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The reason why I remember him is because of his resemblance to Chase; otherwise, I wouldn’t have paid any attention. It’s Manhattan, and you often see the same people on your travels through the city. But I swear the man was wearing the same clothing all four times. Maybe he’s a maintenance man somewhere; I try rationalizing.
I decide to leave the park, but I keep looking over my shoulder as I walk to my apartment. There, I feel more comfortable. Waiting for the elevator, I run into Olivia, Matty’s sister, and Lexi’s best friend. Her dark hair is in a ponytail, and she’s sweaty from a run.
“How are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m doing well. I see little man is growing so big. How old is he now?”
“Five and a half months.”
“Wow, time flies. I remember when you were pregnant with him. Lexi told me what happened with his father. I’m sorry.”
I’m puzzled. “Olivia, what did she tell you?”
She pauses, but says, “She said that he left for California after he found out you were pregnant.”
I laugh. “Olivia, how long has it been since you talked to Lexi?”
“I hate to admit it, but it’s been a while. She’s always so busy, and I had several business trips the past few weeks.”
“Well, I’m back with his father, Chase. I made a mistake, never telling him that I was pregnant. I was so embarrassed; I lied to my family.”
“Oh. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all good. We’re together now, so we share CJ.”
She nods. “I’m happy for you.”
“How about your love life?”
“Almost non-existent. I broke up with Jake. The long-distance thing was becoming too much.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
CJ starts to fuss, and I press the elevator button impatiently. If I don’t get upstairs and feed him soon, there’s going to be a mutiny. I chat with Olivia until she gets off on her floor, then continue up to mine.
The first thing I do is feed CJ. He’s full of energy and ends up making a mess of his lunch. Once he’s done, I decide it’s easier to remove sweet potato from his hair with a bath rather than wiping.
After he’s bathed, I take him to my bedroom and sit him on the bed with some toys while I straighten out my closet and dresser. I really should go and get groceries, but the store is usually busy on the weekends, so handling CJ while there isn’t the best option. I’ll have to do it on Monday. As long as CJ has formula and baby food, I can always order take out.
By mid-afternoon, I’m exhausted from little sleep the night before because I was organizing. Chase would be proud of me. CJ eventually fell asleep on the bed, so I slip in next to him to take a nap.
The buzzing of an incoming text wakes me a half-hour later.
C: Did you have a nice time at the park?
M: Very nice, and I got in some good exercise. I took CJ for a long walk.
C: I miss you. I should be home by eleven or a little before.
M: I’m at my apartment. I needed to clean things up. Still no food, though.
C: At least I have some! I’ll come by tonight.
C: I will. I love you.
M: Love you too.
I’m glad he didn’t give me a hard time about coming over to my place tonight. The man from the park resurfaces in my throughs. The entire situation has me worried, especially because he was looking at CJ and me.
