Hundreds of people flooded the lawn, blankets spread and chairs propped, snacks waiting to be demolished. Kids ran screaming, playing with new friends they'd just met or skipping as their parents took photos.

And for once, I was a part of one of these couples. I had someone on my blanket to laugh at Lennon with, who took pictures and texted them to me so I could post them on Facebook. Who wrapped his arms around me when the breeze came in, as they rolled the projector screen down and everyone clapped for the impending start of the movie.

“This was a great idea, babe.” I turned my head back, tilting to see him as we sat, my back to his chest.

“What can I say? I’m a regular at this ole date planning thing.” He shrugs, looking like the picture of innocence.

“Except for that first time, huh?”

“Never going to let me live that one down, are you?”

“Never.” I nuzzle into him, waiting for the kiss that gets planted on my cheek.

“I love you, babe,” Jake whispers in my ear, his voice tickling my skin.

Ever since our trip to New York, and our confessions among the vines, he’s been saying it more and more. The first time he did, he reminded me that he wanted to say it while I wasn’t laced with drink, and then called me a booze hound. I’d never heard anything so romantic.

“Me cuddle too!” Lennon jumps on us, her foot digging into my ribs as she climbs my body to get to Jake.

“Who let the gorilla into the movies?” Jake lifts her off me, moving us out of our snuggling position, and cradles her. “Oo, oo, ah, ah, ah!”

Lennon pretends to speak in a monkey language back to him as he tickles her.

“Mommy, I hope we watching Cinderella.” Her dark curls are everywhere as she looks at me upside down from her place in Jake’s arms.

“Oh, sweet pea, it’s actually called Inside Out … but don’t worry, I think you’ll like it.”

“Inside Out! Inside Out!” She claps her hands, chanting for the movie to start.

Luckily, we’re outside and every other person around us has screaming toddlers too, or I’d be embarrassed. Except for this younger group of kids … well teenagers I should say, that are seated a little behind us. They’re all acting way too cool to be here, yet it’s probably the only safe place for freedom without parents that their mothers and fathers would allow them to go on a Saturday night.

“Remember when you were that cool?” I jerk my thumb to their group.

Jake settles Lennon in his lap, and she happily rests against him. I think my heart literally turns to mush in that moment.

“Oh, hell yeah, I was the leader of the pack at that age. Wore the backwards hat, flirted with the girls after the bell rang, fist bumped all my dudes when we snuck a six-pack of Bud Heavy below the bleachers.”

“And so humble too, I bet that’s why they all liked you.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Come on, you would have had such a crush on me in high school.” He leaned over, his dimple seducing me, as he lightly kissed me.

“Yuck!” Lennon broke us up by shoving her hands in my mouth.

Pretending to eat them, I gobbled at her fingers until she laughed.

The screen lit up, and a little cartoon about the concession stand began to play. And then Joy, or my girl Amy Poehler, came onto the screen, introducing the emotions to the park full of silent movie goers, the summer darkness swallowing us.

“She’s falling asleep already.” Jake held my hand while Lennon grabbed onto his other fingers.

I chewed on a Twizzler and looked over, my ovaries practically batting their eyelashes as my daughter turned my boyfriend into a big teddy bear.

A really freaking handsome, stud of a teddy bear. The nineteen forties movie star good looks, the swooping golden brown hair, the arms that I wanted to grope every time I saw them. Those green eyes that always held a hint of mischief, not to mention what lay underneath the powder blue T-shirt and jeans he had on tonight. Damn … I could stare at Jake all day.

“Good, maybe we’ll get an entire movie to ourselves … albeit a kid’s one,” I whisper back, leaning my head on his shoulder.

Half of the movie goes by, some groups getting up to leave with cranky children or just because the temperature was dropping. We stayed, enjoying the peace and quiet as Lennon slept softly in Jake’s lap.

“Mmmmm …” A sound comes from behind us, a moan.

I ignore it, choosing to focus on the hot headed emotion in the movie. I related to him at times, wanting to curse people out and being silenced by another emotion that was too powerful and telling anger to be quiet.

“Oh my God …” Another sound, and I’m turning my head.

And I have to stifle a surprised gasp when I look over. The group of teens is paired off, about four couples in all, each snuggling under a blanket.

Except … they’re not watching the movie at all.

“Babe …” I hiss at Jake, pointing back so he looks subtly behind us.

He can’t stop the howl of laughter, and someone around us shushes him. “Well, at least someone is getting their rocks off at this movie.”

The blankets are moving, most of the kids making out while things are going on, down there.

“Should we stop them? They’re just doing this completely out in public. There are kids here!” I’m half-appalled, half-impressed. They have some balls, pun intended, to slide into third base right here in the middle of this family friendly movie night.

“Honey, let them be kids. Honestly, it’s probably not even that good. They’re getting below average hand jobs … let them live their glory days. Our girl is asleep, and we are having an uninterrupted date night. Pick your battles.”

He was kind of right, and the fact that he’d just called Lennon “our girl” was distracting me from the amateur sexual acts going on behind us.

“Do you think they even know where a clit is?” I giggle, settling back into him.

“Couldn’t find it with a road map and a compass … not that they’d know how to use those either. They’d need Google Maps for the genitally challenged.”

I burst out a laugh and someone shushes us again. “Why don’t you let me give you a below average hand job when we get home?”

“Baby, I’ll let you pop my cherry any night of the week.”