“Take a break, Momma. Here.” Will hands me a paper plate. “Serve yourself up a couple of slices. What do you want to drink?”
“Oh, um, water is fine. Are you sure this is okay?”
“More than sure.” With my daughter still on his hip, as if it’s her new favorite place to be, he grabs two bottles of water from the fridge and places them on the table before going back and making himself a plate. Once he sets it on the table, he tries to put Mia in her high chair, but she cries and clings to him.
“Mia,” I coo. “I’m sorry. She’s not normally like this.”
“We bonded earlier. She had a poopy diaper as soon as you all left.” He laughs. “And maybe this little cutie knows that her mommy was supposed to be getting a break tonight. Just because you’re back early doesn’t mean you can’t sit and eat a meal without tending to someone else.” He nods toward the chair, and I take it.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He takes a seat, props Mia up on his thigh, pulls off a pepperoni, blows on it, and then places it on Coral’s tray. She grabs for it immediately, licks it, then squeezes it in her hands.
“So, tell me about tonight,” he says, holding up a piece of crust with sauce only, since he tore the cheese off, and offering it to Mia. She turns her head and rests against his shoulder. I watch as he kisses the top of her head, before popping the bite he offered her into his mouth.
I part my lips to blow him off, but find myself relaying the entire conversation, all five minutes of it. “So, yeah, I was just ready to come home.”
“It’s tough out there.” Will nods before reaching for his bottle of water.
“Let me.” I take the bottle, unscrew the cap, and hand it back to him.
“Thanks,” he says, taking a drink. “It’s tough. The dating world is scary. Every woman I meet wants to know whether I can introduce her to the players or if there are any red-carpet events coming up. They know what I do for a living, and they take advantage of that. I’ve given up, if I’m being honest. I have my granddaughter, and this little one—when her momma needs a break—and my daughter. I have plenty of women in my life to show my affection to.”
“Don’t you get lonely?” I ask.
“Down,” Coral demands.
I quickly remove her from the high chair and place her on her feet. She rushes off toward the living room and climbs into her little recliner to watch TV.
“I can see her from here,” Will assures me. “And to answer your question, yeah, it gets lonely, but I’ve come to accept that’s my life. Granted, you’re younger than me, so you have a better chance of finding someone and growing your family. That ship has long since sailed for me.”
“Maybe, but honestly, I look forward to my nights with Mia. I think she’s all that I need.”
“It’s still soon,” Will says. “Give your heart some time to heal. There’s a man out there who will love both of you, one who’s worthy of the love you’ll both give him in return.”
Tears prick my eyes because I want him to be right. I want a forever love with a man who supports my daughter and me. My eyes flash to Mia. She’s fallen asleep. “She’s out,” I whisper. I quickly wipe my mouth and stand to take her.
“Relax, Amanda. She’s perfectly fine where she is.”
“I hate that you’re taking care of her when I’m sitting right here.”
“I’m holding her, and it’s not a hardship. I’ve enjoyed my time with both girls tonight.”
“Yeah.” I smile, nodding toward his head. He chuckles softly but doesn’t move to take the tiara off.
“Coral insisted,” he tells me, finishing off his last bite of pizza.
“Want more?”
“Nah, I’m all set.”
I stand, clear our plates, and close up the pizza box.
“Do you know how to relax?”
“I used to,” I admit. “Now that I’m a single mom, I feel like I need to be on all the time. Ready for anything.”