Elizabeth glanced at her phone when it buzzed, smiling when she saw Jack's name.
"I have some ideas for our evening."
"Like what?" she replied, interested to hear what he had planned for them.
Instead of texting her back, he called. "I thought you were working today."
"I am, but I'm on my lunch break. So what are these plans of yours?"
"Well, I was thinking we could have a picnic."
She raised her eyebrows, not expecting that. "A picnic?"
"Yeah. It's such a nice day, I figured we should take advantage of it. I'll bring some food. Do you like Chinese?"
"Yeah. Should I bring anything? Dessert or something?"
"If you want, but you don't have to. I'll text you the time and place later. You get off at five?"
"Yes."
"Great. See you soon."
"Okay. See you later, Jack."
She couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she hung up, placing the phone face down in front of her.
"Someone looks very happy today. Are you finally going on a date with that guy?" Clara wiggled her eyebrows as she walked into the breakroom.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "His name is Jack, and no, we aren't going on a date. We're just going to hang out, as friends."
"Sure. Friends."
"It's complicated, Clara. He has a son, and he lost his wife. Not to mention that fact that we only reconnected two weeks ago."
She took a seat across from Elizabeth. "But did he explicitly state that it's not a date?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, but he also didn't say that it is a date. I'll admit that there's a part of me that wants it to be a date, but I don't want to push him. I've never lost somebody like he has, so who am I to say if he's ready to move on?"
"Well, I hope it works out. I know you were happy before, but you seem even happier ever since you reconnected with him."
A blush rose in her cheeks. "It does make me happy to spend time with him."
"So," Clara put her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands, "what are you wearing for this not-date?"
She shrugged. "Shorts and a t-shirt, probably."
"At least make it a nice t-shirt, please."
"When have you known me to wear a ratty old t-shirt in public?" Elizabeth chuckled. "Even though I still don't think it's a date, I am going to make some effort to look decent."
"Good. Show him what he's missing."
...
Elizabeth pulled up to the park, finding Jack leaning against the side of his car.
He smiled at her when she approached. "Hey."
"Hey." She held up the small container she had brought. "I made some brownies."
"I told you that you didn't need to bring anything."
"I know, but it felt weird showing up empty-handed knowing you were bringing dinner."
"Well, thank you." He opened the back door of his car to retrieve the bag of food and a blanket. "Shall we?"
She nodded, following him to a grassy area surrounded by a few trees, where he spread the blanket out.
"I have a confession to make."
He turned toward her. "What is it?"
"I may have brought a blanket with me. Just in case you didn't bring one."
He laughed. "Well, for future reference, this is actually Harrison's picnic blanket, and it just stays in my car all the time. He loves a spontaneous picnic."
She took a seat on one corner, while Jack sat opposite her, trying not to get her hopes up too much at his 'for future reference' comment. "Is he just so much fun all the time?"
"Most of the time, yes. But he's also a typical preschooler, so we have our fair share of friction."
"Thank you," she said as he passed her a container of food and a pair of chopsticks. "It's great that you get to spend so much time with him."
"Yeah. I was working in a hospital when he was first born and for about a year after we moved here, but the practice is so much better. Less stressful, and the hours are way more stable. I still have days where it's busier—especially when Luke or Kevin are out—but it was definitely a good move for us. I get to pick him up from school most days, and I have the whole weekend with him. Plus, I get to see my mom more, which is mostly good."
"Mostly?"
He chuckled. "She likes to bug me about my dating life—or lack thereof. I used to turn it back on her, but she's got a new man in her life, so that doesn't work anymore."
"Is that weird? Seeing your mom dating, I mean."
He leaned back a little, crossing his legs in front of him. "It was at first, but it's been so long since my dad died, and Bill makes her happy, so it doesn't bother me like it used to. Tom still struggles a bit with it, though."
"Tom is your little brother, right?"
He nodded. "Tom, the world traveler. He's a wildlife photographer, so he spends his time traveling all over the place."
"Do you see him often?"
"Not really." He took a sip of his drink. "Once a year, if that. He does video chat with us every couple of weeks, though. He just doesn't like to be in one place for very long."
She shook her head. "I can't even imagine not seeing my sisters all the time. We have dinner together at least once a week, if not more, and we're always texting each other."
"Have you ever thought about moving away?"
"I almost did after college, actually. The whole time I was in school, I really thought I'd go somewhere else. I looked at a few different zoos once I graduated, but then a good position opened up here, and I took it. I don't really have any desire to leave now, especially with Vi and Julie both having kids. I like to be able to help out with Aaron and Willa when I can."
He watched her quietly for a few moments before he responded. "Do you think you'll ever have kids?"
She shrugged. "I'd like to, someday. But who knows if that'll happen."
"Well, in just the little bit of interaction I've seen you have with Harrison, I can tell you'd be a good mom."
She blushed, her gaze dropping to the blanket beneath her. "Thank you."
They continued talking and eating, their conversation coming easily. Before they knew it, the sun had nearly sunk behind the horizon.
"I still have about two hours before I'm supposed to pick up Harrison from my mom's house. Would you like to come over and watch a movie?"
"That depends."
"I have a few streaming services, so yes, we can watch a Rom-Com."
She laughed. "That's not what I was talking about, but that's good to know. I was going to ask if you have popcorn."
"I do have popcorn, and I have popcorn seasonings to make it more exciting."
She smiled. "Okay."
"Why don't you follow me? I'll text you my address just in case, though."
Within twenty minutes, they were settled on the sofa at Jack's house. Elizabeth sat at one end and Jack at the other, with a bowl of popcorn and a plate holding Elizabeth's brownies in between them.
They had decided on a sitcom instead of a movie, and by the start of the second episode, Elizabeth had made herself more comfortable, tucking her legs up beneath herself and spreading the blanket from the back of the couch across her lap. Jack leaned back against the arm of the couch, spending more time watching Elizabeth than what was on the TV.
He hadn't enjoyed himself so much since Olive had died, and it surprised him to realize how happy it made him to spend time with Elizabeth.
Eventually, he moved their snacks to the coffee table, sitting back down just a little closer to Elizabeth. She started dozing, slumping toward him as she neared sleep, and finally leaning her head on his shoulder. He just smiled, enjoying her warmth beside him. Before he knew it, his eyelids grew heavy, and he joined her in sleep.
...
Jack blinked slowly, realizing that something was trapping him on the couch.
"Mm." Elizabeth shifted, throwing her arm across his waist.
His eyes went wide when he realized her body was stretched out next to his with almost no space between them. "Elizabeth." He carefully nudged her. "Elizabeth, wake up. We fell asleep."
"What?" She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.
"We fell asleep." He shot up and grabbed his phone, glancing at the screen. "Crap, I was supposed to pick up Harrison forty-five minutes ago. My mom called me three times."
She got up, combing her fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Jack."
"No, don't apologize. We didn't do it on purpose." He dialed his mom's number while Elizabeth started gathering her things.
"Jack! Are you okay? I've been trying to get ahold of you."
"I'm fine, ma. Just lost track of time. I'll be over there in ten minutes."
"Don't worry about it. I'm already on my way to you. I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay. See you soon." He put his phone down, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, she's on her way with Harrison right now."
"I should get going." She moved toward the door, and he followed.
"Thank you for coming over. I had a good time tonight, Elizabeth."
She felt a flush rise in her cheeks. "So did I. And thank you for inviting me."
"Maybe we could do this again sometime." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger there for a moment.
"Yeah, maybe." Her breath caught in her throat at his touch, and she started to lean in.
Just before their lips met, he suddenly pulled back, letting out a harsh breath.
She turned to see his mother's car coming down the street and tried to tamp down the disappointment she felt at the interruption. "I'll, uh, see you soon."
"Please text me when you get home so I know you made it safely."
"I will."
...
A few minutes later, Charlotte passed her sleeping grandson to Jack. "Was that Lizzy Thatcher I just saw leaving here?"
"Uh, yes." He stepped back into the house, carefully laying Harrison on the sofa.
"So these plans you had tonight? It was a date?"
"No." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We're not…we're not dating. We were just hanging out. I didn't know she was still living here, and we reconnected a couple of weeks ago, so I thought we'd spend some time together and catch up. We lost track of time, and the ringer on my phone was off, so that's why I wasn't there to get Harrison. I'm sorry about that."
She raised her eyebrows, taking in his messy hair and rumpled clothes. "Okay, but I hope you're at least being safe. It wouldn't be good for you to get her pregnant unless you know you're both in it for the long haul."
"Mom! It isn't like that, I swear." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "We were watching TV, and we fell asleep. Fully clothed and on the couch. That's it."
"Whatever you say." The look she gave said she didn't quite believe him. She passed him the bag with Harrison's things. "I'll see you at church in the morning."
"Thank you for watching Harrison."
"Of course. But don't forget I can't watch him next week."
"I know. It shouldn't be a problem." He kissed her cheek. "See you in the morning."
After his mom left, he carried Harrison down the hallway to his bedroom. As he lowered the little boy to the bed, he woke up.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, bud. You're home now. Go back to sleep."
"Nana went home?" He mumbled, eyes still closed.
"Yeah, she just went home." Jack pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "We'll see her at church tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Good night, Harrison." He kissed his forehead. "I love you to the Kuiper Belt and back."
"Love you."
Jack backed out of the room, Harrison already fast asleep again by the time he pulled the door shut.
As he walked into his own room and settled in his bed, his phone buzzed.
"Made it home. Thanks again for this evening."
He smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I should let you go to sleep now. Good night, Beth."
"Good night, Jack."