Page 25 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

“It does,” I say. A jolt of nostalgic longing fills me. The joy and laughter in the room make me relaxed, happy. Secure.

This feels like home.

13

GREG

The chatter and laughter slowly begin to die down as the dessert plates are cleared away from the table, but I know what that means. The night is coming to an end.

Even though we’ve been here for almost five hours, it kind of feels like the evening has just begun, and I can’t help but be a little reluctant for the date to end. The movies were great, and I loved the silly banter that flowed during and since, but I can’t help but hunger for more time with Sarah and her kids.

Things seem to be going so well, and the more our families blend together, the more I feel like this could really be something. Despite the late hour, I don’t want Sarah, Mia, and Ethan to go home.

I sigh to myself though, resigning myself to the evening’s end. And really, I can’t complain – the night was as wonderful as I could possibly have hoped. I’m glad Sarah and I got the chance to spend some one-on-one time together, as well as some time together with the kids, and sitting around the dinner table like this I have to smile.

“Well, it’s been wonderful having you all,” I say as the natural flow of the evening moves toward going-home time.

Sarah smiles at me, and I can see she’s about to answer but she doesn’t get the chance. The kids sense that I’m about to put an official end to the night and they immediately groan – all five of them in unison.

“No, Dad!” calls Noah, somehow giving each of those one-syllable words at least an extra syllable.

“We want to keep playing!” Lily chimes in with the same whining tone. “Can Mia and Ethan stay over?”

At the mention of a sleepover, Noah and Ollie cheer loudly, peppering me with supplications and promises to be good if their new friends can stay. I glance over to Sarah’s kids, whose eyes are lighting up at the prospect, and my own reluctance for the night to end makes me want to say yes.

But a look in Sarah’s direction reveals that she’s a little uncertain. I can tell she’s hesitant to answer, even as her own kids begin to beg her for a sleepover.

What is it that she’s unsure about? I wonder, hoping the kiss in the movie theater wasn’t too forward of me.

Whatever it is, I don’t want to push her and instead of answering the kids right away, I decide to buy us some time.

“How about you go clean up the playroom first,” I say to the kids. “And we’ll see.”

At this all five of the kids immediately jump out of their seats, running toward the playroom with yelled promises to make the place spic and span. I realize I might have accidentally given them the idea this was a trade — a clean playroom in exchange for a sleepover — and I hope that doesn’t come back to bite me.

Once we’re left alone at the table, I turn to Sarah.

“I don’t want to push anything, of course,” I say carefully. “But I don’t mind if they stay. If you all stay.”

My heart beats a little faster at this last part, knowing I might be skirting the line between good hosting and pushing my luck. But as I say it, I realize it’s a risk I’m willing to take. It’s not only for Sarah’s sake that I’ve been trying to take things slow with her.

This is the first time since my wife Kya’s death that I’ve even come close to getting romantically involved with someone, so I know the stakes are high. Not just for Sarah and her distrust of men, not just for me and my latent grief, but also for our kids. If this all goes wrong, it would be painful for everyone.

But the more time we all spend together, and the more time I spend with Sarah in particular, the more I can see something of a future here.

As I look across the table at her, letting my eyes trace the shape of her lips, the curve of her neck, the sandy blonde hair piled high on her head, and of course, those sparkling blue eyes, I know that I want her, even if I still don’t know exactly where this is going, even if it’s still early days.

It’s clear there’s something sparking between us, and as hard as it’s been to imagine a life without Kya in it, I also know I can’t keep my heart closed forever.

“What do you think?” I ask gently, noticing that Sarah’s still hesitating a little.

I don’t want to push her, but the thought of her spending the night, of finally getting the chance to be a little more intimate, is thrilling. Not that I’m expecting sex, or even for her to share a bed with me if she doesn’t want to, but the idea of having her in my home for more than just a simple day visit is exciting.

It’s the first time since Kya that that’s happened, and it feels like a big and important step. Not just for me, but for the kids too. I’ve been hesitant to get attached to anyone for fear of hurting them if things don’t work out. Hell, there’s some fear of getting hurt myself thrown in there, too, if I’m honest.

But Sarah is different. There’s something real here and I’m not going to turn away from it out of fear. I’m the kind of guy who generally goes after what he wants, and I know I want Sarah. Now I just have to hope she wants me, too.

Sarah looks like she’s about to answer, but she doesn’t get the chance. The hurricane that is the kids comes sweeping back into the room, practically picking us up in their whirlwind — Noah, Lily, and Oliver clutch at my shirt, while Mia and Ethan surround Sarah.

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