Page 69 of Unexpectedly In Love

“You are Greek for sure, agóri mou.” He kisses Kai’s head.

“What does that mean?” I ask, while taking my sunglasses out of my bag, placing them on my face.

“My son.” Eryx looks into my eyes, and my heart misses a beat.

A mic squeaks over the park and everyone makes a weird funny face around us.

“Now it’s time to introduce your baby crawl race competitors,” the announcer shouts over the phone.

“We got this. Right Kai?” I sway him from left to right. He throws his little hands in the air and gives me a gummy four teeth smile. I pass Kai to his father.

“From downtown No. 1 Angelica!” Angelica’s parents’ waves at the small crowd that is gathering and make their way to the vinyl mat.

“Let’s do this,” Eryx murmurs, his voice sounding more determined than before.

“From Charleswood number two, Kai.” Eryx and I both wave to the crowd. He goes to the starting line. I take my spot on my knees on the finish line.

“We are winning this for sure. My Gelica is so smart.” The lady next to me sits with a stuffed Mickey, key and cell phone.

As I looked around, I realized all the parents had something to catch the children’s eyes except me.

I pull my phone out of my back pocket, but my baby is not really a phone fanatic.

“My son Hudson just won one of these races last week. He is a genius. It’s in the bag for us.” This mom wraps her hair up.

The mic squeaks again. “It’s about time we start! Kelcy tell me what are their prizes?” the announcer says. Where the hell is that announcer? Looking back I realize they are in a small high booth behind me.

“They will win Swimming lesson from Olympic Champion Roy Anderson. All three-year supply of baby formula courtesy of Simollo and a three-year supply of diapers from Diapers and Sons.” Kelcy stops and the crowd cheers.

“The first one that touches the finish line wins. Charleswood, are you ready,” Kelcy shouts.

The crowd screams, Eryx is hoovering Kai over the white and black vinyl floor.

“And 3, 2,1—Crawl!”

The women around me start to shake their keys and slap the ground hard trying to get the attention of their babies.

I get on my knees and begin to clap. “Come here bubba. Come to mama.”

Kai is sitting looking at Eryx who is pointing in my direction.

My son looks back at me and then proceeds to climb Eryx’s leg.

Eryx lifts Kai, kisses him, and sets him back down, pointing in my direction. As if he is seeing me for the first time my baby begins to crawl my way.

“Our babies are off they may be slow in speed but they are so darn cute,” the announcer says.

“Hey, it looks like we have a strong contender, number 2 Kai.”

Kai hears his name and stops in the middle of the vinyl mat. He sits and looks around; he finds Eryx’s face and begins to crawl back to him.

“Oh, oh, Kai is turning back, but Angelica is making her way up to her Mommy.”

Angelica’s mom’s face is becoming red and blotchy as her cute baby makes it down the vinyl.

“Come to Mommy, Angelica!”

Kai is back at his father’s leg. Eryx lifts him up to make him laugh. Setting him on the ground he points back at me.

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