“Like you?”
“I don’t know,” Kaden says with a grin, curling his arm to flex his bicep. “What do you think?”
The casual display instantly draws my attention to his arm, appreciating the way it bulges tightly beneath his long sleeve. I have to quickly look away before he notices the blush colouring my face.
When I glance back, it’s just in time to see Zac poking a finger on Kaden’s bicep.
“They’re a lot bigger than my dad’s. If you arm wrestle with him, I reckon you’d break his arm.”
“You think so?” he says, and I don’t miss the faint smirk that flashes across his face.
“Yeah. But just don’t tell him that. He can be a bit of a sore loser.”
I let out a snort, and they both flick their gazes at me. “I’d have to agree with you on that one, son.”
The waiter arrives, and I order for Zac and myself, while Kaden orders a steak with chips and salad. We also add a jug of iced water, a peach iced tea, and a cola to the order.
As soon as the waiter leaves, my phone suddenly vibrates loudly against the table. When I flip it over, Adrian’s name glows on the screen, but I ignore it, setting it on the table facedown so I don’t have to see it again. I won’t let him ruin our day.
I glance up to see Kaden watching me, concern knitting his brows until it fades, replaced by a soft smile curving his mouth.
“How are you liking your new garden bench?” he asks.
“It’s just perfect. You’ve really outdone yourself, Kaden.”
“You’re still helping me with my project tomorrow, right?” Zac cuts in.
“Zac!” I bark, unimpressed by his demanding tone. I look over at Kaden who just chuckles. “I’m sorry about him. He seems to forget his manners sometimes.”
“That’s okay. I forget to bring mine too” he says as he glances back at my son. “And to answer your question, yes, I will come prepared.”
“Good,” is all my son says. I shake my head at him, fighting the urge to throw my napkin at his head. Kaden just smiles, looking entirely unbothered by my son’s lack of manners.
The waiter returns with our drinks, setting them carefully on the table. I pour Zac a glass of iced water, then take a small sip of my peach iced tea, mindful not to fill up on it before the food arrives. Kaden doesn’t touch his cola, nudging it aside instead, as he picks up his napkin and fidgets with its corners.
For a brief moment, no one speaks. Zac pores over the menu in front of him, while Kaden and I steal glances at each other, never quite holding the gaze. I let my eyes wander around the room, searching for a distraction, anything to avoid looking athim,but I feel his gaze on me the whole time.
“How long have you and Jason known each other?” I finally ask, unable to stand the awkward silence any longer.
“Since we were in preschool.”
“Wow. That’s a long time. Is he married, have kids?”
“He was married. He’s been divorced for some time. He has a son with his ex—Jake, a couple of yearsyounger than Zac, and a baby girl, Isla, with his new fiancée,” he says, a soft, almost wistful smile flickering across his face.
“Are you close with her too?”
His expression wavers slightly, a quiet sadness shadowing his eyes. “I was, but not anymore… and it was all my fault.”
I want to press for more and ask him why, but by the way his shoulders slump, weighed down as if the thought of her is too heavy for him, I decide to let it go—for now.
Our waiter comes back, balancing trays of our food and placing them neatly on the table. We start with a large plate of fried zucchini flowers, sharing it between us three. As we eat, conversation flows naturally around the table— Zac’s school, how I’m going at work, how he’s managing his projects, the ordinary details that fill our days. By the time our plates are empty, an hour has passed in what feels like a blink.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like a stuffed chicken,” Kaden murmurs, patting his stomach, which juts out slightly after all the food he’s devoured.
Right on cue, Zac lets out a loud burp, giggling at himself like it’s the most hilarious thing. Kaden grins, clearly amused, while I pinch the bridge of my nose, resisting the urge to scold him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Kaden slipping his hand into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet.
