Page 33 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

I start to object, but she stops me. “No, really, this is more your thing than mine,” she tells me and turns back to sit on the picnic blanket before I can say anything else.

“Dad, come on!” Lily yells, getting anxious to start the game.

I give Sarah one last look, knowing that her reluctance to play could mean more than just having too many players, but I decide to let it slide. I’m not going to force her to play, even though I was relishing the opportunity to reconnect with her as much as I was hoping to reconnect with the kids.

But I decide to make the best of the situation. The picnic was more for the kids than for us, and I turn back to them now, doing my best to stay present.

“Alright, Lily, do you want to start?” I say, tossing her the frisbee.

She takes it eagerly, and I remind her about the extra component of the game.

“That counts as a pass,” I tell her, grinning. “What’s something you like about me?”

Lily rolls her eyes, and I have to chuckle at how much attitude she already has for a seven-year-old. Must be the werewolf in her.

“I like that you brought a frisbee to the picnic!” she announces with a tone that tells me she wants to start the game properly.

I can’t help but smile though. “Alright, then let’s get started!”

As Lily throws, the rest of us scatter across the field we’ve marked out with various picnic items.

Ethan catches it, and I can’t help but feel excited, hoping he’ll say something nice that helps bond our two families again.

“I like Lily’s hair!” he yells immediately with a silly grin, and I have to stifle a laugh at his enthusiasm.

He quickly pivots, throwing the frisbee, which Mia intercepts for the other team.

“I like Ethan’s jokes,” she says about her brother, flashing him a smile which he returns.

This time she throws it to Ollie, a soft, easy throw that the other team takes care not to intercept.

I smile, my heart warmed as I watch my four-year-old beam proudly, clutching the frisbee in his hands. Nobody has to remind him of the rules. Miraculously, he’s caught on just by watching.

“I like Mia!” he screams with a giggle, and the whole group bursts into laughter.

When I catch sight of Sarah, I see that she’s laughing, too, although there’s still a hint of something else in her eyes. Something I can’t quite place. Is it distrust? Sadness? Confusion?

I don’t get the chance to find out because the frisbee comes flying toward me in a sideways throw from Ollie.

Somehow I manage to catch it, even though it catches me off guard, and now I get to say something nice about my son.

“I like that Ollie has a great sense of adventure,” I say, smiling widely.

The game goes on, with several more intercepts before anyone scores a goal, and when they do, we celebrate with a group hug.

“Noah! That was amazing!” Ethan cries, even though they’re on opposing teams.

The gesture makes me beam, seeing that my strategy worked to smooth over the tension between the kids. By the time the game is over, they’re all playing together happily, running around and taking the compliment prompt to the next level.

“Well, I like your hair times a hundred!” yells Lily to Ethan as they chase each other around a tree.

“Well, I like your hair times a thousand!” Ethan cries back, giggling. “No, a billion! No, infinity!”

The other kids are playing Twister, with Ollie crawling in between their legs and wreaking playful havoc, which everyone is luckily endeared by.

Once I know the kids are keeping themselves entertained and no fights have broken out, I go back to sit with Sarah.

“I like you times a hundred,” I say, hoping that the fact our kids are getting along better means that we will, too.

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