I blink. “What?”
“Them,” he repeats, pointing. “Isla and Rory.”
My heart does a little hopeful jump. “Yes,” I say quickly. “Yes, we can.”
Theo grabs my hand and starts dragging me across the playground before I can even pretend to hesitate. Rory meets us halfway.
“Hey,” he says casually.
“Hi.”
Our eyes meet again and suddenly the air between us feels charged.
Theo and Isla immediately start talking over each other about something involving football and someone called Liam who apparently cheated.
Rory glances at me. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “How was work?” he asks.
“Fine. Good day?”
“It just got better.”
My stomach flips. We start walking toward the gate together, the kids slightly ahead of us now.
For a second Rory’s hand brushes mine. Just lightly. Enough that I feel it all the way up my arm. He glances down, then back up at me and for a moment I genuinely think he’s about to kiss me, in the middle of the school run. I give him a look. Then glance meaningfully toward the children. Realisation flashes across his face. He clears his throat.
“Right,” he says quickly.
I try not to laugh.
We walk the rest of the way home like that. Side by side. Stealing small glances when the kids aren’t looking. When we reach the cul-de-sac the familiar awkwardness settles in. Because technically… We live in separate houses. Theo runs ahead toward our front door.
“Race you!” Isla shouts.
Within seconds they’re gone. Rory and I stop at the pavement. For a second neither of us moves. Then he smiles slightly.
“See you later?”
“Maybe.”
His eyes flick toward my house. Then back to me.
“I think we need to talk,” he says quietly.
“Yeah,” I agree. “We definitely do.”
About what we are. About how we do this. About how two people who apparently fell in love in the space of one weekend are supposed to function in normal life. We part ways then. He heads toward his house. I head toward mine. Theo is already inside when I walk through the door.
“Mum!” he shouts from the living room.
“Coming!”
The evening passes in the usual blur of dinner, homework, and bedtime stories. By the time Theo is finally asleep the house is quiet again. My phone sits in my hand. I stare at Rory’s name for a moment. Then type.
Freya:Theo’s in bed.
Three dots appear almost instantly.
Rory:Good to know.
