They chatted about the co-op on the drive back to town. When he parked at the community center, she pulled her loose cotton dress on over the shorts and sports bra that she had worn to jog and swim.
“Thanks for inviting me to play hooky with you today,” Kekoa said, squeezing her hand.
“Thanks for coming. I had a wonderful time.”
“Me too. Maybe we bring the kids next time?”
Surprised, Laurie slipped her hand out of his.
Confusion and hurt spread across his face.
What’s wrong?he asked.
“I don’t want to bring the kids on our dates.”
“Well, when you say it like that…” He smiled, but the hurt and confusion were still there in his eyes. “You’re serious? You never want to take the kids hiking together?”
“I like spending time just the two of us,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. But Kekoa wasn’t having it.
“Do… do you not like ‘Io?”
“No!” She signedno no noemphatically. “Kekoa, that’s not it at all. I love ‘Io. He’s a great kid.”
“What, then?”
She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words. He deflated, shoulders sinking.
“You said you were all in.”
“I am. Kekoa, I love you. There’s no one else for me. But that doesn’t mean Mia too.”
“That’s exactly what it means! Mia is the center of your life, Laurie. And ‘Io is mine. There’s no joining our lives together without them.”
“It’s too soon.”
He leaned back and scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “Laurie, I’m not some guy you just met. I’m not a stranger to her. Our kids play together all the time.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not the same as the promise of family.”
He was quiet for a while, letting those words reverberate through the space between them, trying to understand. Finally he signed,I don’t get it.
“I don’t know how else to say it!”
“Do you want this?” he demanded, voice so quiet that she had to read his lips to make out the words. “Do you want me?”
“I want you,” she whispered.
“I told you from the beginning that if we started something, I was all in. I can’t do this halfway.”
“It’s too soon to involve the kids. It’s too much pressure.”
“Are you saying you’re not sure about me?”
“That’s not it. I just… I’m not ready to mix romance and parenting. I don’t know how to do that. Can’t we keep it just us for a while?”
