Me
Are you okay with that?
Sunshine
Of course. He’s your son too. If anyone has a problem with that, they can come to me.
I can’t help but smile at that. Kenna’s always been strong, but hearing her say that just makes me feel even more secure in what I’m doing. She’s so sure of this, so sure of us. And it gives me the courage I need.
Later, Kenna calls me. She sounds so excited, and I can tell she’s been thinking about this all day.
“Cohen’s been talking about you,” she says, and I can’t help but feel my heart skip a beat. “He thinks you’re cool, Cole. Hereally likes you. I’ve even put you on the pickup list for school today. I knew he’d be happy to see you.”
That’s when I get nervous. I’ve never picked up a kid from school before. I don’t know what I’m doing. But hearing her say that makes me feel a little better.
As I pull into the school parking lot, I see parents chatting and gossiping, looking at me with curiosity. I feel their eyes on me, and it makes me uneasy. I can hear snippets of conversations, people whispering behind their hands, and I try to ignore it. But the insecurity creeps in. What if they don’t think I’m good enough for Cohen? What if they don’t think I belong here, picking him up like any other parent?
I can feel it—the judgment. The unspoken questions. The curiosity that comes with someone new in the picture. Do they know who I am? What I’ve done? Will they look at me and see a criminal, or will they see a father?
And then I see him. Cohen. He walks out of the building, looking around. And then, as soon as he spots me, his face lights up. My heart swells in my chest as I watch him run straight toward me.
“I’m so glad it’s you!” Cohen says, his eyes sparkling. He jumps into my arms without hesitation, and I catch him with ease. His excitement is contagious, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I let myself feel something other than anxiety.
“Hey, buddy,” I say, grinning. “I’m glad it’s me too.”
Cohen looks up at me with a big smile. “Are you hanging out with me tonight? Mom said you might.”
I laugh, ruffling his hair. “We’ll have to see what your mom thinks first.”
As I settle into the driver’s seat, Cohen’s chatter continues. His enthusiasm fills the car, and for a moment, it’s just the two of us, alone in the car. With his wide eyes glued to the window, he is describing a new comic book he’s just discovered.
“Okay, okay, so there’s this guy, right? He can control shadows. Like, he can make them fight for him, and he’s got thisentire army of darkness! How cool is that?” Cohen says, his voice full of excitement as he leans forward, barely staying in his seat with all the energy pouring out of him.
I nod, trying to keep up with his rapid-fire thoughts. “Sounds awesome, little man. A shadow army, huh? I bet he could sneak up on people pretty easily.”
He grins and gives a dramatic, wide-eyed look. “Exactly! And the bad guys don’t even know what’s coming. It’s the best part!”
I laugh, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. “Sounds like someone who knows how to keep a secret.”
Cohen raises an eyebrow, his face lit with mischief. “You could probably use him on the next big mission. You know, like if we need to go undercover or something.”
I chuckle, trying to keep the mood light, but part of me feels like I’m stepping into something bigger. Being here with Cohen, hearing his excitement, it hits me how much he’s grown since I first met him. How much I want to keep being there for him.
“So,” I start, glancing at him as I make a turn, “you and I are on this big mission together now, huh?”
He nods enthusiastically, but then something shifts in his expression. It’s subtle, but I can see the gears turning in his head. He leans back in his seat and folds his arms across his chest, looking up at me. His voice quiets, and I can tell there’s something more serious on his mind.
“Do you…do you think my mom likes you?” His voice is small, vulnerable even, and I can feel the weight of the question.
I glance at him momentarily taken aback. “What makes you ask that?”
He shrugs, not meeting my eyes. “I dunno. She’s always busy, but she talks about you sometimes. She just seems really happy when she does. And she told me today that I’d get to hang out with you, so...I guess I’m wondering if you like her, too.”
The air in the car feels a little heavier now, and I realize how much I’ve been holding back from Cohen, how much I’ve keptmy own feelings in check for his sake. He’s just a kid, but he’s perceptive. He’s sensing something.
I keep my tone steady as I speak. “I think your mom is amazing, Cohen. She’s really important to me, and I care about her. And yeah, I like her a lot. A lot more than I probably should admit.”
Cohen’s eyes brighten again, just a little. He grins, leaning forward with renewed energy. “So, are you going to marry her or something?”
