“No, it wasn’t that simple.”
“Tell me this one thing. Do you have any regrets about it?”
“None at all. My life was never the same after I met your mom. I lived a dream with her for nearly thirty years and I’d sin a thousand times over just to have her by my side again. She made a believer out of me that soul mates are real—and I have no doubt that she was mine.”
10
#pictureperfect
Stevie
“TEXT OR CALLme as soon as you get home. Okay, Dad?”
“I will. And thank you again—for everything. I love your new house, I love that you’re happy with itandyour new job, I love the dinner and drinks that we had last night, I love the talk that we had and I love that I get to take home what’s left of this key lime pie,” he chuckled, glancing over at it, sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
“I told you that I was gonna send you home with whatever was left of it and you better enjoy it.”
“You know I will!”
“Yeah, I do.”
I hugged my dad and he squeezed me tight. “It makes my heart so full to see you shining again, Stevie.”
“I’m really happy with where I am and what I’m doing,” I said, pulling back to look at him. “I needed this change. It’s been like a breath of fresh air.”
After my dad left, I went back inside my house and checked the time. It was only two o’clock in the afternoon. I thought about taking a dip in my swimming pool but then another thought came to me.
I grabbed my cellphone off my kitchen counter and Googled the Dallas Zoo. After checking out the website and seeing all the pictures of the different animals and attractions, I decided to do what Zac suggested I do. Something that he’d said we’re never too old to do. I was going to the zoo today.
When I arrived, the parking lot was packed but then again, it was Saturday. After paying for my ticket, I walked through the entrance and then began exploring the different attractions. When I saw the sign that pointed in the direction of the petting zoo, I smiled and started heading toward it. I felt like a little girl again doing what I was doing right now. The only thing missing was having my mom and dad here.
I could see the petting zoo several yards ahead of me and as I was nearing it, butterflies filled my stomach. Not because of the animals, though. Zac was standing inside the fenced-in area with a little boy beside him. I knew at once that it was his Malcolm because he looked just like Zac. I was surprised to see the two of them here at this time of day because Zac told me they were coming to the zoo this morning. Their plans had obviously changed.
I glanced around, looking for Avery, although I didn’t know what she looked like. I figured if she was here, then she’d be hanging around close by, but there was no attentive-acting woman anywhere near Zac or Malcolm.
I decided tonotenter the petting zoo. Instead, I walked along the fence line and then stopped to lean against it so I could continue watching Zac with his son. They were both so cute in the way that they were interacting with all the animals and also with each other. It was easy to see how much Zac loved Malcolm and how much Malcolm loved his father.
I still had my eyes on them when Zac unexpectedly looked up and stared straight at me. Then he smiled and waved. After I waved back, he leaned down to say something to Malcolm,picked him up into his arms, and then the two of them started heading in my direction.
“Hey, Sinclair,” Zac said as he reached the other side of the fence.
“Hey, Buchanan.”
“I see you took my suggestion to check out this zoo.”
“I did and I love it here. But who is this precious little boy you’re holding?”
“This is my son, Malcolm. And Malcolm, this is my friend Stevie. Can you say hi to her?”
He leaned his head down onto Zac’s shoulder, acting shy, but he kept watching me while sweetly smiling.
“Hi, Malcolm. Are you having fun petting all the animals?” I asked.
He nodded yes and then surprised me by reaching out his arms for me to take him. I looked up at Zac and he nodded that it was okay.
After he passed off Malcolm to me over the fence, I held Zac’s mini-me on my hip. He was a solidly built little boy with white-blond hair, bright blue eyes, a little round nose, and apple cheeks with a little dimple in the right one. Then all at once, it hit me. Strangely, Zac’s Malcolm looked identical to the Malcolm in my dream. The dream that I had during my first night in my new house. The dream where I saw my son at four years of age. The dream where he told me that he loved me and was still here.
Standing in the middle of the Dallas Zoo,holding Zac’s son in my arms and looking down at him smiling up at me now, I could feel myself getting choked up. That was something that didn’t need to continue, though, because Malcolm nor Zac would understand. So I took a slow, deep breath to pull myself back together.