"Alright, Sweetie, we have to go so Mommy can get to work on time, okay?" A woman of five foot eight inches walked out into the open space she and her son called their living room. "You ready to go?" She wore a smile, a black jumpsuit, and had her hair in large waves that fell past her tanned shoulders.
The boy smiled back at her and chuckled. "Yes, Mama." His curly brown hair fell into his face and gave him a touch more of innocence. He was just a mere five years old, but sometimes he could act more mature than some of the teenagers she's seen. Losing his father at a young age is probably the reason for such a saddening occurrence, but there's nothing she could do now. "I can't wait to play with Katie!"
The woman looked at her son with a quizzical expression whilst she grabbed his backpack from the front room. "Who's Katie?"
"My friend at daycare! She's really nice and we play cars together!" He replied as he skipped happily down the front steps, his smile never fading even an inch. "Yesterday we played with the new cars that Miss Polly got for everyone. And then we played house and she was the mommy and I was the daddy and we had a little baby named Sarah."
The curve of his mother's lips greatened as he rattled off a story about their daily activities. He seemed genuinely happy for the first time in a long time, and for that, she was thankful.
"Katie!" A man with a muscular build called up the stairs to his daughter, "It's time for us to go! I have work soon!" The man had piercing blue eyes, wore a nice three-piece suit, and stood at about six feet.
"Daddy!" The little girl exclaimed while hopping down the stairs, skipping a step or two at a time. "Look at my pretty dress!" When she made it to the landing, she twirled for her father, hoping to catch a laugh or two. He hadn't been the same since the recent loss of her mother, and she wanted to try to get her father back. It hadn't affected her as much as it had him since she was just four years of age. Her mother was just an echo of her fondest memories while her father is the light of her life and her hero.
He smiled, but his eyes didn't reflect the same emotions, they conveyed nothing but sadness and despair. "You look wonderful, Princess."
He grabbed her day bag from the dining room table and looked at the picture of his late wife. Silently, he prayed to God that she was up in heaven and that she wasn't miserable anymore.
"C'mon, Daddy! I want to go to daycare!" The small girl called for her father as she unlocked the front door and slipped her jacket on.
He chuckled under his breath while he walked to the door. "Alright, I'm coming."
"Alright, I'll be back to pick you u-" The woman was cut off when her son shouted out to his friend.
"Katie!" The boy ran up to his new best friend and hugged her.
Her father walked in the door behind her and he and the woman locked eyes. "And you must be Noah's mom." He smiled at her, and for the first time in the past five months, it felt genuine. "I'm Katie's dad," He introduced himself, his hand sticking out for a handshake.
The woman grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Olivia." For some reason, seeing this man and shaking hands with him put a smile on her face, not one sparked by her only joy in life, her son, but by another man.
"Elliot. Elliot Stabler." Their hands lingered as they smiled at each other, their eyes lost gazing in the other's eyes. He knew it was a long shot, and it used to feel like he would never move on, but something was compelling him to shoot his shot. "I get off work at 5, you want to grab a cup of coffee before we pick up the kids?"
Her heart fluttered, nearly skipping several beats. "I would love to. I work just around the corner at the District Attorney's office, meet me outside?"
"It's a date."
