I felt my chest tighten with warmth, the sincerity in his voice cutting straight through me.
“Speaking of schedules,” he said, his tone lightening as he leaned back, “let me know your plans for Christmas and New Year’s. Maybe we can line up some time together.”
“Jason and I are supposed to meet next week to finalize everything,” I said. “Once that’s sorted, I’ll let you know. But I’d love to spend some time with you.”
He grinned. “I’ll send you my kid-free weekends. I’d love to take you away somewhere. Just us.”
“I’d love that too,” I said, already picturing it.
“See? Things are going to work out,” he said confidently.
“We haven’t jumped all the hurdles yet,” I said.
“She’ll come around,” he said again, though there was a flicker of hesitation in his voice.
Glancing at the time, I stood and reached for my bag. “I really need to run to get Bebe and James.”
Will walked me to the door, pulling me in for a long, lingering kiss that left my heart racing. That kiss stayed with me, warming my thoughts as I drove to school.
The next few days went by quickly, and before I knew it, it was Thursday evening and time for the Christmas concert for the elementary students. The kids were all dolled up in their holiday outfits, Bebe in a plaid Christmas dress from Janie and Jack with gold ballet flats and a gold bow to complement the details.
James in his little tux that had a plaid bowtie. The excitement in the house was contagious.
Lauren had called earlier in the day to ask if we could ride together. Her husband was at an away game, and with both ourkids involved in the concert, it made sense. I agreed, and we coordinated pickup times.
When we arrived at the school, the parking lot was already packed. Thankfully, we found a spot and made our way inside, dodging parents dressed to the nines and kids buzzing with energy.
The moment we walked in, I spotted Jason and Brooke near the front lobby. Jason waved and stepped forward.
“Daddy!” James exclaimed, running to him.
Jason scooped him up with a grin. “Hey, buddy, you clean up nice.”
“And how’s my princess?” he said, turning to Bebe. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said, wrapping him in a big hug.
“I’ll take James to his class,” Jason offered, nodding toward him.
“Thanks,” I said, leaning down to kiss James on the cheek. “Break a leg, buddy.”
Brooke gave me a polite smile. “Hi, Natalie.”
“Hi, Brooke.” I returned the smile. We weren’t friends, but we’d find neutral ground.
I was in such a good place with Will, I didn’t feel the need to hold on to any lingering resentment. If she was good to my children, that was all that mattered.
Lauren and I walked the girls toward the third-grade classroom, weaving through parents chatting in the hallways.
When we arrived, Will was standing in the back with Ivy, his tall frame relaxed yet somehow commanding the space.
Charlie and Bebe raced over to hug their friend, and the girls dissolved into a fit of giggles, complimenting each other’s outfits.
Will turned toward us and smiled, saying hello to Lauren and me. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to lean inand kiss my cheek, but he stopped himself, his restraint almost endearing.
“Crazy to think how much has happened in a year,” he said quietly, his voice just loud enough for me to hear.
“I know,” I said, my gaze meeting his. “I was thinking the same thing.”
