This is the fourth part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II, and Part III before continuing.
As the afternoon drew to a close, Abbey started wondering if she should find a way to excuse herself, or if she should just wait for Chris and his kids to head home, at which point she could head home herself. They had to go home eventually.
But then Patrick yelled, “Mommy!” and dropped the kite string (again) as he raced into the arms of a beautiful woman wearing a flowery sundress and carrying a picnic basket. She set the basket down and held out her arms for the young boy, then lifted him up and spun him around as he squealed with delight. The whole scene was so full of domestic bliss it made Abbey want to barf.
Aidan ran to join them and Abbey decided this was her cue to leave, but then Chris came up behind her and said, “It looks like my wife brought dinner. Why don’t you join us?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Not at all. I’m sure she brought enough food. She always makes enough for an army.”
Of course she does, Abbey thought to herself.
“Mommy, come meet my new friend, Abbey!” Patrick yelled as he pulled the woman towards Abbey, who looked around desperately for an escape. All she saw was Chris looking at her with raised eyebrows in an expression that said, “See? Now you have to stay for dinner.”
“Hi, I’m Aisha,” the woman said, extending a hand as she approached. “You must be Abbey.”
“That’s me,” Abbey said, shaking Aisha’s hand and smiling so wide she was afraid the corners of her mouth would meet at the back of her skull.
“It’s such a lovely day, I thought I’d bring dinner out here so we could enjoy it a little longer. Would you like to join us? I made plenty of food.”
“That’s very kind, but I couldn’t.”
“Of course you can,” Chris chimed in. “We insist.”
“Indeed, we do,” Aisha said, handing Abbey a clear plastic container with something gray and rectangular inside. “I hope you like pâté.”
“You made pâté?” Abbey asked, incredulous. How could she compete with a woman who made her own pâté?
“I did. And I made a couple baguettes to put it on,” she said, pulling out several slices of what looked like perfect French bread and placing them on top of the container. “And I made a salad, and there’s fruit. Oh, and there’s wine. I only brought two glasses, but we can make it work.”
“Are there cookies?” Aidan asked, digging through the basket.
“No cookies until after you’ve eaten your veggies.”
Aidan pouted.
“You can pout, but the only thing that will get you a cookie will be eating all your vegetables.”
Aidan continued pouting, but he dutifully stuffed a baby carrot in his mouth and began chewing.
So Abbey was swept into their family dinner, and despite herself, she had a wonderful time. Chris and Aisha were obviously in love, and they were clearly great parents. Even if she could break up this family and claim Chris for herself, she would never want to. She wanted her own happily ever after, but not if it meant stealing it away from someone else.
Once the meal was finished and the boys were yawning, Chris and Aisha started packing up their picnic, telling Abbey they would have to meet up for another playdate. Abbey promised to meet up with them someday soon, silently promising herself never to come to this park ever again.
When she got home, she deleted Chris from her home screen and started from scratch. This time the first thing she wrote was, “Must be single.”
The end.