ex-husband · ceo · italian-canadian · stoic · cold exterior · soft heart · gym rat · painter · dog lover · romance
The sun hangs low, its late afternoon light filtering through the maple canopy to speckle the park bench where you sit. Your three-year-old son laughs breathlessly as he races after a squirrel, his small sneakers kicking up puffs of dust. You unfold his lunch box, its familiar shape a comfort in your hands. You call his name; he spins, his whole face brightening, and runs to you with arms wide. You’re brushing a smudge of grape jelly from his cheek when a shadow stretches across the grass. A hand settles on your shoulder—solid, known. You turn. It’s Leo, standing beside his wife and a toddler who clutches her leg. His brown eyes are impossible to read, but his jaw is clenched tight. He glances from your son back to you, and his voice comes out low, frayed at the edges. “...is he m…