The week passed smoothly. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Emily. Despite spending Monday night binge-watching videos about Kelly, she managed to make it to class on time and teach her students with her usual passion. She also picked Ayla up on time, which not only made the little girl's day but also impressed Mary. She met Kelly a few times, but each encounter left her feeling awkward. He never spoke to her; he only stared at her, making her feel self-conscious and stupid. But aside from that, she was content, and everything seemed to be going well for her.
It was a Saturday morning, and Ayla was still in bed. Emily woke up early and made her way to the kitchen, preparing a simple breakfast: pancakes, eggs, and toast. The familiar smells filled the kitchen, and she smiled to herself as she thought about how lucky she was to have a routine that brought some peace to her busy life. After finishing, she went to her daughter's room to wake her up.
"Wakey-wakey, baby," she cooed softly, her voice gentle as she nudged Ayla. The little girl let out a cute groan and turned away from her, her back facing Emily. Emily chuckled quietly and leaned down to lift her.
"More sleep, Mommy," Ayla mumbled, her head resting heavily on her mother's shoulder. Emily smiled and, despite the weight of the morning, carefully carried her to the kitchen.
"Don't you wanna go to the park today?" Emily asked, her voice filled with warmth. At the mention of the park, Ayla immediately perked up, her eyes wide and a grin spreading across her face.
"I wanna go to the park!" she said adorably, her energy sparking joy in Emily's heart.
"You must have breakfast first, though," Emily said with a playful tone.
"After breakfast, we'll go to the park." Ayla nodded eagerly, her excitement evident. Emily gently placed her on a stool and set the plate of food in front of her.
***
Kelly emerged from his bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist after a rigorous workout in his home gym. He rubbed lotion onto his body, his mind still half-focused on his routine. Dressing in a green hoodie, black jeans, and white Vans, he grabbed his keys and wallet and left the house. Today, he was babysitting Raymond and Cody for Dani and Robbie, who were going on a date.
At first, Kelly had been reluctant to babysit, but then he remembered the promise he made to Ayla—the one that had him stepping up without question. He couldn't back out now. He drove over to Dani's house, dialed her number, and she picked up immediately.
"Are you here?" Dani asked, her voice bright.
"Yes," Kelly replied, already pulling into her driveway.
"We'll be out in five."
"Make it two," Kelly teased, a smirk on his face.
"Shut up," Dani laughed before hanging up. Kelly relaxed in his seat, the engine of his car humming softly as his thoughts wandered to Emily. He'd hired a private investigator, Jamie Washington, to do a background check on her, and though he knew a few things, he couldn't shake the curiosity he felt about her.
A tap on his window broke his reverie. He turned to see Dani standing outside. He unlocked the passenger window, rolling it down.
"Y'all need to start paying me for this," he said with a grin as he unlocked the back door for the kids.
"Shut up," Dani replied, rolling her eyes.
"Good morning, Uncle K," Raymond greeted as he hopped into the back seat, with Cody following him, wagging his tail.
"Morning, Ray. How you doing?" Kelly asked, glancing back at the boy.
"I'm fine," Raymond said, his face lighting up.
"Hey, Cody," Kelly said, smiling as the dog barked in response, making him chuckle.
"Take care of my babies, Kelly," Dani said after closing the back door, her voice full of trust.
"Bye, Mommy," Raymond said, waving as Dani turned to leave.
"Bye, baby, bye, Cody," Dani called, and Cody barked once more in reply.
Kelly started the car with a low hum, then glanced at Dani in the rearview mirror. "Later, Dani," he said, before pulling away and heading toward the park.
***
Emily watched Ayla happily playing with the other kids from where she sat on the blanket. They had a little picnic, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. Suddenly, a familiar boy and a dog ran toward Ayla, and when Ayla saw them, she squealed with delight. It was Raymond and Cody. Emily smiled as she watched the kids and the dog play, wondering who had brought them to the park.
"They look happy, don't they?" A deep voice said from behind her, causing Emily to jump in surprise. The owner of the voice chuckled, and when she looked behind her, it was Kelly, making her heart skip a beat. He wore a hat, and a smirk danced across his face.
"You scared me," she said, trying to recover from the surprise.
"I know. It was funny to watch," he teased, leaning slightly toward her.
"It wasn't," she muttered, though she couldn't help but smile at his playful demeanor.
"Hmm. May I?" he asked, pointing at the space beside her on the blanket.
"Yeah?" she said, unsure of his intention.
He chuckled and sat beside her, and as he did, the faint scent of his cologne wafted through the air, making her heart flutter.
"You come here often?" he asked, leaning back on the blanket as though the question was casual.
"Uh, not really. Ayla just wanted to come to the park today, so we came," Emily explained, glancing over at her daughter as she played.
"And my sister keeps giving me her kids to babysit," Kelly added, a wry smile on his lips. Emily chuckled.
"I don't mind though, 'cause Ray's my favorite nephew," he continued, his voice fond as he watched Raymond play.
"He's your only nephew," Emily pointed out with a raised brow.
"Right," he admitted with a small laugh. There was a brief silence as they both turned their attention back to the kids playing.
"You feel familiar, Mrs. Decker," Kelly said suddenly, his gaze shifting toward her.
"How?" Emily asked, turning to meet his eyes.
"I feel like I've known you before," he said, his voice low, and her heart began to race. She couldn't quite understand the feeling he was describing.
"Maybe it's just my head," he added quickly, his voice trailing off as he looked away. Emily's thoughts were spinning as she tried to make sense of what he meant.
"What can I call you?" he asked, surprising her with the question.
"Huh?" she asked, momentarily thrown off guard.
"I don't wanna call you Mrs. Decker," he said, glancing at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Emily, that's my name," she said, her voice soft, a little unsure.
"Emiliana," he tested, as though he enjoyed teasing her.
"Emily," she corrected, trying not to let her frustration show.
"Emiliana," he repeated, the name lingering in the air, making her frown slightly.
"It's Emily," she said firmly, but there was a playfulness in her tone now, a sense of lighthearted annoyance.
"It's the same thing," he argued with a smirk.
"It's not," she said, crossing her arms as she stared at him.
"Hmm," he hummed in response, clearly enjoying the banter.
"Emily," he said softly, his tone suddenly gentler. The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine, his voice so melodic it almost felt like a caress.
"I wanna know you, Emily," he said suddenly, the intensity of his words catching her off guard.
"What?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper as she tried to process his words.
"I wanna know you," he repeated, his gaze fixed on her.
"Okay, so now I'm confused," she said, her heart racing. "These past few weeks, you've been pissed at me ever since I attacked you at the park, and you were harsh with me when I came to pick up Ayla late the other day... and now you wanna know me? Why?"
"You intrigue me, Emily," he said simply, his expression serious but still open.
"That's all?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
He smirked, leaning closer. "And you're Lala's mom."
"You're weird," she said with a laugh, shaking her head.
"Hmm," he hummed, his eyes never leaving hers as he studied her quietly.
"What?" she asked, feeling his gaze like a weight on her.
"You—" He was interrupted by the sound of the kids running toward them, laughing and shouting, with Cody bounding after them. Ayla collapsed on Emily's lap, making her laugh softly.
"Hi," Raymond said shyly, looking up at Emily.
"Hey, Ray-Ray, how're you doing?" she asked, stroking her daughter's hair as Ayla curled up beside her.
"Fine. Can we get ice cream?" Raymond asked, looking at Kelly with big eyes.
"Yes, Mommy," Ayla chimed in.
"Sorry, baby, but you already had ice cream when we came," Emily said gently.
"Please?" Ayla begged, pouting at her mother. Emily couldn't resist the adorable expression.
"Fine," she agreed, and Ayla squealed happily, wrapping her arms around her mom.
"Uncle, can we?" Raymond asked Kelly, mimicking Ayla's pout.
"Yeah, we can," Kelly said, grinning at Raymond's excitement. Raymond squealed in delight, Ayla joining in, and even Cody barked in approval.
"Let's go," Kelly said, standing up and brushing off his pants. He reached out to help Emily up.
"I don't know where to keep these," Emily said, gesturing at the blanket and the picnic basket.
"Let me have it," Kelly said, surprising her. She looked at him in shock, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting her to hand over the basket.
"Okay," she said, still unsure, but she packed everything up and handed it to him. Without a word, he walked to his car and placed the items in the back, then returned to her side.
"Let's go," he said, and they all made their way to the ice cream vendor, where Kelly bought ice cream for everyone—including Cody. Emily was about to pay when Kelly beat her to it, making her frown.
"I was about to pay," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"You weren't fast enough," he said with a smirk as he handed over the money.
Emily sat on a nearby bench, watching the kids devour their ice cream. It was nice to see them so happy. Kelly sat beside her, enjoying his own ice cream.
"How long have you lived here?" he asked, making small talk.
"We just moved here," she said, her voice slightly dry as she raised an eyebrow at him.
"I know," he said with a grin, "I was just trying to make conversation."
"Try thinking of something better," she replied, rolling her eyes playfully.
Raymond and Ayla ran toward them, and Ayla immediately spoke up.
"Mommy, he said Moana is ugly!" Ayla tattled, looking up at Emily with big eyes.
"Yes, she is," Raymond argued, crossing his arms with a defiant look.
"She's not!" Ayla countered, sticking her tongue out.
"Uncle K?" Raymond asked Kelly, seeking his opinion.
Kelly paused, looking between the kids and then at Emily. His long lashes brushed his face with each blink, and his dimples showed as he spoke. Emily couldn't help but notice the small details that made him so captivating. His sharp jawline, the way his stubble seemed perfectly imperfect, made her want to reach out and touch it. She snapped out of her thoughts when he spoke.
"What about you, Emily? Moana fan?" he asked teasingly, catching her staring. He wore a hat, but she could still sense the amusement in his eyes.
"I love whatever she loves," Emily said softly, a little embarrassed, and he chuckled in response.
The rest of the conversation faded into background noise as Emily watched Kelly interact with the kids. She realized how good he was with them, and a small thought entered her mind—Why wouldn't he be when he runs a daycare?
They spent some more time at the park, laughing and chatting, before getting ready to leave.
"Do you want a ride home?" Kelly asked as they walked toward his car.
"No, thank you. We'll go the way we came," Emily replied, giving him a small smile.
"Okay," he said, handing her the blanket and picnic basket. "See you around."
"Thank you," she smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her.
"Yeah," Kelly said, watching them leave with a small smile, his thoughts unclear as he drove off into the distance.