I sat on a mat near Jessica’s family. Leo sat cross-legged beside Haille, his face now painted green with crooked dinosaur teeth. Haille had chosen a blue butterfly—wings stretching across her cheeks, glitter still shimmering under the sun.
Jessica sat beside me, feeding Leo. Across from her, her husband sat with their eldest daughter, holding a drink in one hand and absentmindedly ruffling Leo’s hair with the other.
“Here, try this one,” Jessica said gently.
Leo nodded obediently.
I watched them without realizing it. The way Jessica smiled when her husband joked. The ease between them. There wasno tension, no guarded glances, and no hesitation. I knew their story, and yet here they were. Sitting together, laughing, and parenting side by side.
My thoughts drifted to Adrian. I imagined him standing at the edge of the park, sleeves rolled up, holding Haille with a proud smile as he admired the butterfly painted on her cheeks, laughing as he took pictures, making some comment about how cute she looked today.
But at the same time, I felt uneasy, as if his presence would make my chest tighten again.
Haille tugged on my shirt. “Mommy... drink,” she said, her face smudged with sauce.
I smiled and focused back on her, opening her water bottle.
“Slowly, honey,” I said.
I looked at her small face—her cheeks, her bright eyes, her easy laugh—and told myself that today wasn’t about Adrian, or my wounds, or the endless what-ifs that didn’t deserve space right now.
After we finished eating, the park grew louder. The music turned up slightly, and people started gathering at the large grassy field.
“Hey! It’s starting!” Jessica stood halfway up. “Tug of war!”
I turned to look. Several staff members stood in the middle holding a thick rope, with each department lining up on opposite sides.
I immediately spotted the finance team. A group of guys stood shoulder to shoulder, sleeves rolled up, faces focused. Harley stood out easily, taller than the rest, shirt slightly wrinkled, expression relaxed but sharp.
“Finance! Finance!” Jessica started cheering.
I laughed and stood too, lifting Haille onto my hip. “Go, Finance!”
Haille joined in, fists clenched. “Go!”
The whistle blew.
The rope tightened. Shouts filled the air. People cheered and laughed. I saw Harley lean back, jaw tight, arms tense as he pulled with the team.
“PULL! PULL!” Jessica yelled, jumping beside me.
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.
Our finance team won.
Cheers erupted. People clapped. Some threw their hands in the air. Harley and the others laughed, one of them nearly collapsing onto the grass.
“Yes!” Jessica shouted.
But right then, Haille started getting fussy. At first, it was just a small whimper. Then she shifted restlessly, her head dropping onto my shoulder before lifting again, eyes glassy.
“Tired?” I asked softly.
She nodded, lips trembling. “Sleepy...”
I let out a quiet breath. I was tired too—my shoulders aching, my legs heavy—but before I could linger on it, someone was already calling out to the finance team.
“Photo time!”
