I roll my eyes so hard that it pulls a laugh from him. Meanwhile, I’m trying not to smile back and physically respond to his presence or his smell. “You’re impossible. Glad to see you’re feeling better. And here I am trying to be nice and invite you and Braeden toCarousel Gardens.” I turn my back on him and fold my arms. “I mean, if you don’t want to go, then…”
Calvin spins me around, and right when I think he’s going to reach for me in some way that goes beyond friendship, he drops his hands and takes a step back. “Carousel Gardens, you say? Well, how can I say no to that? Let me make sure Braeden is up for it.”
I follow him into the house, which smells like him, mingled with coffee from earlier this morning.
Something rubs against my ankles, and I nearly jump out of my skin. I look down to find a black-and-white kitten, of all things.
“Well, hello there.” The cat screams at me and starts weaving around my ankles. “Uhm…”
Calvin squats, picks up the kitten, and plops him onto his shoulder. I’m honestly shocked the cat just sits there. “This bottomless garbage disposal is Cicero. You’d be surprised by how much Braeden knows about the Roman Empire, or its history for that matter. When we went to grab this goat in the shape of a cat, he picked out the name. Since Cicero never stops talking and begging for food, Braeden named him after the great orator, scholar, and politician.”
I pet the cat’s head, now noticing the black heart on the tip of its nose. It closes its eyes and purrs, sounding like a lawnmower. “Getting soft, are we?”
“Pfft, never. I’m a Brillo pad. Braeden needs an emotional support pet. I have no idea if this cat will do anything other than eat me out of house and home, but the boy likes him.”
“Please, you seem quite taken with the kitty. I stand by my assessment that you’re a big ol’ softy.”
“Fine, he’s kind of cute. The litter box, not so much. I should’ve called him Caligula.”
I snort a laugh and shake my head. “This baby is precious. I’ve been thinking about getting my kids a pet.”
“Get a fish.”
“You don’t fool me, Calvin Abernathy. Look at you being a dad.”
“Not another word.” He sets the cat down, and it sits there, screaming at him again. He sighs and picks the creature up again. “Anyhooo… What about your boyfriend? Shouldn’t you ask him and his son to go to the park?”
“We’re not at the ‘meet-the-kids’ phase of our relationship yet.”
“How long does that phase last? Asking for a friend.”
I roll my eyes again as he turns around and heads toward the living room. “As long as I need it to. I don’t want my kids getting attached to someone, then have the guy up and leave.”
He turns to me when we reach the foot of the stairs and nods thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”
“Why? Are you planning on dating again?”
Calvin scoffs. “No.”
“That sounds definitive.”
“Cheating will do that.”
“That’s fair, I guess. But you’re going to be alone forever?”
He shrugs, unbothered by the prospect. I’m the complete opposite. It’s taken me a while to date again, but I don’t want to move through life without an intimate partner. Hopefully, Leo is the one. Only time will tell.
“I’m not alone at all anymore,” he says.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. I don’t know, Tiger. Not sure I’m up for that sort of trauma again.” He looks up the stairs and calls for the boy. “Hey, Brae! Come on down, would you?”
Soon, Braeden slowly walks down the stairs. He looks better than the last time. His eyes are brighter, and his shoulders are straighter.
“Hey, Braeden,” I say with a smile and a wave.
He says nothing, but he gives me a small wave back.
