Because if I’m standing here with Cecilia now... and if I just spent the best forty minutes of my life with her in my arms. If we’re friends now—and I have even the smallest chance of being in her life, of trying, of hoping... I owe that entirely to him and his stupidity. His carelessness and inability to recognize what he had.
If I had to guess, deep down, he never deserved her.
He breaks our stare first, turning to Cecilia.
“I can drive you home,” he says, his tone sharp before he tries to soften it. “I was already taking Alicia after the ice cream. You can come with us.”
“No, thank you.” Cecilia’s voice leaves no room for negotiation.
She turns to her daughter. “I came with my own car. I’ll see you at home, okay?”
She kisses Alicia on the cheek, gives Colin a polite nod, and starts walking away.
I extend my hand to Alicia, and she takes it with the one not occupied by her melting dessert.
“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Alicia. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
She smiles and waves. “Bye.”
With one last glance toward the stronzo, I walk to where Cecilia is waiting a few steps ahead.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” I say. She nods.
I resist the urge to place a hand on the small of her back. The way I did earlier, without thinking. But I won’t do that now, not with her daughter possibly watching.
Cecilia’s car is at the beginning of the street, around the corner. When we turn left, I glance back instinctively—and he’s standing there, frozen in the same spot, staring at us as if the world is slipping out from under his feet. Alicia says something to him, and only then does he turn his head.
We reach Cecilia’s car, and she stops in front of the driver’s door.
“Sorry about that,” she says, motioning vaguely toward the street behind us. “Whatever that was.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” I say, and it’s nothing but the truth.
We stand facing each other, caught in the moment. She gives me a small smile.
“Thank you again. For today.”
I take her hand, lifting it to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it.
“You can always count on me,” I murmur, meeting her eyes. “For all your new experiences.”
Cecilia smiles, and the moment I release her hand, she turns to open the car door. But I move first, stepping ahead and pulling it open for her.
She sits behind the wheel and I hesitate, my hand resting on the edge of the door. “Can we see each other next week?” I ask. “Lunch... or maybe dinner?”
She looks through the windshield, then back at me.
“I would like that.”
I lean down and brush a quick kiss to her cheek. Then I step back and close the door, watching her as she drives away.
Cecily
I’m just about to pull into the garage when Colin parks right in front of the house and Alicia hops out of the car. That part is normal. What isn’t normal is him getting out too.
I pull into the garage anyway. Through the rearview mirror, I see Colin standing at the entrance, clearly waiting for me.
I exhale, long and tired. Grab my purse. Step out of the car. The moment I close the garage door and face him, I ask, keeping my voice even and, as always, thinking of my children first,
