park. It was a little over half an hour’s drive away. Sophia and Cecilia spent the whole drive chatting. I didn’t always understand what they were talking about, but I listened to their voices the whole way there.

When we arrived, I helped Sophia get out as Cecilia went to the trunk. She pulled a basket out, and I smiled at that. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been on a picnic, probably sometime before high school, or in my first year. Sophia bounced around us with excitement, unable to keep still.

“Daddy!” she suddenly screeched, scaring me.

But then she was running ahead. I was about to follow her, when I noticed Ross was there. He was grinning as he faced her, lowering into a crouch with his arms held open for her. I heard her squeal and break out in giggles when she jumped up on him and was caught in a hug as he picked her under her armpits and spun her around.

“Come this way,” Cecilia said.

I was distracted from watching the two of them have their fun, but, even as I followed Cecilia over to the picnic benches, I looked back at Ross. He still had Sophia in the air, holding her face close to his. Her hands were holding his cheeks, and they both seemed to be smiling and having some private conversation.

“The two of them are always like that,” Cecilia said with a chuckle. I turned back to her then, and she winked at me, leaving me flustered. “It was a bit of a shock when my boy came to me and told me I was going to be a grandmother. Even more when Sophia’s mother walked out on him. I was worried about the two of them for a while, but…” she didn’t finish the sentence, just gestured at them, like looking at them was an answer in itself.

I had to admit that it was. I already knew he was a good father, but like this, I could see Sophia’s adoration for her father. It made me jealous, just a little, that I wasn’t quite at that stage yet.

“How long has he been raising her on his own?”

“A few years. She was just barely old enough to understand what was going on, though I’m sure now she probably realizes that her mom left her. If it weren’t for Ross being so amazing with her… she would have been so much more depressed. I was worried about it for a little while until Ross proved to me they would be just fine.”

I could feel the ice in my chest warm a little, though I was mad at that woman who had left a good man and a beautiful daughter, whatever reason she’d had. It was a lucky thing that Sophia was doing so well, in spite of it all.

Cecilia had me help her set up for the picnic, although I would occasionally look away to see Ross and Sophia still playing. There wasn’t much in the basket, just some snacks, and pastries, enough for all four of us.

Once we were done, she turned to me with a smile.

“Would you please go and call those two? Tell them to come here so we can eat, already.”

I nodded quietly and headed over to them. I got their attention before I needed to be too close, thankfully, and I waved a hand for them to follow me as I turned back. They followed me over to the picnic table and we all sat to eat.

I got to see more of Ross being a good dad. He’d hand Sophia what she wanted, making sure she didn’t hold it in a way that she made a mess, and, when she did anyway, he wiped it up. She sat close to him at his side, though, once the snack was out of the way, she moved so she was sitting by Cecilia, yawning a little as she leaned against her.

Cecilia stopped what she was talking about with Ross to look down at Sophia with a chuckle.

“Feeling tired already? It’s still so early.”

Sophia just pouted and shook her head.

Cecilia laughed. Then she turned to Ross and me. “Why don’t the two of you go for a walk?” she suggested. “It is awfully good weather, no need to waste it. I’ll look after my little girl.”

Ross seemed all for it, rising before I could put my two cents in. Feeling resigned, I got up to follow along. Ross reached for my hand. It seemed like an unconscious movement, though my eyes still widened at it. I let him have my hand, though.

We walked far enough to make it to the cover of the trees, and he suddenly stopped and turned to face me. I looked up at him, flushing as our positions reminded me of that morning.

“I’ve been dreaming of doing this again,” he murmured.

His hands cupped my face as he took a step that brought our bodies closer, and there was no way I could misunderstand what he meant.

I frowned at him. “You know, we’re lucky no one at the school seemed to realize what we were doing, but that was dangerous. And besides,” I added with a scoff, “when have you had the time to dream, when it’s only been a few hours?”

He had the grace to look sheepish, though he made no move to step back. “Sorry about that. I just couldn’t help myself.” He smirked. “And I’ve been daydreaming about you since this morning. I almost hurt myself working with tools when I was distracted.”

I felt a wave of alarm. “Are you—?”

“I’m fine,” he said, cutting me off with a low chuckle. “Nothing bad happened while I was at work.”

I wanted to speak up, tell him he shouldn’t be so careless. I’d heard plenty of nightmarish accidents, and he could have ended up one of them.

But I couldn’t say it, because his eyes dropped to my lips, and I could feel my breath hitch. Ross took a step closer that had me taking a step back. He did it again, walking me backward until my back was against a tree, and he pressed his body close.

It was hard to believe I’d been mad at him just that morning. Because when he leaned closer to continue where we left off earlier, before we both went back to our jobs, I met his passion with mine in our kiss as I hung onto him.

Ross

I arrived at Jessica’s place to find her waiting for me outside. I smiled when I saw her, until I noticed her sour look. I wondered if it was something I did, but when I got out of my car, she walked towards me immediately and reached on her tiptoes to peck my cheek.

I wanted to do so much more, to reach for her and drag her body against me, then kiss her senseless. But I wasn’t planning on giving her neighbors a show.

“Hey there, Jessica. I was surprised when your mom called me.”

She frowned up at me; I hated it when she acted like that. It pissed me off, because she was dismissing what had happened as if it was nothing, but it was fucking something to me.

“I would have expected the call to come from you instead of your mother, you know.”

She just sighed. “I don’t know what she’s thinking, inviting you to the barbecue. Hell, I’m not sure why we’re having one at all. She didn’t even tell me beforehand.” Her frown grew more pronounced. “Hell, she only told me about it after I got back from work, and she didn’t tell me you were coming until you were practically here. I was out here for barely a minute before you drove up.”

My eyebrows raised. “And then you came out to wait for me?”

She blushed as she scowled up at me, smacking me on the arm. I chuckled as I rubbed the spot, though I’d barely felt the hit.

“I don’t know why my mother would invite you over,” she hiss-whispered. “Especially so last-minute. Doesn’t something seem a little odd to you?”

I had to be honest, I’d noticed something strange when my mom told me not to pick Sophia up from school, because she would be doing it, instead. Not that she never offered, but my mom knew it was an important part of my day for me. She only ever helped out when I was having trouble, or I didn’t have enough time, which was rarely the case.

My suspicions only solidified when she invited me to a picnic, only to turn up with Jessica in tow. And now, Jessica’s mom was doing almost the same thing just two days later.

“Whatever’s going on, there’s no need to question it.” I certainly wasn’t going to complain if it meant I got to spend more time with Jessica. “Why don’t we go in so I can say hi to your mother?”

“And my aunt,” she added with another sigh. “She’ll finally be going back home, and she won’t be able to come visit for another month or so. Supposedly, it’s why she's doing it.”

“But you don’t believe that,” I guessed.

She just nodded. I waited for a reaction, but there was none.

Jessica led me inside the house and through it to the backyard, where a grill was already set up. Rita, Jessica’s mom, and her Aunt Hayley were already out there with three other guests, people I recognized from the neighborhood. Rita looked up, and when she saw us enter the yard, she beamed.

“Ross, Jessica! Why don’t the two of you come over here and join us?”

Jessica and I shared a glance as we moved forward.

“It’s good to see you, Rita,” I said with a polite nod. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Oh, that’s no problem at all. It’s sad your mother couldn’t make it. I asked, but she said she was busy.”

Well, yes, she was busy looking after her granddaughter so I could come to this barbecue, but it’s not like she couldn’t have come with. Still, I didn’t question it.

“Is there anything I can help with?” I offered, glancing around.

She waved me over to the grill, taking me by the arm to drag me there when I was close enough to her.

“John, over here, already finished setting up, but you could help with the cooking, if you don’t mind. And, oh! Let me introduce you to my neighbors.”

The introductions went around as we spent the time chatting as the meat cooked. Jessica kept her distance, trying not to get too close. That didn’t stop my eyes from darting her way. Every time, I found her eyes on me. My body reacted predictably to that, and every time our eyes met, I’d have to look away before I embarrassed myself.

Once the food was ready, I served a couple of plates and moved back towards Jessica. She stared at me the whole time, and I could have groaned when her eyes traveled down my body before she met my eyes again.

“You’re a little quiet over here,” I said, trying to act casually.

“Really? Well, you're too busy trying to keep your eyes on me!”

She sat on the edge of the porch, and I sat down next to her and handed her the second plate. She eyed me out the corner of her eye, smiling a little.

“Do you mind me staring?”

“No,” I said slowly. Then I turned to her and asked seriously, “Do you mind me being here?”

She met my eyes, and the look in hers made my breathing hitch. I had the urge to take her in my arms and kiss her again, but I held myself back.

“I don’t mind,” she said, but then she looked away.

We left it at that and we ate in silence, watching the others continue their chatting as they ate. Neither of us moved, even as we finished and the neighbors were leaving about as soon as they were done. Jessica’s mom and aunt stayed out in the yard, though, sitting in lawn chairs as they continued talking. They sounded like mosquitoes as their mouths kept moving on and on.

After a while, with us still sitting there, Jessica got up and picked up both our plates, then went around picking up the others. John and the others had, thankfully, cleaned up before they left, leaving only the dishes.

“Mom, we’re heading inside,” she called out.

We got a wave, but no words. Jessica must have thought it was good enough, because she grabbed my arm and dragged me inside with her. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t for Jessica to dump everything in the sink and drag me through the house, up the stairs, and into a room. I knew, with a single glance, that it was her bedroom.

My body heated up, I couldn’t help it. Besides it being the first time we’d truly had any real privacy, the view of the bed didn’t help.

“I always thought about doing this,” Jessica said, and my eyes dropped to hers. She shrugged. “At least, I used to, back in high school.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she was pushing me. I was taken by surprise and didn’t fight against her. She turned my body around, and, with a final push, the back of my knees hit the bed, and I fell back. I stared up at her, surprised, and she smiled at me.

“Uh, Jessica. What are you doing?”

She arched an eyebrow, smiling coyly as she crawled forward and straddled my hips. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stared up at her. After a moment of hesitation, I carefully placed my hands on her thighs. She was in a dress that only went to mid-thigh, so, as she straddled me, the dress pulled up and I was touching skin. My hands flexed unconsciously, and Jessica moved her hips slightly, making me gasp.

She grinned down at me. “Are you still a teenager, Ross?” she teased, moving her hips a little more. I moaned quietly, my hands tightening on her thighs. “You’re more sensitive than I thought.”

I chuckled, though it came out a little strained. “I’m devoted to my daughter, Jessica. It’s been a while since I’ve been intimate with a woman.”

Even longer since I’d found any one woman truly desirable. After the shit that went down with my ex, I pretty much gave up on relationships. I had a couple of one-night stands with women I met at bars around town and in the next, but it didn’t take long to realize I couldn’t keep up that lifestyle with a baby to look after. And now, here Jessica was, bringing me to her room, throwing me down on her bed and sitting on me. If it wasn’t for the fact that her mom was in the backyard—with the view on the other side of the house, but still—I would have reversed our positions already and ravaged her.

Jessica just hummed. She placed her hands on my chest, and I could feel her warmth through the thin T-shirt, making me shiver. She shifted her hips again, and I gave a full shudder as my head tilted back a little.

“And aren’t you being a little too bold?” I asked, breathless. “What happened?”

“Nothing big,” she shrugged. “I was just watching you in my yard when I remembered the last time you were here.”

Another slight shift of her hips and my fingers dug into the flesh of her thighs. She gasped, though, and I would have smirked because it was nice to see I wasn’t the only one affected. But I was barely holding myself back as it was.

“I brought you to my house once, before the time you came to pick me up for the dance. Do you remember?”

How could I not? I’d thought it was the perfect chance to tell her about the whole prank. Of course, I’d gotten distracted. Because back then, she always dressed in jeans and slightly oversized shirts for school. But the day I showed up at her house, she was dressed…. Not so different from how she was dressed now.

Her smile grew. “So, you finally noticed?”

I arched an eyebrow and looked down at her dress. It wasn’t the same one, of course. She was grown up now, more filled out. There was more curve to her breasts, waist, and hips. The changes turned me on, sure, but it was just because it was her. I’d wanted her even back then, but I’d been too nervous because of the lie I was hiding from her.

“Are you doing this on purpose?” I demanded, my voice hoarse. “You look…”

But she shook her head. I was distracted for a moment when her nails dug into my chest, wincing a little at the sting even as it only seemed to heighten my arousal.

“Back in high school,” she went on, “you were the most popular guy around, every guy wanted to be you and every girl wanted to be with you.”

I smiled wryly. “No, that was usually saved for the jocks, only I was never jock material.”

She hummed, making me shiver as her hands continued to roam over my chest. “But, see, I had my eyes on you long before you asked me to the prom. You were one of the few people that were nice to me for no reason back then. So, when you asked me to the dance, you don't know how I felt. Damn! I was so excited, it was the best thing that ever happened to me and nothing good ever did back then.”

* * *

I felt like cold water had just been thrown in my face. She saw the stricken look on my face, but, instead of looking angry, she smiled at me. Then she leaned down and pressed her lips against mine in a slow, soft kiss. I hesitated, wondering if she was trying to get revenge this way. Not that I could hold back for long.

She pulled away as soon as I started to kiss her back, and raised up on her knees. I watched, gaping, as she gripped the hem of her dress and pulled it clear off her body. My eyes traveled down, and I moaned when I realized she didn’t have a bra on under her dress, so she was left with only her panties.

“Holy shit,” I hissed, fingers digging into her thighs again. “Jessica…”

“I thought of this, too,” she murmured. She took my hands from her thighs and used them to pull me up. I did so without prompting, lifting my arms up when she went to pull off my shirt. “When I brought you home, I imagined things. I’d heard stories of what people did on prom night, but I was impatient. I wanted to get rid of my virginity, and I wanted you to be the one to do it.”

She pressed her body against mine, and I moaned at the feel of her soft breasts pressed against my hard chest. I was growing hard again just from her words, and she shifted her hips, a light flush on her face as she gasped again, riding my erection through our clothes and teasing the both of us.

“I wasn’t bold enough to do this when you came to my house, but I thought on prom night, we would have sex. I had a condom with me the whole night. If you hadn't betrayed me that night…”

I felt a pang of guilt and remorse, and I hated myself a little. To think of what I’d missed out on…

“If I could go back in time and shake that idiot, I would,” I muttered.

Jessica chuckled. “Just as well. If that never happened, you probably wouldn’t have had Sophia, and she’s just darling, Ross.”

That was true. I wondered how I’d even forgotten, but then, my daughter wasn’t what I wanted to think about when I was in this position with Jessica. So I finally did what I’d wanted to since the moment she pulled me into the room; I rolled her over, so she was under me, pressed against the bed as I braced above her with my arms on either side of her. Jessica gasped again, eyes going wide, but she didn’t resist when I leaned down to kiss her as hard as I’d thought about since she met me in front of her house. She wrapped her arms and legs around me, responding to my kiss with a moan.

“We have to hurry,” she gasped when I pulled away. “Take off your jeans.”

It sounded more a command than a request, and I was more than happy to do it. I moved away, reluctantly, to tug off my belt, then the jeans and briefs I had on underneath. By the time I was back to the bed, she’d removed her panties, and she was ripping open a condom packet. She kneeled on the edge of the bed as I stood beside it. She looked down at my erection and licked her lips, and I had to hold back from throwing her to the bed and taking her right then.

“We don’t want to make a mess,” she said as she smoothed the condom down my cock.

I chuckled, having forgotten where we were for a moment. But I couldn’t care less as I gasped at the feel of her hand stroking me.

“Enough,” I growled after letting her have her way for a little bit. I pulled her hand away from my cock and gently pushed her back to the bed. She went willingly, smiling up at me. I hesitated before getting back onto the bed. “You have to tell me right now if this is what you want, Jessica. I don’t want you regretting it afterward.”

But she just smiled at me and held her arms open for me. “You’re not the only one who’s been single too long, Ross. I promise. And this probably would have happened a lot sooner if I’d allowed us to talk things through earlier.”

It wasn’t as much reassurance as I wanted, but she was starting to look a little impatient. Tired of waiting, I joined her, kneeling in the space between her thighs. I wanted to take my time, at least to have a moment to look at her. But she was clearly at her limit, her hand reaching between us to grab my cock, her legs going around my hips and tugging me closer. I stayed still, braced above her, as she positioned the head of my cock at her entrance, and with a flex of her hips, I slid carefully, slowly, inside.

I groaned as I let myself stop fighting it. If she was sure, then I would meet her half way. I moved my hips in slow thrusts until I was seated inside her. Then her arms were around my neck, and she pressed our mouths together in a kiss as she moved her body underneath mine.

Our bodies rocked together, carefully, slowly. I wanted to move faster, to go harder, but I had to be conscious of where we were. Still, I reveled in it, in being so close to a warm body, and this was Jessica. I wrapped my arms around her waist, angling her hips so I could thrust deeper. Her moans and gasps were muffled in the kiss, her limbs tightening around me to the point of pain.

Then I felt her insides convulse around my cock as she came, and I climaxed right behind her, our bodies rocking slower and slower as we shuddered through an orgasm. Then we stalled, bodies spent. I knew I was heavy, that I should move off her so I wouldn’t crush her. But her limbs still held onto me, though weakly, and we stayed that way as we tried to catch our breaths. I was pretty sure we didn’t have time to relax, but neither of us tried to move.

“We’ll have to do this again sometime,” she whispered.

I chuckled, breathless. “Yeah,” I whispered back.

Hopefully, next time we did this, there would be no holding back, for either of us. I fucking hoped so; I’d been waiting for this moment from the instant I heard that she was back in town. I could wait longer, I knew that it would happen, and it was just a matter of time.

Jessica

I watched as Ross’s car came to a stop in front of my house. Wordlessly, I stepped inside the car, and he drove us back to his place.

My heart pounded hard and fast in my chest, and I couldn’t speak, until we came to a stop in front of his house, and I turned to him before he could get out of the car.

“What about Sophia?” I asked.

Sure, I was just going to make him dinner, I’d insisted after the barbecue. I just wanted to see him without the excuse of school, but I wouldn’t outright say that. It had been a long week, though.

“My mom left town for the weekend,” he answered. His reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. “She took Sophia with her for a little girl time.”

I smiled, wry. “Funny. My mom suddenly needed to be out of town for the weekend, too.”

I was starting to grow a little suspicious of all the coincidences going around. But before I could think too much on it, he released my hand and got out of the car. I followed him out, and we headed for the house. His side brushed against mine, and I gasped. He glanced down at me, making me blush and look away.

Relax, I told myself.

I was just hyperaware of him because I knew we’d be alone this time. Truly alone. No one out in the backyard, no one else in the house that meant we had to be especially quiet.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t have brought anything?” I asked as he opened the door and we walked in.

“I did the shopping yesterday, so we should be fine. Unless you want to make something specific that you don’t think I’ll have the ingredients for.”

“Can I take a look at your kitchen?” I asked.

He nodded. He locked the door behind us and led the way to the kitchen. I let myself get distracted by the task ahead, looking through the fridge and cupboards to catalog what was there. I could think up a few dishes off the top of my head I could make with what was available.

“We should be fine,” I murmured.

I turned around, only to still when I saw Ross sitting at the dining table and staring intently at me. My breath hitched in my throat as my body warmed up, and I was hypersensitive again.

“Do you have to sit there and watch?” I asked, scowling, though I knew my face was warm, so I was probably blushing.

He smirked. “Is there anything wrong with me watching? I could always help out.”

My body shivered as I imagined the two of us standing side-by-side and cooking together. Our sides and hands would brush as we worked. He would stand behind me and reach for something in the cupboard above me, his front pressed against my back. It would be the sweetest torture.

But I wanted it, so I nodded. “Fine. But try not to get in my way,” I said, bluffing.

He just smiled and got up, and we got to work.

It went exactly as I thought it would. We barely talked, save for me giving instructions and Ross acknowledging them. He took advantage, though, and I was pretty sure most of the times we ended up brushing against each other, he did it deliberately. Just as well, because I did it, too.

After, we washed some of the stuff we’d used at the sink. Moments later, I served the food, and we both sat down to eat.

I kept my eyes on him as he took his first bite, but this time with anxiety as I waited for his judgment on what I’d made. Surprise and then amazement showed in his expression, and I sighed in relief, knowing I was in the clear.

“This is good,” he said, the surprise heavy in his voice. “As good as the food in your mom’s diner.”

He gave me a questioning look.

“I don’t cook at my mom’s, if you’re wondering, but I do use all her recipes. It helped me out when I lived on my own.” I smiled. “Though I do feel a little insulted you’re this surprised I’m a good cook.”

He chuckled. “You shouldn’t be. It’s just one more thing you’re good at, I’m sure. You’ve always been amazing, Jessica. You just didn’t let a lot of people see before.”

I blushed and looked down at my plate, taking the first bite of my food. I frowned a little, thinking there wasn’t enough salt, but decided against saying anything. Ross loved it as it was.

“You’re the only one who’s ever said that to me.”

He scoffed. “I’m sure you’ve dated before, Jessica.”

I hesitated, then shrugged. “They never really lasted long, though.”

He didn’t reply, and, when I looked up, his expression was almost pained. He was staring down at the table and had paused eating. I reached across the table for one of his hands and squeezed a little. When he looked up at me, I smiled.

“Ross, you need to stop worrying about all that shit from the past. Yeah, what happened with you probably had something to do with how terrible my relationships went, but it’s not like I was in them by myself.” I shrugged. “I guess I’ve just always had crappy taste in men.”

He grimaced and tried a smile, though it was shaky around the edges. “So, you lump me in with that?”

I snorted. “Of course, Ross.” Then I smiled again. “But you’ve, to a point, redeemed yourself.”

He arched an eyebrow. “To a point?”

“You’ve still got a long way to go.”

He smiled crookedly at me, his hand turning under mine to squeeze my hand back.

“I guess that means I’ve still got room to impress you, huh,” he joked back.

We shared a smile, then went back to silence as we finished eating. The air between us was warm and comfortable. I relaxed back into my chair as we ate. Once we were done, I got up, picked up the dirty dishes and took them to the sink. Before I could start to wash them, though, strong arms wound around my waist, hands clasping over my stomach. Then I felt Ross pressed up against my back. He pressed a kiss to my temple, then down my cheek, and to my neck.

“Ross,” I whispered, only to gasp when he suddenly latched onto my neck and sucked.

“Leave them for now.”

But I shook my head. Either way, if we were going to have fun, we needed to let the food settle. It was never fun having sex right after food, and I wanted to have fun for a while tonight. The last time in my room had been impulsive, and we’d both had to hold back. I didn’t plan on that for tonight.

“Let’s just wash the dishes first,” I said, my voice coming out as a plea as he continued to kiss, lick, and suck down the side of my neck.

He groaned in disappointment, then sighed against my throat. After a final squeeze around my middle, he released me to stand beside me.

“Fine,” he muttered.

I didn’t miss the look he threw me out the corner of his eye, though.

There was tension between us as we washed the dishes, but it was the good kind of tension. He’d pushed back the sleeves of his shirt, and every time his bare forearm brushed against mine, I shivered.

When we were done, Ross took my arm and rushed us upstairs, and I didn’t fight against him, running right after him. He dragged us to his room and closed the door behind us. Then he pushed me against the wall and pressed his lips to mine.

I moaned as I put my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I licked along his lower lip until he parted his lips, and I slid my tongue in to map the inside of his mouth. I rolled my tongue over, under, and around his, my fingers digging into his shoulder blades.

He pulled back when we both needed to breathe.

“What’s the rush?” I whispered, pressing against his chest so he would move back a little. He did so reluctantly. “I’m here for the night, remember? For the weekend, actually.”

He chuckled, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. But I’ve wanted this for a while, you know. Having you in my room…”

“Because we did it in my room last time?” I teased.

“No, not that. Although it was fucking awkward getting out of that situation and facing your mother again.”

I snorted. “You don’t know the half of it. You left after that, but my mom and my aunt both seemed to know something happened.”

Even though we’d cleaned up after. It had been an awkward night after my aunt left. My mom and I were both quiet the entire time, and I couldn’t run away fast enough.

“Can you open my dress for me?” I asked, turning around and holding my hair up so he could see. “I don’t want you to rip it by accident.”

There was silence, then Ross chuckled and moved closer. I could feel the warm wash of his breath on my nape as he took the zipper between his fingers and tugged it carefully down.

“Has that happened to you a lot?”

I shrugged as I turned around again. “A lot more than you’d think.”

His eyes met mine as I tipped my head back. He moved closer, so he had me against the door again. His hands reached for the straps of my dress and pulled them down my arms, allowing my dress to slip off. Then he looked down at my body, and I stood still and let him. I’d chosen my underwear hoping for just this situation. I wore one of my few lingerie pieces, a lacy piece in black and red.

“You like?” I asked coyly, even though a part of me was feeling a bit insecure.

I shouldn’t have worried. He smirked at me, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around my waist, tugging my body closer to his.

“Are you kidding? I love it. Though I admit, I’d love to see you out of it even more.”

I breathed a silent sigh of relief and leaned up on my tiptoes to peck his lips for the compliment. Before he could trap me in another kiss again, I pulled away from him. He let me, and I went over to the bed and sat on the edge.

“Strip,” I commanded.

He looked at me in surprise, before he smirked again.

“As you wish,” he said, almost flippantly.

I watched as he stripped. He didn’t try to make a show of it, pulling his clothes off quickly and systematically, tossing them on top of a chest of drawers pressed against the wall. As he did that, I squirmed back on the bed until I could lay my head down on the pillow and waited for him. He was done in no time, and he followed me on the bed, crawling up me.

“Right here,” I murmured, parting my legs as my arms reached for him.

He groaned into my mouth as he slowly lowered his body onto mine. I took one of his hands in mine and brought it to my breast, squeezing around it and gasping at the friction on my nipple. Then Ross pulled away from the kiss, making me whine. But he just kissed down my chin, then down my neck to the space between my breasts. He kneeled above me and glanced up at me as he cupped both my breasts in his palms.

“It’s a front clasp,” I gasped out. “Take it off.”

He chuckled again. “Someone’s assertive,” he teased.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s fucking sexy,” he growled, nipping the side of my breast and making me jump a little.

Ross undid the clasp of my bra, the cups falling aside to reveal my breasts. Ross moaned, cupping one in his palm as he kissed the other, licking on the underside as he made his way up to my nipple. He took one in his mouth and sucked on it, as he rubbed his palm against my other nipple. I gasped and arched my back at the twin assault. He lightly tugged my nipple between his teeth, then smoothed it over with a flick of his tongue. Then he switched the attention of his mouth to the other nipple.

“Fuck,” I hissed. “Ross…”

I struggled to push myself up a bit, just far enough to slide off my bra straps and toss my bra to the floor. When I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed lightly, he got the hint immediately, giving one last, hard suck on my nipple before releasing it.

“Impatient, too,” he rumbled. “We’ve got all night.”

“I know,” I moaned. “But this is mostly your fault. I’ve been turned on since you picked me up.”

He looked up at me, and when I met his eyes, he gave me a wink. “You’re not the only one, you know. But I want to do this right this time.”

I wasn’t sure how long I could last before it became too much, though. The whole afternoon suddenly felt like foreplay, the lead-up to this. So I wasn’t interested in more, at least not for the moment. But, before I could protest, Ross’s hands skimmed down my sides, and he licked a line down between my breasts to the line of my panties. His hands on my hips took hold of either side of the lace and tugged down.

I lifted my legs for him as he slid them off my legs and tossed them aside. Then he placed his hands on my knees to spread my legs to either side of his kneeling body. He slid his hands down the inside of my thighs, and my body shuddered when he fingered my sex.

“Fuck, Jessica,” he whispered, eyes between my thighs.

I could feel my face flush at his intent gaze. I was almost tempted to cover up with my hands and close my legs. But he was moving before I could try to.

Ross pressed a kiss on my knee, then his lips slid to the inside of my thighs, licking, sucking, and nipping his way down. All the while, his fingers rubbed my clit and teased at my entrance. He latched onto the skin at the top of my thigh and sucked. I cried out as I arched my back, rolling my hips for more.

Instead, he moved up to my other knee, and repeated the whole process, making me groan in part disappointment, part pleasure.

His lips slid all the way down my thigh, and I held my breath as he licked at the soft skin, going lower and lower, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I felt the tip of his tongue press against my clit.

“There,” I moaned, shifting my legs. “Right there, Ross.”

His chest rumbled, and I could feel the vibration as he pressed his mouth against my sex, and kissed there like he’d kissed my mouth just moments before, with lips and tongue and teeth.

My body writhed in pleasure, my knees tensing around his shoulders as my hands clenched in his hair to press him harder against me. Pants and moans slipped out of my mouth as I rolled my hips against his mouth. He sucked gently on my clit, and then licked down until he was at my entrance.

When he thrust his tongue inside me, my back arched sharply as I cried out, my legs tightening around him. He did it again, thrusting in and out, mimicking what I hoped he would be doing with his cock soon. Then one of his hands slid up my hip, over my waist, and up my ribs to cup my breast. His thumb rubbed my nipple in circles, and I pulled one of my hands from his hair to play with my other nipple.

“Ross!” I cried out his name.

He pulled his tongue out of me, making me moan, but then he was wrapping his lips around my clit and sucking hard, at the same time pinching my nipple between his pointer finger and thumb. I cried out again as I came, my body shuddering as waves of pleasure washed over me. I slumped against the bed as my body calmed down. I shuddered once more when Ross licked my clit, before pulling back and looking up at me.

Ross watched me, smirking, as I panted to catch my breath.

“I’m not done with you yet, you know,” he growled, and there was a smugness to his voice I would have scoffed at if I wasn’t so breathless.

“I would be disappointed if you were,” I admitted.

His smirk softened into a smile, and he leaned over my body to press his lips against mine. I parted my mouth for him, and I shivered as he shared my taste with me. My arms wrapped around his neck, still weak but gaining strength as my body slowly grew aroused once again.

“Get a condom,” I commanded, not willing to wait for more.

Ross

I pulled away from Jessica reluctantly, but she was right. This was one thing we couldn’t mess up. I’d done it once, and, while I loved my daughter, I wasn’t looking forward to any more unplanned pregnancies anytime soon.

The thought of later made my blood sing and had me moving faster. I didn’t mention it to Jessica, but I could see more with her, later. We were sleeping together now, but we hadn't talked, so I didn’t know what our relationship was now. But I was working on wearing her down. It had worked so far. In time, I was hoping we could have the conversation and she wouldn’t revert to her former cold demeanor.

Right then, though, all that was the last thing on my mind.

I’d bought some condoms with my groceries for the first time in a while, and I took one from my nightstand.

Jessica watched intently as I smoothed the rubber over my cock. I was so turned on that I shuddered just touching myself. I wrapped my hand tight around the base of my cock and squeezed a little because I planned on making her orgasm again before I came.

“What’s taking you so long?” she asked, voice languid.

When I opened my eyes, though I hadn't realized I’d closed them, she was staring at my dick. I grinned as I stroked my hand slowly up to the tip, and watched as her eyes followed the movement.

“Don’t want this to be over so quickly.”

She sighed and shifted slightly on the bed. “I wish I could have tasted you first.”

She sounded like she was murmuring to herself. But I heard her, and my body reacted even as I huffed out a laugh.

“I wouldn’t have lasted, Jessica.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” she said. She looked up at me from under her lashes as she smiled up at me. “We have all night, after all. All weekend.”

I moaned, taking my hand off my dick.

“We’ll make it count,” I said. It was a promise.

I placed both my hands underneath her thighs, lifting her legs slightly up and out. I paused for a moment, my eyes sliding down from her face, with her slightly flushed cheeks and dark, puffed lips, to her peaked nipples, and down to her glistening sex.

Finally, deciding I’d waited enough, I rolled my hips forward. We both moaned as the head of my cock rubbed against her sex, and I moved my hips to press against her clit. Jessica arched her hips as I moved mine until I was positioned at her entrance. I pushed forward, entering her in a single, smooth thrust.

“Don’t just sit there,” Jessica said, voice breathless. “Move, Ross.”

I did, pulling back to the tip, then sliding back in, torn between looking to where we were joined, or at the expressions on Jessica’s face as I moved inside her. It wasn’t that hard a decision to make, and I wrapped her legs around my hips as I lowered my body over hers, bracing with my forearms on either side of her shoulders so I didn’t crush her.

Jessica moaned at the shift in angle as I thrust in and out of her body, increasing the pace little by little. I leaned down to peck her lips, then kiss along her cheek and down to her neck. We couldn’t go this far before, but here, now, we were free to make as much noise as we wanted. Jessica took full use of the liberty, and every cry from her lips only had me moving faster, fucking her harder, until the bed creaked with every movement.

“Ross!”

I hummed as I pressed my lips to Jessica’s pulse point. Her hands were on my shoulder blades, fingers digging in painfully, but I relished the sting. I wrapped an arm around her waist, arching her hips for me, and she was crying out louder, almost enough to drown out the sound of skin slapping against skin. I bit into her neck and sucked, muffling my moans as I could feel myself drawing close.

Jessica’s limbs tightened around me as her body broke out in shudders, her insides convulsing around my cock as she came, and I climaxed right behind her. Our bodies rocked together through orgasm. My body gave a last shudder, and I rolled, so I was on my side, moving Jessica with me. I didn’t bother to pull out yet, and she didn’t seem to mind, throwing an arm around my waist and a leg over my hip as she cuddled against my chest.

Suddenly, she chuckled.

“Should I be worried that you’re laughing right after sex?” I said, my voice teasing, though I was a little apprehensive.

“Oh, that was wonderful. That’s kinda why I’m laughing.”

My eyebrows shot up, though she had her face buried in my chest, so she didn’t see.

“I’m not sure I get the joke,” I said slowly.

Jessica sighed, tightening her limbs around me.

“It’s no joke. I’m laughing at myself. Although, I was thinking how things could have been different if…”

“If I didn’t fuck things up back then,” I finished for her.

She didn’t reply, but I didn’t need her to. I’d regretted it ever since, sure, but that didn’t change that I didn’t stop it in time, though I’d had plenty of chances. I was a coward. I was also a teenager then, yes, but that was hardly a good enough excuse.

“I’m not sure if this is the right time to bring up this discussion,” I said slowly, Jessica keeping silent and waiting for me to finish. “But I am sorry about what happened before, Jessica. You don’t have to forgive me, I know I don’t deserve it, but I do wish you would. We can never move forward if we don’t get it out of the way at some point.”

Jessica was very still next to me, and I bit my lip, wondering if I’d said something wrong. She wasn’t ready to move forward, at least, not with me.

Then she moved. For a moment, I panicked, tightening my arms. But then she squirmed, and I loosened my grip. I reached down to grip the edge of the condom as I slipped out of her, then pulled it off and dropped it off to the side. I’d have to remember to clean up tomorrow morning.

“Don’t worry,” she said like she could tell I was worried. “I’m not going anywhere; I just don’t want to have this conversation while you’re inside me.”

It was completely understandable. She reached for the covers that we’d pushed aside and dragged a sheet over the both of us. She laid down beside me, facing me, and met my eyes.

“But I forgive you for what happened. I did listen to your explanation, and I can agree now that high school is shit, and shit happens in high school. Back then, and for a while after that, I just didn’t want to understand you.”

“And now?” I asked tentatively.

“Now… I can look past what happened. It was a cruel thing to do, but I know that’s not the kind of person you are. Sophia wouldn’t be so wonderful if you were that bad of a guy, after all. You asked for a second chance, and I guess I never verbally agreed to that, either. So, I’m going to say it right now; yes.”

There was a moment of silence where I just looked into her eyes and tried to adjust. It was hard to believe that I’d been waiting for the past decade to hear those words, but I couldn’t help the lightening in my chest when she said she forgave me for that stupid prank, finally. I reached a hand between us to brush my fingers over her cheek, smiling softly. She mirrored my smile.

Suddenly, she was smirking at me, and she barked out a laugh.

“You know, I’m sure our moms would be happy if we told them we finally made up.”

I arched my eyebrow. I guessed that, too, but why bring it up now of all times?

“Don’t tell me you haven’t realized,” she said, seeing my expression. “The strings of coincidence between them—your mom calling me out to a family picnic, my mom calling you out to a family barbecue…”

“Oh, that’s what you meant,” I scoffed. “I’m pretty sure they staged the whole thing. I was positive when she said she’d be taking Sophia away with her for the weekend. It’s not exactly her first time out of town, but Sophia’s barely left town without me.”

“My mom didn’t even tell me where she was going,” she admitted. “And there’s this friend of mine…” she smiled. “Not sure if you remember her, Mary. She works at the school with me, and she’s been rooting for us for the longest time.”

“Oh?” I laughed. I vaguely remembered the Mary she was talking about. I’d met her plenty of times at the school. “Well, then. I guess this is good for us, huh?”

She arched an eyebrow. “How?”

I grinned. “Everyone’s been waiting for us to make up, it’s like they want us to be together. Hell, I’m pretty sure Sophia is in on it, too, because you couldn’t imagine how much she talks about you, singing your praises and asking me what I think of you.”

Her face flushed with pleasure as her lips twitched up into a smile. “R-really?”

It was cute that she picked that to be bashful of, but, instead of bringing attention to it, I nodded.

“She seriously loves you. Usually, she isn’t all that happy when I’m around other women.”

Jessica looked amused. “Maybe because they keep taking your attention for themselves. Word around here is that you’re a pretty hot bachelor, you know.”

“Maybe that’s it, then,” I murmured. “She’s been curious about you since she found out we used to go to school together. I didn’t mean to tell her, but my little girl’s smart enough to tell that we seemed to know each other from before. She’s been half in love with you since you came to town.”

I watched in amusement as the flush on her face only deepened. Of course, I stopped feeling amused when she suddenly took my hand away from her face and twined our fingers around each other. I arched an eyebrow at her, even as my heart beat faster in my chest. The smile she aimed at me was soft, and she leaned forward to give me a light peck on the lips.

She turned bashful, her eyes lowering, before rising back to meet my gaze. “We can talk about things. And what we’re going to tell people. Especially Sophia.”

A slow grin was growing on my face as the implications lined up in my mind. She was allowing me to tell Sophia that the two of us were together. I wasn’t entirely sure how she would take it, because up until now it's only been her grandma and me. I knew that she liked Jessica as a teacher, but to have her as a permanent figure in our lives was a completely different story and I started to get nervous about Sophia not liking the idea.

I tried to save face, so I moved forward to kiss her again. She huffed a laugh against my lips as I rolled her onto her back and laid on top of her, but she wrapped her limbs around me and held on tight. She gave me the reassurance that I needed that everything was going to be all right.

Jessica

The bell to end classes rang, and, almost immediately, the students in my class were moving to pack their things away, eager to leave school. I smiled wryly as I watched them, but since we were done with the class and I’d already assigned homework, they were fine.

I was leaving school early, for once. I planned to lock the room once everyone was out—the school had copies of all the keys, anyway—so I put my things together and stood up to wait.

“Everyone, take care,” I called out as they started to leave, one by one. “I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.”

There were shouts of agreement, and a few wished me the same. I stood by the door as they all walked out, Sophia being the last to leave the class, waiting for me outside.

“Hey there, Sophia,” I said as I closed the door behind us. “Did your dad tell you anything about today?”

She nodded her head as she held her hand out for mine. I took her little hand, and we made our way outside.

“Yeah. Dad told me you’d be coming with us today.”

I breathed a sigh of relief that he had told her. Though almost immediately I was anxious, wondering just what exactly he’d told her. She was acting like her usual self, so she probably still hadn't noticed things between Ross and me were a little different.

We’d discussed how to break the news to her, but we had yet to tell our moms. At least, I hadn't told mine yet, though she probably already had a good idea.

We met Mary outside. She waved when she saw me, and we moved closer to her. She was taking over for me for the day, making sure my kids were all picked up. She’d offered when I told her Ross would be picking me up at the end of the school day, and I’d accepted happily. She grinned at me, then smiled softly down at Sophia.

“Hey there, Sophia. Your dad hasn’t been by yet, but he’ll be here soon, all right?”

Sophia just hummed and nodded. “He said he’d be a little late, but he’s picking me up with Jessica because he has a big surprise.” She grinned up at the both of us.

Mary arched an eyebrow at me. I could imagine the images that were running through her mind, though, and I couldn’t help a roll of my eyes.

“We’re heading over to his garage,” I explained. “I took my car to his place to get fixed up ages ago, and he finally told me he was done with it a few days ago. So I’m going to check it out.”

I was a bit excited, and a bit nervous, to see just what he’d done with it. After all that time, I was expecting something good. Though I’d had to strong-arm him into adding some cash over what he’d paid out for parts for my car. I still wasn’t sure I was paying him enough for all that he put into it, but we’d arrived at a price that worked for the two of us.

“So you’ll ride in with a new car on Monday?” Mary asked, eyebrows arched.

“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “I could always just leave it at home and keep walking. I’ve kinda grown used to it. Besides there's a car at home, but sometimes I just like the exercise, especially when the weather's nice.”

Having my car would be all sorts of convenient, though. I couldn’t have Ross driving me everywhere, after all, and I couldn’t always borrow my mom’s car.

“Can I at least come by over the weekend to see it?” she asked, looking curious. “I remember what it looked like when you came with it, so I’m wondering just how much it’s improved since then…”

“I’m expecting a miracle,” I joked.

Mary laughed.

I got distracted when I noticed Ross heading towards us. Mary turned to see what had me preoccupied, then sent me a smile and waved down at Sophia, then went back to her job for the day. I pulled Sophia with me to meet Ross half way.

“Hey, you two,” he said smiling. “Are you both ready to go?”

Sophia jumped up and down in place, yelling in her enthusiasm. Ross and I both laughed as we headed back for the car. He helped Sophia into her seat belt, while I got inside on my side to wait. After a moment, he got in and started the car.

“So, are you going to give me a hint?” I asked, feeling a little anxious. “You haven’t told me much of what you did, you know.”

Ross hummed. “If I did, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.” He glanced at the rearview mirror. “Isn’t that right, Sophia?”

“Right, Dad!” she called loyally from the back seat.

Then Ross put a CD on, and, when it played, I was surprised at the music for a moment. This was the first time I was riding in a car with him and Sophia, but, when she squealed in the back seat, I completely understood. She started to sing along with the children’s songs that came on, and all I could do was smile, because I should have expected it.

It wasn’t that far from the school to where he worked, even though he wasn’t driving particularly fast, and we made it there in under half an hour. He parked the car, and we stepped out. I let Ross help Sophia out of the car, and she bounded up to stand beside me.

“You already locked up?” I asked, surprised.

He shrugged. “I did. I always do, pretty much. Why?”

I frowned. I took hold of Sophia’s hand, and we followed behind him as he headed for the garage door. He crouched to undo the lock.

“You could have let someone look after the place for you while you picked us up. Or, better yet, told me to come here once school was over.”

He threw a smile at me over his shoulder. “I didn’t mind, though. And I don’t trust anyone to just leave them here alone. I don’t even have employees, just some guys I hire part-time when they have the time and I need the extra hand.”

With the lock undone, Ross tugged on the door, sliding it up as he stood, opening the garage.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. The inside was a little bigger than a two-car garage and could probably hold two cars and still have some space left. I could only see the shadow of one car, though, and, before he switched on the light, I was sure it was my car.

But then the lights were on, and my jaw dropped, because no way was that my car.

The car I’d brought to him was a rusting car with dull red paint that was falling apart. The car in there didn’t look brand new, but it looked way better than what my car used to look like.

“You can come in to take a closer look,” Ross called, already inside. “Check out the inside and let me know what you think.”

I heard him, but I couldn’t move to do as he’d asked. Sophia had to help me, taking my arm and pulling me along as she followed her dad. She brought me over to the car, and I was still gaping at it. I did release her hand so I could walk around it.

“A couple of your taillights were busted, and the back bumper was taped on,” Ross explained. “The front bumper wasn’t doing any better. They looked pretty rusted, so I replaced them. And, well… I fixed everything else.”

After I made a complete circuit around the car, I frowned at him. “Tell me honestly how much it cost you to pay for all of this,” I demanded.

“Uh-uh,” he shook a finger at me. “Maybe later, but there’s no way I’m letting you refuse the car now, and you’ve already paid for everything.”

I pouted. “I only paid before you let me see it because you insisted.”

But I didn’t argue further, partly because Sophia was there. Finally, I glanced inside and immediately choked on air.

“Ross!”

He laughed as he jingled a set of keys—my car keys. He opened the driver-side door, and I rushed around to get a closer look at the inside.

“You fu—you replaced the seats!”

I was so excited I almost blurted out a curse word in front of a child.

“Yeah. The ones in it were badly damaged. I’m pretty sure a rat chewed into the back seat or something, part of the seat cover and some padding on the inside had been eaten through. And the rest of the inside…”

I winced, pulling out of the car to send him an apologetic look.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I always tried to clean up, but I didn’t always have the time, and I didn’t always do it well.”

Ross shrugged. “You don’t have to apologize for that; I get what you mean. I’ve seen a lot worse over the years.”

“Hey, Dad?” Sophia called, interrupting.

Ross looked down at her. “Yeah, honey?”

“Can I get inside? Please!”

He arched an eyebrow at me, and I just waved my hand at him. He smiled back at his daughter as he patted her shoulder.

“Sure, go ahead.”

Sophia squealed as she scrambled to get inside the car. While she was distracted, I got an idea. I walked over to Ross and tugged him away from where she could see us easily. I reached up, throwing my arms around his neck to give him a full kiss on the lips in thanks.

When was the last time I was this happy?

It must have been a long time ago, because I couldn’t remember the last time that I felt this good and I didn't want it to end.

Ross

“Sophia, are you done yet!” I yelled up the stairs for Sophia. After a moment when I received no reply, I sighed. “If you’re not done in five minutes, I’m coming up to get you. Jessica will be here any minute.”

Another pause, then, “Okay, Dad!”

I sighed again as I moved to sit on the couch. There was a street carnival coming to town. While I wasn’t quite into that sort of thing, my mother and daughter both loved it. Usually, the times I didn’t feel like going—though they were rare, there was little I could refuse Sophia without causing a tantrum—she went with my mom, and I got to stay home.

This was a special occasion, though, and I was a little nervous.

We hadn't explicitly told Sophia there was anything between Jessica and me, though we’d met and hung out plenty of times outside of our respective jobs, and I wondered just how much Sophia understood.

This would be the first time we were going out, all three of us as a family. My mom would be going with Jessica’s mom, supposedly to give us space, but I knew it was so that they could gossip between themselves.

A few minutes after I’d sat down, the doorbell rang. I was on my feet in the next moment and rushing for the door. I opened it, and there she stood.

She was dressed in a simple sundress in white with blue and yellow flowers running down it in patterns. It was a dress both Sophia and I had complimented, and I liked to think that was why she chose it. She had a light blue sweater tied loosely around her neck and a pair of blue flats on her feet. Her blonde hair was left to fall around her shoulders in light waves.

“You’re beautiful,” I said unconsciously, but very much meaning it.

Almost immediately, she flushed, and I smiled wryly. As much as I liked the look on her face when she blushed, I disliked it, too, especially once I realized that she still blushed every time I complimented her because a part of her thought she didn’t deserve it.

She might have forgiven me, but I hated it when I realized things about her life now that had been influenced negatively by my actions in the past. Not that she would hold it against me; if anything, she kept blaming herself for not getting over it, so I stopped bringing it up.

“Hey,” she said softly.

Then she stepped over the threshold, threw her arms around my neck and brought my face down to hers for a quick, bruising kiss. Before I could get my bearings and kiss her back properly, she had pulled away. She winked at me, then moved around me to get further into the house. After a moment of standing there, dazed, I closed the door and followed her.

She did that sometimes; one moment she was embarrassed, the next she was bold. She was assertive when it came to the bedroom almost all the time, and the contradiction between that and the woman she showed the world still got me thinking sometimes.

Of course, I was more than happy to be the only one that got to see that side of her.

“Where’s Sophia?” she asked, looking around the room for the little girl, then turning back to me when she didn’t see her. “Is she not ready yet?”

“I honestly don’t know what she’s been doing up there. It’s been nearly an hour, and every time I call up, she says she’s not ready.”

Jessica smiled. “Have you tried going upstairs?”

I gave her a blank look that I felt said all. “You know, I did. Only, I got there, and see, she’d locked the door. When I tried knocking, she screamed at me not to come in.”

I sent a worried look towards the stairs. She still had trouble picking out the best outfit for certain situations, but I knew Sophia didn’t want to disappoint Jessica, and it was probably why she was taking it this seriously.

“Maybe I should go up…”

But Jessica waved her hands at me, before taking hold of my arm, and pulling me over to the couch and sitting us both down.

“Just, no. Ross, she maybe still is young, but you cannot interrupt a girl when she’s trying to pick the perfect outfit for herself.”

“But what if she doesn’t pick something…” I dropped that subject quickly at the dark look Jessica aimed at me, and I switched tactics. “What if she makes a mess? And in the end, she’s not sure of her own choice? She’s done it sometimes, and it frustrates her, which makes it frustrating for me. The only person that seems to be able to calm her down in that state is my mom, and she isn’t here.”

It only ever happened to clothes, too. We’d had plenty of mini-fights over clothes when she didn’t like what I wanted her to wear and I wasn’t satisfied with what she was wearing. Instead of going simple, she loved to mix and match, with almost painful results sometimes, and I was suddenly the enemy when I said anything about it.

Jessica seemed to know what my problem was, and she patted my back sympathetically.

“If any of those happen,” she said soothingly, “then I’ll help you reason with her. You probably wouldn’t want to start fighting with her, right?”

I gave her the look that deserved. “That better be a rhetorical question, Jessica.”

She laughed and lightly thumped my shoulder. “Yeah, you’re right. Stupid of me to think you’d want to fight with your daughter,” she teased. “But if you want to avoid fights, you need to know how to let her down gently. I could always try, now that I’m here,” she added with a shrug.

I seriously considered it, because, with how long she’d been up there ‘getting ready,’ I was starting to worry what Sophia would look like when she did come down. If she ever did.

“Would you mind,” I started slowly, “going up there to check on her now? I don’t want to hurry her, but she might need help. I honestly don’t think this is one of those things I could ever help her with, you know?”

Her expression was amused. “Of course not, Ross. Most little girls need moms for that.”

I sucked my breath in a little sharply, but she was getting to her feet and didn’t seem to notice. She slid her fingers through my hair as she walked around the couch and headed for the stairs. I was stuck waiting again, but I was surprised when, less than five minutes later, there were two pairs of steps coming down the stairs.

“Dad, I’m ready!” Sophia called out like she hadn't been locked up in her room almost since she woke up, and it was almost eleven already. “Come see the dress Jessica helped me pick out!”

I got up from my perch on the couch. I smiled as soon as I caught sight of my daughter. She was in a white dress with a blue ribbon that wrapped around the waist. She did a little spin, so I could see the large bow tied in the back. Her hair was brushed and put up in twin tails that swished with every movement.

No pink in sight and I wondered how Jessica had managed that. Though there was a suspicious glittering on her face when she shifted at just the right angle, I decided to let it go.

“You look so pretty, baby,” I told her honestly.

Sophia giggled at the compliment. “Not as pretty as Jessica, though,” she added with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips.

“Oh, no!”

“No way!”

We both protested, and it only made her giggle some more. I watched as Jessica crouched down to be at eye level with Sophia and whispered something in her ear. Sophia nodded her head and beamed.

“Why don’t you go get your shoes, sweetie,” Jessica prompted lightly. “The carnival’s already started by now, and, if you don’t hurry, we’ll miss all the good parts.”

Sophia squeaked, then rushed like she was being chased, off to find her shoes. I arched an eyebrow at Jessica, a part of me jealous that Sophia took to her so quickly. Of course, the rational part of me was just glad that Sophia was opening up to Jessica at all.

“There was a bit of a mess in her room when I got in,” Jessica said quietly. “Don’t worry, I cleaned some of it, and I promised her something if she would help me clean what’s left after we get back.”

I sighed. “I could help you guys out if you’d like.”

She shook her head, though. “Well be fine. The girl time will be good for us.”

I felt something strange when she said ‘girl time,’ the same feeling I got before when she left me on the couch. I wondered if she even realized it herself, how easily she seemed to fit into the family and was quickly taking the role Sophia’s mom would have, the role my mom had been taking when I wasn’t sufficient enough to fill it.

“I’m ready now,” Sophia said as she skipped back into the living room, wearing a pair of white shoes. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

She took one of my hands, and one of Jessica’s, and tugged us both to the door. We didn’t resist, though I had to pause long enough to lock up the door, then joined them where they waited at the curb.

“Why can't we take the car again?” Sophia asked, pouting.

“Because it’s a street carnival, honey. We don’t want to interfere, or accidentally hit someone, do we?”

She was still pouting, but she nodded.

“It’s not that far a walk, anyway,” I tried to reassure her, wondering why she needed it at all. She was a bundle of energy. How could she have trouble walking down a few blocks? “And,” I went on, “we’ll be stopping by the diner, because it’s on the way, and you can get whatever you want.”

It still wasn’t enough to pacify her. Then Jessica held out a hand for her, smiling at her until she took it.

“You can just hold onto my hand if you feel tired,” she offered. “Or I could carry you, if you wouldn’t mind it.”

Sophia eyed her in seriousness for a moment, but then smiled as I came to stand on the other side of her, and we started walking slowly. Even though we were a few streets away from the festivities, I could still hear them in the distance.

“You know, I always wondered what happened to my mommy,” Sophia mused to herself suddenly, catching both our attentions. Then she smiled up at Jessica. “I wouldn’t mind getting a new mom, though. I’d love it!”

She grinned, then went back to skipping along between the two of us as we walked down the road, leaving the adults fumbling a little on how to react.

Or, at least, me. It had been entering my mind a lot more lately, how great Jessica would be as Sophia’s mom. To hear my daughter say it…

But my opinion mattered least in all of this. It mattered to Sophia because this would affect her in a big way. It would matter to me, as well, but I was pretty much willing to take any change if it meant keeping Jessica in my life. The woman herself, though…

I looked up at her expression, expecting the worst, only to be surprised. She still held an edge of shock in her expression. She was staring straight ahead, but she was smiling. And I thought, for the first time since we officially started going out, that Jessica looked happy. It made me realize that everything was going according to plan and I could relax. Nothing was going to stand in the way of us being together. Nothing. Not again, I fucking wouldn’t let it.

Jessica

I hummed to myself as I moved through my mom’s kitchen. It was still early, though, since school had been closed down for the day due to a gas leak, I had plenty of time to waste.

But I had a plan. I’d put it into action the moment it occurred to me after I woke up the same time I usually did on weekdays, before I realized I was free the whole day.

I was putting together breakfast, so I could surprise Ross with it. More than that. I smiled to myself as I thought of the expression he’d have on his face when he saw the sexy number I’d put on, just for him. It had been a while since we’d had any alone time. Sophia was supposed to be sleeping over at her grandmother’s until later today, so, as long as I went early, I could catch him alone for a few hours.

“Hmm,” my mom’s voice came from behind me. “Something smells good in this kitchen.”

I glanced over my shoulder at my mom. “Glad you like it. Though I hope it will taste as good as it smells,” I said with a shrug.

I grabbed a rag to wipe down my hands and moved closer to Mom to give her a quick morning hug and a peck on the cheek.

“Do you have any requests? I’m sure I could whip something up for you quickly. I won’t be heading to school today, so I don’t mind.”

But she just waved me off. “That’s not important. Better yet, if you’ve got your whole day free, why not come to the diner and help me out for the day? I could use the company.”

I snorted. “Who do you think you’re trying to kid, Mom? I know all your employees, and they all adore you. You’re not exactly lacking in company.”

She hummed. “You can just say no, honey,” she said, an edge of teasing to her voice. “You can tell me that you’re planning something for your boyfriend. Because I see you cooking breakfast, but I also see you packing it away like you don’t intend to eat at home.”

I paused for a moment, before resuming my task, though in a slower manner. I couldn’t exactly pretend that wasn’t the case. She was fully aware of the relationship I had with Ross. Hell, I was still pretty sure she knew we’d had sex in my room that one time. She’d hinted at it plenty of times, but I'd ignored her as I'd done so many times before.

“I have plans,” I admitted, since there was no point in hiding it, anyway. “I wanted to take this to Ross so we could eat it together.”

She hummed again. “And isn’t his daughter out of the house? I heard from Cecilia yesterday that she would be taking the little darling home with her for a night.”

I froze for a moment, before forcing myself to go on. She could probably guess what I had planned. My mom never got to give me the sex talk, and I was too old to listen to it now. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, because I was pretty close to finishing up, either way.

“I’ll just be visiting him for a little while, Mom. I might not have work, but he still does, remember?”

I said that to remind both of us. While I knew he would put off work if I asked him to, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair—not that I would refuse if he offered, though. It was why I was still early, so I could get there while there was still time for some quick fun.

“Well, that is true.”

I finished packing up the food in some containers. I already had put coffee in a thermos, and I packed everything else into a straw bag.

“I’ll see you later, Mom,” I said as I went to give her a quick hug and a kiss.

She surprised me, holding on longer than I expected. But I smiled and hugged her back just as tightly. When she let me pull away, she patted my shoulder and gave me a look of pure affection.

“It’s nice to see you happy, finally,” she said and returned my peck on the cheek.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said softly.

I picked up the bag and rushed outside with it.

Ross lived a good distance away from my house. If it weren’t for my car, I probably wouldn’t have made it until he had to go in to work. I got inside and placed the basket on the seat beside me. I did a quick check of my face in the rearview mirror. I’d tried a little with the makeup today, still keeping it subtle, as was my style, but bringing out my eyes a little bit because Ross seemed to like them.

Though, if he were to be believed, there was a lot about me to like. I’d gotten more compliments from him than I had from all the other guys I’d dated put together.

I started the car and drove towards Ross’s place. I realized this was probably my first time heading there in my car. Usually, I walked, or Ross picked me up. Had he ever even seen me driving the car he fixed for me? I found myself grinning as I realized that was one extra thing I needed to thank him for.

It didn’t take long for me to see his place come into view. If I hadn't been so eager to see him that I was keeping a lookout, though, I might have gotten even closer to see what was happening. I frowned the moment I realized Ross was standing outside on his front porch, and he wasn’t alone. He was in a muscle shirt and jeans, and the woman with him was in a dark tank top, jeans shorts, and boots.

Who the fuck was she?

I slowed down the car and crawled to a stop some distance from the house. It was close enough that, had he looked up, Ross might have noticed my car and known I was there. He had fixed it, after all, and done a full paint job.

Only, he didn’t look up, not once. I was about to get out of the car and stomp up there to ask what the hell was going on, when I saw the woman flip her hair, then place her hand on Ross’s chest, right below his neck. She even leaned closer, practically pressing her ample chest into him.

Ross just stood there and let her. He didn’t try to touch her back, but he wasn’t exactly discouraging her, either.

No fucking way.

“You can't fucking do this to me, Ross,” I whispered under my breath. “Not fucking now.”

Of course, he didn’t hear me. The woman threw her head back in a laugh, and I got a bit of a look at her face. I was pretty sure I didn’t know who she was. She might have been someone else we’d known in high school, one of the ones that left town, because I hadn't seen her in the months I’d been back.

I hadn't seen any woman around Ross, period.

But maybe I was wrong? Nothing had changed since high school.

I laughed, and it came out a little broken. He could have been messing with me the entire time. Fucking me and making me think that it meant something. It was like he’d upped the prank he’d played with me in high school, and the thought didn’t sit well with me. Why the fuck had I fallen so easily for it again?

Because, otherwise, he wouldn’t be there, fucking flirting with some other woman when we were supposed to be in a relationship. I felt so angry. But more than anything, I felt broken.

Neither of them looked up when I swerved the car around and drove off, Ross’s eyes solely for the woman in front of him. I tightened my hands on the wheel and tried hard not to cry.

Jessica

I didn’t want to go back home and be alone. I couldn’t go to school to talk with Mary. Everything that seemed right before had suddenly gone wrong. There was only one place for me to go, and that was the diner.

I knew it was a mistake the moment I arrived there. It was still pretty early in the morning, though I’d driven slowly to get there, so it was almost eight in the morning. But there was still the usual morning crowd. The room didn’t look too full from the outside, but I knew in less than half an hour, all the tables would be full.

Also, my mom was in there. What the hell was I going to say to her? She’d been so happy for me that morning; I didn’t want to make her upset when she saw the state I was in. But I probably needed to talk to her about this. She’d be even angrier if I tried to keep it from her, after all.

I glanced at the seat next to me, where all the food I’d made waited and sighed as I left it in the car. I wiped my eyes carefully, using the side mirror, then took a deep, fortifying breath, and walked into the diner.

There were a few people here and there, thankfully, no one that I knew. I walked up to the counter, doing my best to ignore the people around me, and waited for the girl that stood there to look up and notice I was there. She did after a minute, her eyes widening a little in her surprise, but then she smiled.

“Jessica! Hi. I heard the school was closed down for the day from your mom, but I didn’t expect you to show up here. She said you had plans.”

I felt my throat close up, even as I tried to smile normally. I wasn’t sure I made it, but I hadn't expected my mom to go around telling people what I was up to. Of course, she didn’t seem to know exactly what that was, so I was grateful for small mercies.

“I’d like to talk to my mom,” I said, after swallowing the lump in my throat. “Is she in the kitchen or her office?”

The girl laughed. “You know what your mom is like! This early, she’s still in the kitchen, and she’ll stay there until ten or eleven before taking a break.”

I pursed my lips and frowned, distracted for the moment. “Doesn’t she take more rest? I know I asked her to…”

“She does on some days, but there are others where she’s just stubborn. Don’t worry, though. We wouldn’t let her overwork herself. If she looks even a little bit tired, we convince her to sit down while we take over.”

Her voice was strong with her determination, and I smiled more naturally. Mom was good at surrounding herself with good people. But then my smile dimmed a little.

If only I could be as good at that as she was.

“Um, can you let my mom know that I want to talk to her?” I asked quickly when I felt my eyes sting with tears. My voice wavered a bit, but the girl didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong, giving me another smile. “In her office, if possible.”

“Sure, hang on. I’ll go get her from the kitchen.”

I watched as she walked through the door that led to the back of the diner, where the kitchen was. I didn’t have to wait long before she was back with my mom, who looked worried. Of course, she would know why I wanted to speak to her in the office instead of just walking into the kitchen myself—I wanted the privacy.

She saw my face, and, with just a glance, she frowned, seeming to notice something the girl had missed.

“Don’t worry, Rita,” the girl said as my mom walked around the counter, “we’ll hold down the fort for now.”

“Thank you, dear. You’re all a very big help.”

The girl flushed with pleasure, and I smiled again. She was only a few years younger than me but, compared to her, I felt so old.

Mom led the way to her office, through a short hallway, and to another door that most customers never got to see. She let the both of us inside with her key, then locked the door behind us.

“So we won’t be disturbed,” she explained, though I hadn't asked.

There was an official desk with chairs on either side, on the far side of the room. But instead of going there, she led me to the couch pressed against the wall to the side of the door. We sat up with a knee curled underneath as we faced each other. Mom took my hand and held it between us, giving a light squeeze. I smiled at her in thanks for that.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I just…” my voice trailed off as my eyes blurred with tears. I didn’t want to start crying over this shit, not with my mom there, so I took a moment to beat back the urge to just let the tears out and fall into a sobbing fit. “I went to Ross’s place earlier today.”

She nodded her head encouragingly. “I know that, honey. I expected you to be there, so I was surprised when I was suddenly told you were asking for me. Is this about Ross? Did something happen?” she frowned. “Did he do something to hurt you?”

I shook my head, but not in denial of her statement. Ross had fucking hurt me, whether he knew it or not.

“I didn’t even get to talk to him, Mom…”

“Then what is it?”

“He was there with a woman.”

It was all I needed to say. Her frown deepened, as her lips tightened. It was nice seeing my mom angry for my sake, but I had to remind myself that I didn’t want her upset.

“Do you know who it was?”

I shook my head and wiped quickly at my nose as I sniffled. “I don’t know, Mom, I didn’t even get close enough to see her face. They were talking right in front of his house, and she was openly flirting with him. I don’t think either of them even saw me.”

My mom’s expression morphed into sympathy, and it was probably because my face had crumpled in my effort to hold in my tears.

“Oh, honey,” she breathed out as she leaned over to me, pulling me in for a fierce hug. “It’s going to be all right, Jess. Maybe there’s an explanation for it? You didn’t get to hear one, right?”

I held on tightly back and sniffled some more as I shook my head against her shoulder.

“I don’t see how this could be all right. Or how he could excuse himself after I saw that.” I wasn’t sure I even wanted to go back to hear an explanation. He’d probably just lie.

After a moment, Mom pulled away, and brushed her fingers at the corners of my eyes, wiping away stray tears that were determined to fall.

“But honey, there could be a reason. Can you give me a description of what this woman looks like?”

I frowned as I thought back. “Well, I guess she’s tall. She has dark hair, kinda like Ross, and it was wavy. It was long, too, and fell down her back to about her waist.”

Mom’s expression showed shock, then turned thoughtful. It was my turn to frown at her reaction.

“Mom, do you know who she is?”

I don’t think she heard me, though.

“Ah,” she said, almost to herself. “I guess I forgot to tell you. Hell, I forgot it myself.” Then she met my eyes. “Ross’s ex is in town.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“As in, Sophia’s birth mother,” she explained, not that I needed her to. “I’m pretty sure she’s the only woman he’s ever dated, and she fits that description perfectly. Of course, it could be someone else, but I’m willing to bet it was her.” She frowned to herself. “Now that I think about it, it does make perfect sense.”

“It doesn’t to me,” I protested.

She patted my hand. “Ross and she didn’t exactly part on good terms. She wanted to go, and he let her go. It’s why Cecilia took Sophia away from her father yesterday; she doesn’t do that lightly, you know. I’m sure they don’t want that woman doing anything to hurt her this time. She’s older now, so her mother leaving will have a bigger effect on that little girl.”

I blinked as I tried to make sense of this new information. He hadn't been lying to me again? I tried to get it all out of my mind. The words kept flowing in. The wrong thoughts. Until I realized that I wanted to doubt Ross so badly that I hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt. I had to stop thinking the worst of people, especially Ross.

“You don’t have to cry, Jessica,” Mom said, sounding a little alarmed. “If it is her, then you don’t have to worry. There’s absolutely no way Ross would ever take that woman back. You know how much he loves his daughter, and he determined she wasn’t good enough for Sophia the moment she left town.”

I laughed, and the sound came out a little wet. It was my turn to pat my mom’s hand in comfort.

“Don’t worry, Mom, I’m crying because I’m relieved.”

Her eyes were suddenly sympathetic. “You thought it was high school all over again, didn’t you,” she intuited.

I nodded slowly and smiled, self-deprecating. “My fault. I should know to have some trust in Ross.”

He would probably be hurt if he knew I thought for even a moment that he was cheating on me with some woman. I already knew he was too devoted to his daughter to be a womanizer. I felt like a fool myself for even thinking it.

“And I should probably take this as a lesson,” I continued. “I’ve gotten pretty good at jumping the gun, but I guess I need to wait to hear an explanation before jumping to the wrong conclusions.”

It was another holdover from what had happened in high school, and I needed to get over all of it. I had promised myself, and Ross, that the past wouldn’t affect our future anymore.

“I won’t go to him, though. He probably needs to deal with this on his own, so I’ll give him some time. I’ll wait for him to come to me.”

And this time, I would hear him out.

Ross

I woke up feeling groggy and irritable. A moment later, my alarm rang and I smacked it off the nightstand in annoyance.

“Fuck you, Natalia,” I growled to myself.

My ex was becoming a problem. She kept coming to my place every morning. It had gotten to the point that I worried about Sophia staying in the house, at least while Natalia was in town, so she’d moved to my mom’s for the past few days.

I got out of bed and went to grab a quick shower, then got dressed. I paused outside my daughter’s door, who I’d barely gotten to see, then went on my way downstairs. My foot touched the floor, just in time for the doorbell to ring. I groaned, already knowing who I would see when I opened the door.

I did it anyway.

“Natalia,” I growled. I’d given up on being civil after the past couple days.

She pouted at me, and I hated how she looked a lot like Sophia when she did it. Her green eyes were the same as my little girl, though her dark hair was a different shade from Sophia’s, at least.

“Oh, come on, Ross. Why wouldn’t I come here? I used to live here.”

I rolled my eyes. “Exactly. Used to, until you decided you wanted to skip town, and you wanted to do it on your own.”

She scowled and folded her arms over her chest. “I would have taken Sophia with me, but I left her with you because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

I growled at the mere thought of her taking Sophia and leaving. I would have fought her tooth and nail. Knowing her, she would have tried to take her anyway, and I would have involved the police, even if it got her arrested.

Natalia sighed. “There’s no need for things to go that far. I’ve already told you, Ross, I’m here to stay. A girl deserves to get to know her mother, doesn’t she? Have you even told her anything about me?”

“Of course I have,” I snapped.

But her words had struck home, and the guilt was back.

It was utterly ridiculous, why was I feeling guilty? I knew Natalia. No matter what she said, she would get sick of staying in town again, and she would leave as easily as she had before. Sophia would be devastated, and I would be furious.

But she brought out a lot of good points, as well. Both my mom and Jessica had made me realize that Sophia needed a mother, and she would probably like it if it was the woman that gave birth to her. I didn’t want to get back together with Natalia. I’d loved her. And even though Sophia wasn’t planned for, I loved her, too. Natalia leaving the both of us had felt like a fucking betrayal, and it had hurt.

I never considered dating again, until Jessica came back to town.

And now, here she was, back and claiming it was to stay, if only I took her back and let her into her daughter’s life.

But I didn’t want to do that because I didn’t think I could act as if nothing had happened and we were picking up where we left off.

“Look, Natalia,” I said, suddenly feeling very exhausted. “I’m not feeling up to a chat today. I’d like to politely ask you to please leave.”

She frowned. “Are you ever going to let me see my daughter, Ross? She’s ours, you know. Not just yours.”

I sneered at her. “Like I could forget. Mom’s the one that won’t let it happen, so take your argument to her.”

“You know your mom never liked me, Ross.”

“That’s a lie. She liked you just fine until you left.”

She pursed her lips angrily, but I was just so sick of her. I didn’t even wait for her to say anything. I just slammed the door in her face. There was silence, then the sound of a short scream, then stomping feet.

I don’t want to be with her, I reiterated to myself. Being with her didn’t automatically mean it would be good for Sophia.

But I still had doubts.

After a few minutes, I cautiously moved back to the door. I opened it and stepped out, just in time to see my mom driving up. She must have seen I was exhausted before she even left the car, because, when she came to stand in front of me, it was with eyes narrowed in anger.

“She was here again, wasn’t she?”

All I did was nod.

Mom muttered an expletive, rare for her, and walked inside the house, and I followed behind her.

“Did you drop Sophia at the school?”

“Yes,” she said curtly. Then she suddenly whirled around and fixed me with a glare intense enough to make me flinch. “Why haven’t you sent her packing already?”

I hesitated. Why, indeed.

“You know I can't just do that. She is, legally, Sophia’s mother.”

She shook her head, sharply enough that her gray hair whipped around her face. Her expression changed, and I winced as I felt more guilt piercing my chest.

“She’s starting to wonder why I won’t let her home, Ross. You need to do something quickly.”

“I know, just…”

She held up a hand, cutting me off. “No, Ross. If you want reasons why never to take her back, then here’s one; Natalia was a fucking bitch. I know you loved her, but I wasn’t surprised when she wanted to leave. Fuck, I was happy. She wasn’t good for you. When you were with her, I thought my son was lost to me, and I only got you back after that bitch was gone. Just look at what she’s done to you in a few days!”

I hadn't looked in a mirror, but I knew I looked bad because of how I felt. I gave Mom a helpless look, and she replied with a shaky smile.

“I got my son back, Ross. I’m not losing you to her again. I’ve given you all you need to make up your mind. The moment she comes back here, tell her to back the fuck off and leave.”

I huffed a laugh, smiling a little at all the swearing she’d done in the past few minutes. But I was no longer undecided.

Ross

I stood in my living room, with Jessica standing just a few feet from me. So why did she feel so far away? I hadn't explained to her about Natalia, and I wondered if she even knew about the whole fiasco. It had taken telling Natalia to leave to make me realize I hadn't seen Jessica in a while, and that was enough to worry me.

That she stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a guarded look on her face bothered me greatly, but I had no one to blame but myself for this one. It had been hell just convincing her to come to my place after she was done with school so we could make use of the privacy.

“Jessica,” I started, breaking the silence that had been between us for the past several minutes.

Neither of us made a move to sit down.

“What is it, Ross?”

I couldn’t read her voice at all to figure out what was going on. I took a deep breath, deciding it didn’t matter, as I took a step closer to her. I wasn’t sure enough of myself to move any closer, though.

“I’m sorry.” The blunt apology seemed to surprise her, making her eyes widen. “I don’t want to keep apologizing to you for the rest of our lives because I did something stupid again, but this time… I want you to forgive me, Jessica, please.”

She looked hesitant. “You haven’t done anything I need to forgive you for.”

She didn’t sound sure, though, and that broke my heart a little.

“The past week has been… a little too much for me.”

“You do look exhausted,” she murmured, and I could read some sympathy in her eyes.

It gave me hope.

“I know I never told you about Sophia’s mom, my ex. Natalia went to our school, but she graduated a year earlier than us. I met her after my senior year, and we were… together. We were a little reckless. I’m pretty sure Sophia was conceived in the bathroom of some bar outside of town.”

Jessica had a look of slight disgust on her face, probably wondering why I was telling her this. It made me smile a little.

“The point is, I loved her. But it took having Sophia for me to realize she wasn’t really good for me. It’s probably why I didn’t fight her so hard when she said she wanted to leave. We argued, but I never once told her to stay. My mom was the one that made me realize that.”

There was finally a loosening in her stance, her arms falling to her sides as she frowned at me.

“I’m not mad at you,” she said, which made me relax, then wonder if that was true, or if she just thought it was. “I’m just wondering why it took you a week to finally talk to me.”

I shrugged, then sighed. “Because Natalia is very good at talking me into things. Not always the safest things. She was just… I wasn’t at my best when I was with her. But it’s different with you.” I hesitated but took a step closer. She looked wary but didn’t try to step back. “I feel like I made a fool of myself, acting so fucking indecisive. You… I guess the best way I can put it is, you make me feel like a man. Not just some idiot you’re using to cure your boredom. Somehow, I’d forgotten I’d felt that way plenty of times with Natalia.”

She wrinkled her nose. “This Natalia sounds like a real piece of work.”

“Oh, she was. I can only blame it on teenage stupidity and naïveté. But that’s the past, and the past is over now, isn’t it? I want you in my life, Jessica. And I absolutely don’t want anything to do with Natalia. And I’m sorry it took me a whole fucking week to come to that conclusion.”

The hesitation was back in her face. But I got the courage to close the space between us, and I held her by the tops of her arms. She looked up at me with an unsure expression. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, and felt her sigh and relax against me.

“I can promise with full confidence that this won’t be happening again. I’ve been serious about you since I met you, Jessica. Though it took me a decade to realize it. I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.”

She looked up at me with a suspicious look on her face, though I caught the amusement in her eyes.

“Are you sure about that?” she teased. “Because if it happens again, I’d have to hit you, Ross. I’ve given you way too many passes.”

I snorted, and teased back, “You’d have to get in line. My mom’s the only family that’s constantly around, but I have aunts, uncles, and cousins that live out of town. You’ll get to meet them if you spend the holidays with us, and if they ever found out how stupid I was about all of this, they would be lining up to hit me first. And my mom would be first in line.”

She laughed. “My mom would probably worm her way into being second. Though, yeah, when we didn’t talk for a week, she got a little antsy, even got my Aunt Hayley to come back. They’ve both been begging me to take you back because they’ve never seen me so happy as when I’m with you.”

I smiled and pulled her in for a hug. She held on fiercely, and I placed a kiss on her hair as I sighed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make you happy enough to stop both our moms playing their silly games,” I watched as she giggled at my statement. I knew that I had a chance, and all this tension would come to an end.

Jessica

I leaned into Ross’s hold, hiding my face in his chest so he wouldn’t see just how relieved I was.

After I broke down when I saw him with that woman—Natalia—and had a chat with my mom, I’d decided to trust him. But that hadn't made it easy for me. He didn’t try to contact me that day, or days after that, and I’d get worried.

I’d told myself I would hear him out, but a big part of me had feared he’d take her back. She was, after all, Sophia’s real mom, when I was just a substitute.

“I knew about her,” I murmured into his chest. I felt him go still, then force himself to relax.

“When?”

I sighed and pulled back to look up at his face. He looked a little pained, probably because I couldn’t entirely hide the hurt in my face or my voice.

“Probably the day she came here first. I saw you with her, the two of you were talking. Well, she was flirting with you, and you didn’t do anything about it, so…” I chuckled a little and gave him a sheepish smile. “I’ll admit, I thought the worst. So, you’re not the only one that should be asking for forgiveness here.”

“No,” he said firmly with a shake of his head. “I wouldn’t blame you for thinking the worst. I didn’t exactly give you a reason to believe in me. I pretty much forgot all about you the moment she was on my doorstep.”

I couldn’t help a wince, because that fucking hurt. Ross’s arms tightened around me as if he was worried I would pull away. I relaxed into his hold again, rubbing a palm down his chest to reassure him I wasn’t going anywhere.

“I don’t mean that in the way you’re probably thinking. I can't picture, or want, a future with Natalia like I can with you. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I didn’t want her to meet Sophia, but she’s her mother…”

“And you can't exactly stop her if she insists,” I finished.

He nodded. “It was pointless worrying about it. She asked to see her a few times, but she didn’t exactly insist on seeing her. I mean, she knows Sophia has been staying with my mom while she’s in town, and she’s never gone there to try and see her.”

“You don’t think she cares about her?”

“Maybe, in her way,” he said, though he looked doubtful. “And then she started talking about us getting back together for Sophia’s sake. And fuck, Jessica, I talked about it.”

“It’s understandable,” I said with a nonchalant shrug, though I was upset.

“It’s not, though,” Ross said in protest. “I did something stupid, and I will be sorry for it for a while. I should have told her to go away the first day she came. I haven’t even told Sophia about her being in town because I was worried about it upsetting her, and even more worried about her wanting to see her mother. And I didn’t even contact you to explain things. I was worried the whole day today; I couldn’t even work because I wasn’t sure what I would say to you.”

I’d noticed he was anxious. I thought it was a little funny because I was the one that had to be anxious, if he had told me anything other than what I hoped to hear.

“I want you to know I wasn’t mad at you, though. I never left you, either. I was just trying to let you have time to think things through and make your decisions, to give you space.”

“That’s all?” he asked, frowning.

I was going to nod, but I hesitated. Then I sighed. “Well, not entirely. When I found out she was your ex, and you weren’t cheating on me...”

I gave him a look of apology for that, but he just shook his head.

“I felt stupid for jumping to conclusions, but then you didn’t contact me, and I was waiting for you to reach out to me… so I had plenty of time to think up other scenarios.”

“And what did you think up?”

I sniffled and glanced away because I couldn’t look at him right then. “I wondered what I would do if we finally talked and you told me you and she would be getting back together. I would have stepped aside, of course, for Sophia’s sake. The woman is her mother. There were others, I guess that would have been even more painful.”

Ross groaned, sounding like he was the one in pain, and when I looked up at him, he had his eyes closed, his face twisted in a tortured expression.

“Ross? What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

“Ah, nothing, just,” he opened his eyes, “I can't believe I pushed you to thoughts like that. I made a real mess of things, didn’t I?”

I shook my head, smiling. “Not really. I mean, yeah, I was worried. But at least I know you thought things through. I wanted you to be sure of yourself, and now I know that I’m the one you want to be with, I’m happy.”

He looked stunned for a moment, then he just looked relieved. He pressed a line of kisses along my forehead. Then he pulled away, releasing all of me, to take only my arm. He tugged me behind him to the couch and sat down, pulling me down to lie against him. I went gladly, sighing once I had his arms around me again, and curled my legs up on the couch.

“Would you stay the night?” he asked, hesitance in his voice.

“Of course, Ross.”

I felt his chest move as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good. My mom is going to be bringing Sophia over tonight. I wanted to tell her about Natalia, and… I want you to be there with me when I tell her.”

I was surprised he would ask, because I knew it meant how much he trusted me.

“Sure, Ross,” I murmured, snuggling closer and smiling happily to myself.

Jessica

I walked slowly down the stairs of my house, my mom and my aunt standing at the bottom and clapping their hands wildly.

I laughed.

“You two! You’d think I was going to my wedding or something. Ross hasn’t even told me what we’re doing tonight.”

It was a surprise for me, and I trusted Ross. Mom and Aunt Hayley shared a look between them that immediately made me suspicious. I wondered if Ross had told them, and why they were keeping it from me.

“You look beautiful, honey,” Mom said, rushing forward to hug me, being careful of my makeup and hair, that she and my aunt had helped me with.

“You do,” Aunt Hayley said with a nod of her head. “If he weren’t in love with you already, he would have fallen for you tonight.”

I knew she was just teasing, but I couldn’t help flushing in pleasure. Ross had picked out the dress and insisted I wear it, apparently with help from both our moms, who provided the accessories. It was a strapless maxi dress in a pale blue they all said complemented my eyes. I was pretty sure both of them were in on the big secret that I felt everyone had been keeping from me for a couple of weeks.

At least I knew it wasn’t anything bad. It had been six months since the whole thing with Natalia was sorted out and I felt better about us acting like a family unit as far as Sophia was concerned, rather than always fighting. That was, until she met Sophia and they spent the day together. Then, the next day she was gone. She disappeared without a word. I just didn’t understand it. Yet, I was alone, everyone else had expected her to leave even sooner.

“Can't you two at least give me a hint?” I begged. Just because I knew it wasn’t anything bad, didn’t mean I wasn’t anxious about it.

“What is he planning? Just a little bit?”

They both just laughed at me and came at me to give me some more hugs. Then there was the sound of a horn outside.

“That’ll be your young man,” Mom said, planting a hand on my back and urging me forward. “Don’t you dare keep him waiting.”

I rolled my eyes at her antics, but I did leave. When I saw Ross’s car outside, I felt a bit giddy. I had the feeling like it had all happened before, but I didn’t think too much about it as I ran down the porch steps and across the drive to get to the car. I jumped inside and turned to Ross with a huge smile. It melted into shock when I saw he was wearing a full tux. Again, there was that niggling familiarity.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

Over my shock, I smiled. “Definitely.”

We drove around, and I was growing more confused by the moment. When we stopped outside his house less than half an hour later, I turned to Ross.

“What’s going on?”

He just smiled. “Wait there. I’ll explain in a moment.”

He got out of the car and rushed around the front to open my door for me. He held his hand out, and I let him help me out of the car. Then he curled my arm around his and walked me to the door.

“I didn’t want to make it too big a production, but I did do my best.”

He opened the door and let us in, and I got the shock of my life. Because that niggling familiarity wasn’t just back, I recognized everything. Even in his small living room, with all the furniture pushed aside. It would be difficult to mistake the terrible decorations and the low lighting.

“Prom?” I said quietly, glancing up at him.

He nodded, looking a little anxious. He pulled me further into the room. There was slow music playing already, and it was exactly the song they’d played that night. I wondered how he remembered it that well. It was after we’d danced to the song that everything had gone wrong.

“I looked around for some photos and videos, so I’d get everything just right. I’m reenacting the whole thing, trying to fix what I ruined back then. My mom even played her part and took photos of me when I left the house to pick you up.”

“When did you? How did you? Why did you?”

I couldn’t find words. Maybe because the setting was bringing back memories, and not necessarily good ones. I looked up to meet his eyes. I still thought he seemed nervous, but he smiled at me with confidence.

“Trust me, Jessica. This isn’t going to be a complete replay. And I know you forgave me, but I wanted to give you the good memory I should have back then.” His smile looked nervous for a moment. “Or something along those lines. I do hope you like this.”

We danced, and I held back my worries. We’d been together for over six months, we were happy together. There was a long line of family and relatives and friends from both our sides that would be lining up to hit him if he ever made a wrong move. I was fine.

After a few minutes, the song drew to a close. My heart was beating fast as I remembered that night. Ross had looked as nervous back then as he did at this moment at the end of the song, when they were supposed to announce the prom king and queen and, instead, I got the shock of my life. I’d wanted Ross to kiss me at the end of the song, and I was hurt when he didn’t, and all my visions of the rejection of my first prom were replaying in my mind.

Ross pressed his lips to mine. It calmed my heart a little, as there was a break from the old script. I went to wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, but he pulled away from me. Then he did the last thing I expected.

Ross dropped to one knee, one of his hands reaching inside his coat pocket. My mind knew what he would pull out, and I still gasped when he held the small white box up to me.

“Ross?” I said, my voice shaky. “What are you…?”

He smiled nervously, opening the box to show me the silver ring with three diamonds shaped in a crown. I didn’t even realize I was crying until the tears blurred my vision.

“I never got to do this before, and I’m pretty sure I’m not good at it,” he started.

I let out a sob. He reached for my hand with his free one, and I gave it freely, squeezing back when he squeezed my fingers gently.

“I love you, Jessica. More than anything, other than my daughter.” He paused, and we both laughed because we both loved her the most. Then another gentle squeeze. “The past several months, I won’t say they were the happiest. I was happy before I met you with my little family that was just my daughter and me. But ever since you joined us, we’ve both come to love you, and want you to join our family, officially. We’ve talked about you adopting Sophia, but this comes first.”

He paused again and took a deep breath. I had my other hand pressed against my mouth to hold back the sobs wanting to come out.

“Jessica,” he said, his voice low but clear, dark eyes watching me intently. “Will you please marry me?”

I sucked in a sharp breath. I’d expected the question, but it brought back another wash of tears. Ross waited me out patiently, and I tried to get hold of myself, so I could give him an answer. When I did, it was in a low whisper, but very strong:

“Yes.”

I couldn’t get more out without breaking down again. Ross grinned up at me. Using one hand, he pulled the ring out of the box, snapping it shut. Then he adjusted the hand he held, so it lay flat on his palm, and I watched through blurry vision as he put the ring on my finger.

Then he rose up, his arms wrapping tightly around me as he lifted me to spin me around. I realized he was laughing, and joined in a second later. He set me down and pressed a hard kiss to my lips.

“There’s still one more thing,” he said excitedly.

Ross held my hand and pulled me behind him. I kept my eyes on his back as he led us out to the back porch, and I got a second surprise when I saw our families there. There were more decorations put up, this time more tasteful, and everyone was dressed up. Even Sophia was there, between our moms, wearing a pale pink princess dress.

“She said yes!” Ross yelled, throwing up both our hands.

There were shouts and whoops and calls of congratulations as they caught sight of the engagement ring on my finger. Sophia squealed and jumped up and down before rushing us. Ross let go of my hand to pick her up and throw her up in the air as they both laughed in delight. Our moms came forward for hugs and kisses, followed by our other relatives that had come into town, likely for just this occasion.

Then Ross was there, holding Sophia. They were both smiling at me, Ross holding out a hand for me to join them. They both pulled me into a hug that lasted a few minutes, until my mom started complaining, to shouts and laughter, about sharing the soon-to-be-bride and we broke up to join everybody else.

I looked around at my family, and I thought I couldn’t be happier.

* * *