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Chapter Text

As if the support beams in Ophelia Grace had collapsed, she slumped into one of the vinyl-covered chairs near the entrance of the Kidaroos they’d just entered. She knew she’d have to get up in a little bit, but she needed to sit for just a little bit. Her twins plopped on the ground and took off their velcro sneakers. Ophelia was grateful that at least she didn’t have to help them with that anymore and then followed them to put her own kitten heels in the shoe cubbies. She gave them each a kiss on the forehead before they raced to the vibrant jungle gym.

If Ophelia was in a better state, she would be following Helena and Freddie, but she was tired so she sat closer to the play area and tried to keep an eye on the both of them. Today was rough, rougher than usual. One of the team leads for her department disparaged her in front of half the office, making her cry in the bathroom. She wished she could complain to HR, but from what she’d heard, that kind of ‘record’ would make her ineligible for promotions or transfers to a better department. Ophelia already had a hard time. Managers would get frustrated when she couldn’t stay overtime or come on the weekends because of her toddlers. She wanted to quit – have for the last couple of months – but she needed the money. Rent wasn’t cheap.

And then, after hours of grueling work, she had to take care of her children. She loved them, but it was still essentially a second job. Ophelia wished that she could be in bed right now, or at least on the couch, but she had to be here. On Tuesday, she had promised them that they would get to go to Kidaroos on Friday and Ophelia keeps her promises, even when she’s exhausted. 

Ophelia looked up and noticed Helena approach a grown man. Her hackles raised. Strange adults talking to her children made her nervous and Helena was a very outgoing child. Ophelia quickly walked over to them and saw the man smiling warmly as her daughter talked at him.

“– as a phone? Does it have a flashlight? Does it have a laser ?” she heard Helena say. “Inspector Gadget does. He lost his whole body in an explosion! But you still have your body. How did you lose your hand?”

Ophelia realized that the man was an amputee and Helena was staring at his prosthetic hand. She gasped and rushed forward.

“Oh my – I am so sorry, sir!” she apologized before turning to her daughter. “ Helena Lara Grace , you do not ask people questions like that.”

The man chuckled. Ophelia felt her face turn hot. She hoped Helena didn’t make him uncomfortable – she was too precocious and outgoing for her own good.

“It’s all right ma’am,” he said with a thick Southern drawl. “Kids always ask stuff like that. She wasn’t being rude or nothing.”

He then held out his right hand, the one that wasn’t a prosthetic. She took it; his hand was warm and calloused, and he shook her hand firmly.

“The name’s Clyde. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Um, Ophelia. This is Helena and her brother, Freddie, is the blond boy in the ball pit.”

Ophelia waved and Freddie waved back before going back to playing with a little blonde girl in camouflage and a tutu. The little girl waved too with a big grin.

“That’s Sadie, my niece,” Clyde said with his own smile. Then he crouched back down to Helena and held out his prosthetic hand. 

“Now, I don’t have any fancy gadgets like Inspector Gadgets. I tried; the VA told me I wasn’t allowed,” he said with a conspiratorial wink. “This just helps me grab and hold things.”

He then explained how it worked and let Helena poke and prod at it. Then the little blonde girl, Sadie, and Freddie came skipping over. She looked a couple of years older than the twins.

“Uncle Clyyyyde,” she said. “I’m hungryyyyy…”

Freddie came over to Ophelia and tugged her skirt. In a soft voice, he said, “I’m hungry too mummy.”

Ophelia looked at her wristwatch. She wanted to let them play for a while, but if they left they weren’t going to come back. It was just a little too expensive and she didn’t want to spend a great deal of time there. They hadn’t been there long, and while she did have snacks in her bag, she didn’t think it would tide them over for the rest of the time she planned to stay.

“Mrs. Ophelia? Would you like to join us for pizza?” Clyde asked, causing Ophelia to grimace a little. The food at the Kidaroos cafe was overpriced. Noticing her hesitation, he continued, “Sadie and I aren’t going to be able to finish a pizza all on our own.”

“Pleeeaase mummy,” Helena begged on Ophelia’s other side. She was surrounded on all fronts. Ophelia sighed in defeat and agreed.

They followed Clyde carrying Sadie on his shoulders to the cafe, where he ordered two pizzas. He insisted on paying. Ophelia didn’t know how to feel. And honestly? She wanted to cry a little.

As they ate their pizza, Ophelia eavesdropped on the children’s conversation. Apparently, Sadie had recently got an Easy Bake Oven and was planning on becoming a chef. It was apparent that Freddie had already figured Sadie was a cool, older kid and listened with rapt attention. Helena brought up some of the things she had seen on Elmo’s Magic Cookbook. 

Clyde coughed.

“So, Mrs Ophelia–”

“Um, just Ms. There’s no Mr.,” she interrupted with a bitter smile. “You can just call me Ophelia you know.”

“Oh – I’m sorry ma’am– I mean miss– I mean Ophelia,” Clyde’s ears turned pink. 

Ophelia chuckled and said, “You’re fine.”

“Well… Ophelia. I noticed your accent – you new ‘round here?”

“Yeah, um – I’ve been in the states for a few years, just moved to West Virginia a few months ago.”

“Oh – you got family in these parts?”

Ophelia shook her head. “No, just… following the work.”

Clyde’s brows furrowed and he leaned forward. Before he could speak, he was interrupted by the squeaking of chairs and three children running in between them.

“Can we go play now?” Sadie asked. Helena and Freddie looked at their mother pleadingly. Lovingly, Ophelia took a wet wipe and cleaned their hands. Both she and Clyde agreed and watched the three of them run to the slides.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen Freddie take to someone so quickly,” Ophelia said, feeling warmth at the sight of her children so happy.

“Well,” Clyde said after a pause. “I can ask Jimmy to set up some play dates if you want?”

“Jimmy?”

“Right – Sadie’s dad. He’s on a date tonight, that’s why I’m watching her.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

He took a crayon out of his pocket, scribbled down his number on a napkin, and handed it to her. She tucked it in her purse.

Ophelia found herself staying much later than she originally planned, but she wasn’t as tired as she thought she would be at this point. Clyde kept talking to her, asking questions about the kids, and maneuvering the conversation when it got uncomfortable. She found out he was a bartender – probably where he got his conversation skills. He let himself get pulled into the play area and entertained the kids. Ophelia tried to stomp down the emerging feelings of affection for this man. Who would want to be with a single mother of two? But as she watched him, she couldn’t help but develop a bit of a crush. 

The drive home was quiet. Helena and Freddie wore themselves out to exhaustion and slept the whole time. Ophelia carried each of them, one at a time, to bed. One of these days, they were going to get too big for her to carry and she got a little teary-eyed as she did housework. That night, Ophelia fell asleep imagining a tall, broad man carrying her children to bed before joining her in their own bed.

A couple days later, Ophelia got the courage to text Clyde. He got in touch with Jimmy and set up a day for the kids to play at Kidaroos again in a couple weeks. Helena and Freddie were ecstatic to hear that they would hang out with Sadie again, and they both agonized over how long they’d have to wait.

The day of, Ophelia showed up to see Clyde talking with a shorter man just inside, sitting at a table with Sadie. When her own kids saw Sadie, they quickly ran towards her.

“Freddie! Helena! Your shoes!” Ophelia called out. They grumbled but obediently took off their shoes before heading to the play area. She walked to the table and held out her hand to the man next to Clyde. “You must be Jimmy. I’m Ophelia.”

“That’s right – pleasure to meet you, Ophelia.” Jimmy had the same twang as Clyde when he spoke.

The three of them chatted briefly before Sadie came back and insisted on Clyde joining them. The kids monopolized Clyde’s attention, climbing on him like little monkeys, while Jimmy and Ophelia walked a few feet behind them. Jimmy asked a bit about her family and her job, sympathizing with her troubles. He talked about his own problems with his bad leg and vaguely said something about luck turning his situation around. 

“So, Clyde tells me you’re a single mom?” At Ophelia’s nod, he made a sympathetic grimace. “Yeah – I had a rough time of it when I got divorced. I just wanted to say that if you or your kin need any help, us Logans will help you.”

At the earnest expression on his face, Ophelia began to tear up. She had been alone for so long and struggling so much that she wasn’t sure how much she could continue. The timing couldn’t have been worse, of course. Clyde and the kids were headed this way. She furiously wiped her face. Clyde glared at Jimmy.

“Hey kids, let’s go get some pizza!” Jimmy said in a faux excited voice, corralling the kids towards the Kidaroos cafe. She was going to have to do something about that, she thought. She didn’t want to imagine her kids expecting to eat here every time they came – there was no way she could afford it and absolutely no way someone else would pay every time. 

Clyde came over and put a warm hand on her shoulder. Leaning closer to her, he asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I’m just,” she sniffed, “so tired. Of doing everything alone.”

Ophelia burst into tears and Clyde pulled her in for a hug. He felt warm and smelled masculine. His arms held her tight. When she stopped sobbing, he asked if she was alright and she nodded. He wiped her tears with his thumb, and Ophelia could feel her face heating up. She hadn’t been this close to a man in years. 

“C’mon, I don’t want to worry the children.”

Clyde followed her, keeping close. It made her feel a bit bitter. Jimmy raised an eyebrow at them when they approached the table but Clyde shook his head.

“What happened, mummy?” Helena asked.

“Oh, um…”

“Jimmy accidentally stepped on her toe,” Clyde quickly said before pulling out a chair for Ophelia.

Jimmy gasped in offense but said nothing. Sadie turned to her father, her pigtails flying, and began lecturing him. He took it good naturedly. Ophelia caught his eye and he winked at her before turning back to his daughter’s rant. Sadie said something about telling someone named ‘Sylvie.’ Jimmy made an exaggerated fearful facial expression, making Ophelia snort and shake her head. Ophelia accepted a paper plate with pizza, blushing slightly when her fingers brushed against Clyde’s. Freddie slid his chair closer to his mother and asked if her foot was okay.

“Yes, dear,” she replied, brushing a hand over his hair. Freddie smiled and went back to stuffing pepperonis in his mouth and listening to Helena and Sadie. Another wave of sadness washed over her. Freddie had Hamlet's hair as well as his smile. She looked over to Helena who had his pretty blue eyes. There were times when Ophelia questioned why she was keeping her children when the odds were against her. But then she looked at them and saw their father and she remembered.

Helena and Freddie insisted that Ophelia stay seated to ‘rest her injury’ when they got up to play again. Waving off Jimmy and the three children, telling them that he’d join them in a bit, Clyde leaned towards Ophelia.

“I wanted to say this last time, but, well… I didn’t get the chance,” he rambled. “I– We– Jimmy and I, well, we wanted to say that if you needed kin to help with the kids, well, you got the Logans.”

“Oh, no I couldn’t possibly,” she said anxiously, chewing at her chapped lips. 

He shook his head and in a softer tone continued, “Darlin’, you don’t have to do this alone anymore. I– We don’t want you to. At least think about it.”

While that was the end of the conversation then, Ophelia did keep thinking about it. What would letting them help look like? She’d been alone since the late stages of her pregnancy so she had no idea. At least for now, she enjoyed spending time with the Logans and wanted to keep doing so.

Chapter Text

The weather slowly became warmer and Freddie and Helena started having more playdates with Sadie that took place outside when the sky was clear. The parks and playgrounds here were different, but watching the kids chase each other on them still made Ophelia nostalgic for her childhood chasing after Laertes. She wondered if her brother’s spirit could see them and if he was thinking the same thing.

One lovely June afternoon, Jimmy invited her and the kids to an Independence Day party he was having with his family.

“The kids’ll love it! There’ll be a slip ‘n slide and water balloons and everything,” he had said. Of course, he was loud enough that Helena heard and begged profusely to go. As they got ready to leave and Jimmy was helping his daughter into his truck, he called out to Ophelia. “You’ll love it too - Clyde’s gonna be there!”

Ophelia blushed and had to tell the twins that she just really liked hanging out with Clyde and he was a close friend.

Turned out, summers here were miserable, and the fourth of July was hot. Ophelia was wearing a sleeveless blouse and shorts and she still felt like she was melting. There was a small crowd of people gathered underneath the shade of an oak tree and children running around, chasing each other with water balloons. After slathering the twins in sunblock and bug spray, she let them go play with the other kids.

“So you’re friends with Jimmy?” a beautiful-looking woman, walking up to Ophelia and sipping out of a red Solo cup. Her smooth, brunette waves and polished outfit made her stick out among the rest of the people at the party.

“More like my children are friends with Sadie.”

“She has that kind of effect on folks,” the woman smiled at her, barely moving the muscles of her face. Then, shaking Ophelia's hand, she introduced herself, “Bobbie Jo, Sadie’s mom. That’s my husband, Moody, and that’s Dylan and Levi.”

Bobbie Jo pointed towards a man wearing a polo shirt tucked into khakis getting pelted by water balloons by two young boys. Phee laughed a little at the sight.

“Ophelia. My twins are Helena and Freddie.”

“Oh yes, Sadie talked my ear off about her new friends.”

They stood there for a while, watching their children in awkward silence. Well, Ophelia certainly felt awkward - Bobbie Jo seemed perfectly at ease. When Clyde came strolling towards them, Ophelia nearly sighed in relief.

“Clyde,” Bobbie Jo said in a flat tone before turning back to Ophelia. “Well, it was nice meetin’ you Ophelia.”

“She didn’t… say anything mean did she?” Clyde asked when Bobbie Jo had walked out of earshot.

“No, she was pleasant,” Ophelia said as she shook her head.

She asked about the Duck Tape and Clyde started talking about improvements he had been making to the bar. As he talked, she tried to tamp down her crush on the man. It was difficult, not only was he handsome, but his voice was deep and rich as he spoke deliberately. During a lull in the conversation, Ophelia noticed Jimmy standing and chatting with Bobbie Jo and Moody, with his arm wrapped around a pixie-haired brunette.

“It’s weird huh? After Jimmy started dating Sylvie and, uh… circumstances changed, he wanted to get along better for Sadie’s sake.”

“You all take care of each other, don’t you?” she said in a near whisper. There was uncertainty; she wasn’t sure she wanted Clyde to hear her.

“We can take care of y’all too, y’know,” he rumbled in an equally low voice. His eyes on her were intense. She blushed.

Moody cooked hotdogs and hamburgers on a grill, boasting the whole time about his skills and equipment. From how the Logan siblings were essentially interrogating him, he wasn’t the ‘pit master’ he was hyping himself up to be. Jimmy’s sister, Mel, made such exasperated faces at Moody’s back that had Helena and Sadie burst into giggles. While eating, Ophelia got to talk about books with Clyde and Sylvie. Even though she loved her children, it was refreshing to be able to talk about something other than them with other adults. And when Helena loudly declared that she was full and crawled into Ophelia's lap to doze, she wasn’t sure she’d been this content in a long while.

Freddie had quietly sat with Dylan and Levi, listening to the plans for the next make-believe game they were going to play. Upon hearing Freddie’s accent, the other boys decided it would be fun to play James Bond. They kept asking him to say different words that they tried to replicate in a terrible approximation to try to improve their impressions. Ophelia kept an ear out for potential bullying of her son, but it seemed that Freddie had just become the cool and exotic new kid.

“Clyde,” one of them called out, “you’re gonna be the bad guy since you don’t have an arm.”

Ophelia internally cringed at the boy’s crass declaration. Before Clyde or anyone could respond, Helena adjusted herself on Ophelia's lap to face them and loudly interjected.

“Actually,” she said, “Mr. Clyde has an arm - he’s missing a hand. A hand is below an elbow, if you don’t remember you can sing the bone song.”

Then Helena loudly started singing the toe bone’s connected to the foot bone, clearly intent on going through the entire song. Freddie frowned and shook his head before turning to the boy who made the mistake.

“S’okay. Elbows are hard. Helena kept singing the song when I called them arm knees.”

Ophelia covered her face with her hands and several of the adults that overheard burst into laughter. She peeked through her fingers to see Clyde chuckling. He winked at her.

“Smart kid,” he said with a crooked smile.

Oh no, he had dimples.

Just when Ophelia thought things were going alright, her kids caught a bug. They woke up with a fever. Not only did her heart ache with each cough and sniffle from her little ones, but she couldn’t take them to daycare even if she wanted to. Of course, when it rains it pours, and performance reviews were coming up and if she called in sick it would reflect poorly on her. Ophelia wanted to scream and cry. Finally, she decided to ask for help.

Hi Jimmy! I wanted to know if you knew of any last-minute babysitters, could you send me their info?

She bit her nails waiting for a response. Then her phone rang. It was Clyde. Heart pounding, she picked it up.

“Hullo?”

“Hi Ophelia,” his voice sounded tinny through her cell phone. “I heard you needed help…?”

She chewed at her lip.

“Well, yes - I need to find a babysitter. The twins, they got sick and-” she sniffed and tried to slow her breathing. Ophelia didn’t want to start sobbing on the phone.

“I’ll come over. I don’t work until late so I’m free.”

“Thank you. So much,” she breathed a sigh of relief into the phone.

They hung up, Ophelia texted her address and Clyde texted her approximately when he’d get there. Ophelia took that time to get ready for work, encouraging her children to go back to sleep. She anxiously scanned their little house. It was a mess but there was no way she’d be able to get it tidied in time. Hopefully, Clyde didn’t judge - she did have two toddlers after all.

He showed up only minutes before Ophelia had to leave for work. She rushed through basic instructions, the emergency information she scrawled on a sheet of paper, and what food she had that he could use to feed himself and the kids. Clyde looked a little intense, appearing to focus and put to memory everything she told him. It reassured her significantly as she drove to work. The entire workday, Ophelia had half a mind on her children at home. Fortunately, nearly every hour, Clyde updated her about how their symptoms were developing. Still, she sped home.

Walking into her home was like stepping into an alternate universe. Her house hadn’t looked this tidy in ages. She set down her work bag and walked into the kitchen to see Clyde and her two children coloring pictures. Helena noticed her first, got up, and ran towards her, holding a drawing in her hands.

“Mummy!” she called. “Look what I did!”

It was a chaotic, colorful, crayon drawing of what appeared to be flowers. Freddie held up his own drawing of flowers, slightly more contained but no less colorful. Ophelia smiled and promised to hang it on the fridge.

“Thank you so much,” Ophelia said to Clyde. “How can I pay you back?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want you paying me back.”

“At least stay for dinner?”

Clyde looked at his watch and agreed, telling Ophelia that he wouldn’t be able to stay for long. Dinner was simple, just reheated soup, but Clyde praised her cooking and complimented her enthusiastically. She blushed when he told the kids they were lucky that their mother was such a good cook. He must have seen the disbelief on her face because he said he could taste the love that went into making it. Ophelia finally realized he was being genuine when he finished his first bowl with gusto and readily accepted her offer of seconds.

Her heart clenched when he begrudgingly said that he had to leave for work. Ophelia walked him to the door.

“Again, thank you for watching them.”

Clyde looked at her so fondly then, his eyes slightly crinkled with a soft, half smile. Before he could respond, she took a risk and pulled him in for a hug. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer so that she was completely pressed up against him. Ophelia breathed in deeply, appreciating his masculine scent. Then she pulled away and looked up at him. She felt hypnotized by his intense gaze. Ophelia did the only thing that seemed reasonable and stepped on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the corner of his lips.

“Ophelia,” he murmured. “I know how you can pay me back.”

“How?”

“Let me take you out to dinner.”

She blushed. “That would be lovely.”

“Good,” Clyde said as he leaned down and nuzzled her forehead. “Really need to go now, though, so we’ll text later.”

Ophelia watched his truck drive off, feeling butterflies in her tummy. It’s been a while since she’s gone on a date, and now she was getting the pleasure of going to dinner with the handsome Clyde Logan.

Chapter Text

Excited giggling and babbling came from the back seats as her two children squirmed in their car seats. But it was as if cotton was stuffed in Ophelia’s ears. While the twins loudly and enthusiastically anticipated their play date, dread jumbled in her mind.

I know Jimmy. I know Mel. The children know them. I trust them. It’s only going to be for a few hours. I’m not even going to be too far…

The tightness in her throat and the pounding in her chest had lessened since that morning, but Ophelia hadn’t been able to calm her racing thoughts. They clambered along well-worn neural pathways to the lessons anxiety gave her. Early in life, Ophelia decided that the only person she could really trust was herself. Even the best-intentioned people in her life failed her; their naivety or hubris or indignation led to pain and heartache.

It was exhausting relying on herself. Sixteen days after the birth of her babies, she returned to work. She didn’t even make it to lunch before she found herself sobbing in one of the bathroom stalls. After helping Ophelia get a work visa to the United States, Mechtild concluded that she had fulfilled her familial duty. So with no family, no friends, and no paid maternity leave, Ophelia had never felt so miserable.

She glanced at her children via the rearview mirror. That wasn’t a healthy way to live and Ophelia was determined to make a better life for them. And perhaps it was because they were getting older, perhaps it was the way they took to Sadie, perhaps it was how the Logans were so warm and welcoming… Whatever the reason, Ophelia was letting Helena and Freddie have a playdate while she went on her own date with Clyde.

Her car hadn’t even stopped before Jimmy’s door slammed open and Sadie came running out, pigtails bouncing. Jimmy trailed behind and waved from the porch as Ophelia parked and started getting out of the car.

“Hi, Ms ‘Phelia!” Sadie bounced on the balls of her feet, eagerly hovering a couple of feet away from the car doors. Her bubbly glee was contagious and had Ophelia near giggles as she got the twins out of their car seats.

“Hullo there Sadie - how are you doing today?”

“I’m super! Auntie Mel came over and we’re gonna watch Frozen and- and-” she kept rambling in that excitable childlike way, hard to understand if Ophelia wasn’t already used to deciphering her own children’s speech.

As soon as Helena was released, she skipped over and hugged Sadie and the two were a blur as they ran to Jimmy’s trailer. Meanwhile, her shy son gripped her hand with his, letting his mum walk him toward the door. Jimmy was leaning against the wood railing when the two walked up and Mel could be seen through the screen door greeting her daughter.

“You alright with watching Frozen little man?” Jimmy asked. Freddie nodded with a little smile on his face.

“If anything, he loves it more than his sister.” Ophelia brushed through her son’s downy soft hair.

“That so? You’ve got good taste then.”

The screen door opened and Helena came running over. “Bye mummy! See you later!” she exclaimed as she hugged Ophelia’s leg and she was gone as quickly as she came.

Mel rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the exchange.

Ophelia kneeled down and gave Freddie a hug. “You going to be okay?” He nodded earnestly.

“He and his sister’ll be safe, now you… make sure you stay safe,” Jimmy said with a smirk and a wink. Mel groaned and punched his shoulder.

Freddie waited and waved on the porch as Ophelia left the driveway. The lump in her throat from just half an hour ago was still there but it felt a lot smaller as she drove to the restaurant where she was planning on meeting Clyde.

Chapter Text

Clyde was already standing there, leaning against his old Chevrolet truck, when Ophelia pulled into the car park. He cut a dashing figure in his crisp button-up shirt and jeans. When he noticed her step out of her car, his whole face lit up and the butterflies in Ophelia’s tummy chased away the rest of her nerves.

“Hi,” she said in a voice quieter than she intended.

“Hi.” He beamed at her.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.” She glanced at her watch. She wasn’t terribly late but leaving her kids did take a lot longer than she anticipated.

It wasn’t that she was ashamed of Clyde or anything, but… she was reluctant to let her children know that they were dating. He was already involved in their lives and they could get confused or upset or get their hopes up or… any number of things. Their relationship was still young and uncertain and Ophelia just wanted to wait. Just for a bit.

“I don’t mind, darlin’–” Ophelia blushed at Clyde’s pet name “– I’d be willing to wait hours for you.”

She gasped and gave his arm a playful swat. “Mr. Logan, you flirt.”

“Only for you.” He winked and took the offending hand in his.

Clyde took her to a family-owned diner. It was charming and homey; the chairs were mismatched and old photos covered the walls. The laminated menus looked like they haven’t been updated in years and when she got her food, she recognized why. It was greasy and crunchy and delicious. She could fully understand how this was comfort food.

With her food, Ophelia got an iced tea. Unsweet because she still wasn’t used to how sugary American drinks were.

“Well, I suppose you don’t need any more sugar since you’re already so sweet,” Clyde had said with a wink as soon as the waitress was out of earshot. She bit her lip and smiled at him, feeling like a teenager on a date.

She talked about how Helena and Freddie were doing; he talked about some of his favorite spots that she could take them to. The conversation veered into their pasts. While she wasn’t ready to tell her complete story, it was more than she’d ever shared with anyone else before. And he was gentle with her, never pushing for more and showing his trust by talking about some of the less comfortable parts of his own life.

They walked to the second-hand bookstore close by. It was far enough that they could’ve driven but it was beautiful outside and Clyde said he wanted to savor his time with her. On their walk, she could feel the sweat drip down her back and the sun warming her skin; her belly was full of good food and her heart was full of happiness. He talked about how he started working at the Duck Tape, making her giggle at his miming of learning how to bartend. Ophelia was sure her face was bright red from both the heat and the laughter he coaxed from her.

A chilly air-conditioned breeze rushed at them as the door to the bookstore opened. She shivered and felt goose pimples on her arms. They meandered through the fantasy section near the front, started holding hands as they browsed the world history shelves, and made it to the poetry section at the back of the store. It was dimly lit, none of the sunlight from the front windows making it to the back.

Clyde pointed out anthologies and collections with poets he was familiar with and leafed through books that caught his eye. Every once in a while, he’d lean in close and read excerpts of love poems in her ear, making the eloquent verses his own through his rumbling voice. It sent shivers down her spine.

After a particularly moving passage, Ophelia glanced around. Aside from the worker that was probably at the front of the store, nobody else was there. She stood on her tiptoes and gave Clyde a peck. If she was just a little taller, she would’ve kissed his cheek but as it was, she kissed him on his jaw. She wondered if his heart was pounding as loudly as hers. He placed a tentative hand on her waist and leaned down. His dark eyes flickered across her face, watching her and trying to discern her intent.

This time, she didn’t need to stretch as high for her lips to reach his. Soft and plush, slightly salty from sweat and faintly minty from the lifesavers at the diner. It was brief and they separated for a breath before Clyde set the book in his hand down. He backed her up against a shelf and tilted his head before kissing her more deeply. She could feel the coarse hair of his mustache and knew if they kissed long enough, her lips would be rubbed raw.

She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His warm body pressed against hers; his belt buckle dug into her tummy. When she tugged his hair, he groaned into her mouth. His prosthetic hand pulled her closer to him and his natural hand dug into her hair. The evidence of his arousal made her rock her hips and whimper. Clyde began to kiss down her face, her jaw, her neck.

“Darlin’, we’ve got to stop while we’re ahead,” he said breathily. “I’m trynna take it slow with you but you’re certainly making it hard on me.”

Ophelia giggled and whispered back, “I can tell.”

He stepped away reluctantly, shifting the crotch of his pants with an abashed look on his face. She kissed it away with one last sweet peck.

In the end, Clyde left the bookstore with a couple of his finds. Ophelia, however, was too distracted by the sound of his voice to be interested in any of her own books. He offered to read more poetry to make it up to her. The walk to their cars was slower than the walk to the bookstore. She could tell that he was reluctant to let her leave. She was as well, and the pout on her face made her really feel like a teenager. But the date had to end eventually and she needed to pick up Helena and Freddie.

At her car, she leaned against the driver’s side door and tilted her head up expectantly. With an indulgent smile, he kissed her once more, sweetly. Slowly. Savoring her.

“I had a nice time,” she said. He gave her smiling face another peck.

“I did too. Would you let me take you out again?”

“Please.”

Mel was the one who opened Jimmy’s door when Ophelia knocked, letting her inside. Apparently, Jimmy and the kids were having a tea party in Sadie’s room. Ophelia peeked her head inside and Jimmy’s head whipped up, his eyes wide. A fuschia feather boa was draped around his neck, matching his daughter. Sadie and Helena looked at each other with mischievous smirks.

“It looks like you lot had fun,” Ophelia chortled.

She helped her children gather their things and put on their shoes. They fussed for a bit, as all children would, but were ultimately cooperative in getting in their car seats. The ride home was quiet as they quickly fell asleep, exhausted from what seemed to be an entertaining playdate.