Either Jacy was way better at this than I ever thought she could be, or she had a good teacher.

It was probably both.

She had always had a knack for balance, and he seemed like a natural—a steady hand between her shoulders only when she needed it, his directions clear and concise. I watched them all afternoon from my banishment to the parking lot, choosing a different shitty car to sit on the hood of, so I'd have a better view.

This one smelled like burnt oil and spray paint.

The park was extra full today, brimming with boys of all ages. Not a parent in sight. No wonder she'd sent me off to the sidelines.

There were also no other girls. Again.

Partway through the fifth time attempting to get through chapter ten of the book I wasn't reading, Edward came trotting into the parking lot, headed right for me. He slowed in front of me, sweaty and panting.

"Your kid is a monster."

"Yeah, sometimes." He had no idea. That girl's temper was tumultuous at best.

"She's like the worst boss I've ever had. All go, go, go."

"Ain't no rest for the wicked, right?"

Edward seemed to give me a good once-over, but the sun was so bright, and he was smiling so wide, I could only tell because I felt like my face was going to melt off my body.

"You look good on my car."

"This is yours?" I slid off the hood and dusted my ass off, trying to ignore everything he'd just said out loud. "It smells like you're burning oil."

"Yep, like a motherfucker." He yanked open the door and ducked inside, tossing shit around in the front seat until he found another t-shirt, relatively clean. I turned my face away as he stripped off his sweat-soaked shirt to replace it with a dry one, and looked for Jacy in the crowd.

Before I spotted her, I saw a group of boys huddled together on a picnic table, watching something intently and nodding their heads in unison. I followed their gazes to my daughter, swooping clean down a railing a foot off the ground and landing hard, but upright, on her board.

The table full of boys cheered.

"Those your friends?" I nodded toward them, my heart reeling a little bit, and Edward nodded back, pulling his shirt down, making it safe to look at him again.

"Some of them. Seth is an asshole, but the rest are ok."

"Is Seth the boy with the red hair?"

"What you mean is, is Seth the boy who almost creamed your kid into the concrete yesterday?" He smirked at me.

"Exactly."

"No, that's Dean. He's a jerk, but he said to tell her sorry, later on. He's all act."

"She's getting better." Another cheer from the boy's table as Jacy landed another rail.

"She said she took dance classes?" Edward leaned on the hood of the car and tucked his cap back on, the curls extra wild today.

"Classical ballet. Four years."

"Probably helps. Most of these guys just schlump around here, but she glides."

"Good teacher, huh?"

"Good listener."

A boy broke off from the group and trotted toward us, stopping a safe distance away. I wondered if he thought I was contagious.

"You coming, or what?"

Edward shrugged, barely glancing at the guy. "Gotta finish up with Jack before she goes home." He tilted his head toward Jack, then toward me, and he seemed to be stifling a smile. "I'll catch up."

The boy eyed me for a moment and turned, shaking his head at his friend, and one boy yelled something unmistakably gross across the park. Loud. Everyone turned to look. Edward gave another pair of fingers back to them and then smiled at me.

"They think I like you."

"You like my kid. It's weird."

"Jack's alright. But I don't flirt with Jack."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Trying... must not be working."

AN

All hail Hadley Hemingway.

But not too hard because she's mine and my biggest talent is jealousy.

Thank you for reading.

XO/HB