Page 22

Sophie

It’sahot,sunny day in Wichita, Kansas.

Would I have preferred to stay inside in the air conditioning? Yes.

Does Penny care that it’s hotter than Hades outside? No.

So here we are at the park. I have Sam in her stroller while Penny plays happily on the playground equipment with the other children. Looking around, I can see all the other adults here look just as miserable as I feel.

Drew seriously does this every Sunday? The vision of Drew chasing Penny around the park happily sends a shiver through me, despite the heat.

Since yesterday, thoughts of Drew send an unwanted jolt through my body, bringing a flush to my cheeks. He has never looked at me like he did yesterday from the window. And in nothing but a towel. I mean, sure, it was a little awkward … but the man’s perfectly sculpted chest was something to behold.

Drew is undoubtedly a handsome man, but I don’t understand this sudden attraction. Maybe it’s just the close proximity. Or maybe it’s all in my head.

I need to make myself go to the widow support group I found. I saw a therapist regularly the year after losing Sam—and that was a tremendous help with working through my grief—but I wonder if talking to other women who have experienced the loss of a spouse is the piece that I’m missing. Perhaps they might even have some insight for me on my strange new feelings for Drew … and the spark of electricity that is always followed by a pang of guilt in my gut.

I look down at my left hand and where my wedding ring used to be. A year after finally taking it off, my hand still feels strange without it. And thinking of another man still feels completely inappropriate. Even though I’m single, it’s difficult to think of myself as unattached after years of being happily married.

But I have to work through these feelings if I want to move forward.

My thoughts are interrupted by Penny yelling, “Miss Sophie! Watch this!”

I watch as she slides down the slide on her side instead of on her back. I believe I’m supposed to be thoroughly impressed by her sliding skills.

“Wow, impressive!” I grin at her.

After two hours of sweating my tuchus off, I convince the girls to head back to the house. The wonderfully air-conditioned house.

Walking in through the front door, we’re greeted with a soothing blast of cool air. The girls run down the hallway to Penny’s room, where all of her toys are located.

“Hey girls,” I holler down the hallway. “I’m going to run downstairs and grab some stuff.”

“Okay!” They yell back at the same time.

Drew eats super healthy, which is probably why he looks like a Greek god. But I need sugar to survive. Which means I need to bring my own snacks when I’m upstairs. I hurry down the stairs and grab my caramel macchiato creamer and a bag of Sour Patch Kids, then run back upstairs.

Drew made a full pot of coffee this morning, but hardly drank any of it. Even though it’s cold now, I’m thankful for the caffeine. Once I nuke it in the microwave and add some creamer, it’s perfection. And paired with some candy, I have the snack of my dreams.

I glance at the clock. It’s time for lunch already.

Hm, what to do for lunch? I remember seeing a teapot in the cabinet with the coffee mugs. The girls would love a tea party. I grin to myself; the girls will be so excited. Opening up the cabinet again, I rummage around and find the teapot. After filling it with warm water from the sink, I search for tea bags. Drew, of course, has a collection of herbal teas from some health food store. I grab one of the tea bags and steep it in the teapot.

Next up: sandwiches.

I find some bread in the fridge. It’s some kind of fancy sprouted bread that doesn’t feel very soft, but hopefully the girls won’t care if I cut the sandwiches into little shapes.

Keeping it simple with just turkey and cheese, I cut the sandwiches into little triangles and arrange them nicely on a plate. I’m not sure if they have any teacups, but I bet Penny would know.

I walk down the hallway and peek in at the girls. They’re playing with Penny’s dollhouse, and Penny is directing Samantha on how to play. Samantha doesn’t mind, she just goes along with it. The best thing about watching Penny is that she and Samantha entertain each other so well.

I knock on the door frame. “Hey Penny, do you guys have any teacups?”

She stands and claps her hands together. “Oh my gosh, are we having a tea party?”

I wink. “Maaaaybe.”

“Let me show you where Daddy keeps them! We have tea parties a lot.”