The Kids Are Alright

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The whole story from the beginning can be found here.

*****

Selene stepped out into the cool evening air, the quiet tap of her crutches on the pavement swallowed by the hum of passing traffic. She raised an arm, hailing a cab with the casual ease of someone who had done it a thousand times before. Still, under the practiced motion, her thoughts tangled.

God, what had she said back there? She replayed the moment she’d leaned back in the booth, wine glass in hand, and admitted, actually admitted, that sometimes she just wanted to feel sexy, to be seen as sexy. That his reaction in the stairwell had been perfect, that she couldn’t help chasing it. Two glasses of wine shouldn’t have been enough to loosen her tongue like that. Normally she kept tighter reins, always letting them stew while she stayed three steps ahead. But the way Alex had looked at her, unguarded, nervous, honest, that had unsettled her in its own way. Maybe that was what had cracked her control, not the wine. His honesty had forced hers out of hiding.

The cab slowed, brake lights glowing, and she slipped inside with practiced ease. By the time it rolled her through the city streets and dropped her at her apartment building, she’d schooled her face back into composure. Inside, however, her mind was still looping the moment she’d handed him back his phone, her number newly stored inside, his wide eyed expression trying to catch up to everything she’d thrown at him.

The apartment was warm, dimly lit, and familiar. As soon as the door closed behind her, a sleek void darted forward, trilling with reproach. Behind him came a fluff of orange fur, tail high and indignant.

“Ziggy, Mango,” she greeted, crouching carefully to rub her hand through their fur, the purrs rising like a welcome chorus. “I know, I know. I’m late. I’m sorry.” She made her way to the kitchen, the cats circling her like little predators with perfect timing. “You’d think I starved you two.” She shook food into their bowls, listening to the clink of kibble against ceramic, and laughed under her breath.

As they buried their heads in their dinner, she leaned against the counter, arms crossed, replaying her own parting words at the bar. I should be getting home, I need to check in on the kids.

A small, wicked smile curved her lips. Maybe it had been a little petty, but she couldn’t help herself. He’d made her admit things that felt embarrassingly vulnerable, and she had needed to tilt the board back in her favor somehow. Watching his expression flicker at that single word had been worth it.

Besides, it wasn’t a lie. Not really. She glanced down at Ziggy crunching noisily and Mango licking at a paw between bites. Her fur babies were her kids, in every way that mattered.

Still, she had to admit, Alex’s stunned look was going to replay in her head all night, almost as much as the thrill of his confession.

***

By Friday afternoon Selene was already restless, the kind of distracted that left her staring at spreadsheets without really seeing them. The hum of the office faded into background noise. She’d pushed through a few days of quiet work, no client meetings, no manufactured performances, just data and reports and the tick of the clock. Normally she welcomed the calm. But this week, the silence gnawed at her.

Alex hadn’t called. Hadn’t either accidentally or “accidentally” appeared in front of her. And her pride, stubborn as ever, kept her from being the one to break the silence first. She told herself she didn’t care, that if he’d been spooked then that was his loss. But more than once her mind replayed that parting jab about the kids, and she wondered, just a little, if maybe she’d overplayed her hand. Maybe the trick had landed harder than she meant it to.

Not that she would admit regret out loud.

Her phone buzzed against the desk, the familiar vibration startling her from the spiral. She glanced down and saw the name. Alex.

Finally.

Her first instinct was to snatch it up, answer immediately, but she caught herself. She let it ring once, twice, three times, before sliding her thumb across the screen. “Hello?” she said, tone deliberately measured, neutral, maybe even a little distant, as though she’d been too absorbed in something important to notice right away.

“Hey,” Alex’s voice came, hesitant but warm. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” Selene answered smoothly, leaning back in her chair, though the corners of her lips betrayed the smile she didn’t let touch her voice.

“Oh, should I call back later? If this is a bad time…”

She cut in gently. “It’s fine.”

There was a pause, then he cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d want to go out to the golf range tomorrow morning. Then maybe grab some lunch after?”

Selene arched an eyebrow at the suggestion, though he couldn’t see it. “Golf?” she repeated, skeptical. “I’ve never swung a club in my life, and I don't have the gear for it.”

“I’ll teach you, I have clubs, and you can wear regular athletic wear and tennis shoes to the range.” Alex offered quickly, the eagerness in his voice impossible to miss. “No pressure. Just fun.”

She let the silence stretch, testing him a moment longer, then gave a soft hum of consideration. “Alright. Tomorrow morning, then.”

The relief in his voice was almost boyish. “Great. I’ll text you the time and address.”

When the call ended, Selene set the phone down and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Golf. Of all things. She had no idea what she was getting into, but she definitely needed to go shopping after work. There's no way hell she's going to show up for a date without a cute outfit. The weekend suddenly looked brighter than it had all week.

*****

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