Cross
Dan hummed a little song as he waited at the zebra crossing. He had managed to find a great first anniversary present for Phil downtown: a truly gigantic stuffed lion. It was being delivered to the flat later. He played with the wedding ring on his finger a bit, imagining the look on Phil's face when he saw the lion. He'd probably keep it forever and think of Dan whenever he saw it… A small voice caught Dan's attention. He looked down to see a mess of black hair, a toddler bumbling after a butterfly that was flying toward the street. Hit with a sudden surge of adrenaline, Dan reacted quickly, grabbing the child and pulling him back from the curb just as a car passed by. Before Dan's heart could resume a normal rhythm, a woman careened to a halt next to him, panting heavily.
"Oh my god, thank you so much!" she threw to Dan before kneeling down and turning the boy to face her. In a stern voice, she said "Philip Michael, we do NOT run away from Mummy. You scared me so much!"
"I sowwy…" the little boy blubbered, now trying to hold back tears.
Visibly shaken but seeming to regain composure, the woman changed her tone. "Now, say thank you to the nice man for saving your life."
"Than koo," the boy cooed up at Dan.
"You're welcome," Dan smiled. The boy was really adorably, with bluish green eyes. "From now on, you stay close to your Mummy and listen to her, okay?" The little boy nodded.
The woman sighed heavily and tucked a short lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Seriously, I can't thank you enough. He's my world," she confessed, straightening up to meet him with the child in her arms.
"It was no problem, really. I wish my husband and I could have one as cute as him." Dan froze as his eyes met with Samantha's. Samantha, Phil's ex-fiancée. The woman who had brought an extra box of cereal for Dan every time she stayed over, who was always down to have one too many glasses of wine and sing Lady Gaga off-key with Dan at the keyboard, who played a mean game of Mario Kart. The woman who adored Phil and had made him happy. The woman Phil had left for Dan. The woman neither Phil nor Dan had spoken with in over 2 years. The woman now holding a child whom she had called 'Philip Michael.'
"Sam.. Hi," Dan began awkwardly. Sam blinked once, apparently mulling over her options and deciding running was not the best one.
"Hi, Dan. Long time no see. How are things?" Her tone was infuriatingly polite with just a hint of ice. Dan really would have preferred some accusatory shouting.
"Good, good… Today's my anniversary. I don't know if you heard Phil and I got married?" The announcement wasn't returned in the post so I know you have, even if you couldn't be bothered to RSVP, he thought, a remnant of his groomzilla rage rising within him.
"Oh, yeah, I think I did hear that. Congratulations, by the way. I hope you're very happy together." Samantha looked anxious to leave this conversation, which Dan understood, but he barreled on before she could excuse herself.
"And you have a baby! How old is he now?" Dan held his breath.
Sam fixed him with a stare that dared him to question her. "19 months." The boy squirmed in her arms, murmuring about the "bubbafwy." "No, Philly, not now. Mum's talking to an old friend."
Dan tried to keep his breathing even and asked with forced calm, "And you didn't think Phil might like to know about this?"
"Phil doesn't need to know."
"Sam, he's always wanted to be a father!" Dan almost shouted, breathing ragged with anger.
"Not with me!" Finally Samantha shed her cordial mask and began to resemble the woman Dan had called his friend. "I don't belong in your lives, and neither does my son. I know you're perfect for each other and you've been in love forever and I was just a distraction, but the fact that he chose you, that he jumped when you said so and he didn't even try to talk to me about it? That hurts. Live a long and happy life together, but leave my family out of it," she finished, angry tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.
Dan was taken aback. He'd expected her to be mad; really he'd wanted this kind of closure ever since Sam and Phil had broken off the engagement, but somehow he'd always expected they could fix things. That all three of them could go back to being best friends, just with a different couple at the center of the triangle. Looking at Samantha now, he knew it would never happen. Could never happen. He and Phil had broken this woman's heart.
"I'm sorry…" Dan tried to calm the pounding in his chest again, but soon the words flooded out. "But Sam, Phil would be a really great dad, I know he would. If you just gave him a chance…"
"You two adopt a child, then. You'll both make excellent fathers."
"Right…" Dan looked down at his hands, trying to think of what to say. Why could he never find the right thing to say? "Then, if you're sure, I won't… tell Phil."
"Thank you." The crossing light turned green again. Dan waited for a bit, but it was clear that Sam could find nothing else to say, either.
"Well, good-bye then." Dan made a split-second of eye contact and a half-hearted wave, then turned on his heel and crossed the street.