“Sounds good,” she shouts back, then moves into the kitchen. “You want something to drink, while you wait?” she asks, turning to peek at me over her shoulder.
“Just some water,” I tell her, taking a seat on one of the barstools at the counter. She pulls two water bottles out of the fridge, sliding one in my direction.
“I hope it’s okay. Oliver had some Pop-Tarts after school as part of his snack. I know it’s not the healthiest, but he told Mav that’s what he wanted.”
She cringes, like I’m going to chastise her for feeding my kid.
My hand freezes halfway through opening the lid. “He…” The words get caught in my throat. “He spoke?”
Her face softens. “Not to me, but to Mav, yes.”
I have to blink away the tears that are welling in my eyes. I should probably say something, but my mind is a mess of swirling thoughts.
“He’s a special kid,” I finally get out.
She gives me a warm smile. “Yeah, Oliver is pretty great.”
“Yeah, I’m lucky to be his dad, but I was talking about Maverick.” I lock eyes with her. “It takes a pretty special kid to make someone feel comfortable enough around them to speak for the first time in over a year.”
Her mouth widens in surprise as her eyes grow glossy. She’s quiet for a minute, clearly processing what I just said.
“I think they found a safe space with each other.” She drags in a deep breath, wiping away a single tear that fell. “Mav skipped first grade, so sometimes he gets picked on because he’s smaller than everyone else in his class. He also has interests that not a lot of kids understand. I’ve never seen him be as completely himself as he’s around Oliver.”
Warmth spreads through my chest at her words. They mean more than she will ever know. “They’re lucky they found each other.”
She nods as our eyes stay locked together. Something silent passes between us. From the look in her eyes alone, I can tell we share the same feelings.
I’m grateful for Abby coming into my life three years ago. I’m grateful for her being in my life now. But I can’t fight that twinge of longing for something more.
I expect her to ask questions, but I should have known better. Abby’s smart enough to put the pieces together with everything I told her at the park the other day.
I open my mouth to say something, as to what I have no idea, but I’m stopped by two sets of footsteps clomping down the stairs.
Oliver’s smile puts everything back into perspective. I can put up with anything as long as that smile stays right where it belongs.
I wrap my arm around his shoulders, pulling him into my side. “Did you have fun?”
He nods with the smile still in place.
“Can we do this again?” Mav asks Abby, staring up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
She looks at me for a second before looking back down at her son.
“Yeah, I’m sure we can work that out, bud.” She ruffles his hair.” Also… your glasses are gross. You need to go clean them.”
He pulls them off his face, inspecting the lenses. “Oh yeah. I was so focused on learning all day, I forgot.”
This kid is pretty funny in a nerdy kind of way, which is adorable.
I’m not only grateful for Abby being in my life and Oliver’s. I’m grateful for this seven-year-old kid and the light he has brought back into my son’s eyes.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Abby
“I’ll go checkon those labs again,” I say to the older man lying on the bed.
His daughter looks up at me with thankful eyes. I give her a small smile before closing the door as I step out of the room.
