That is his sailboat, by the way. Too bad it’s not summer.
I let my mind wander for a split second. Summers in the Hamptons. A house in Connecticut. Fabulous vacations, private schools, a wardrobe to die for. I wasn’t seeking out a wealthy lifestyle, but I wouldn’t say no to it either.
Sully, who was napping, coughed in his sleep. I let go of the fantasy and listened to hear if he was going to wake up or not. No further sounds emerged from the bedroom.
Did you mention me to him?
Not yet. Give me a current pic and I’ll let Grant be the go-between. Unless you just want me to send him to your YouTube channel.
Ew, no! That’s weird.
I did not want him seeing me posing in floppy hats for summer in Switzerland. Not until after he met me in person.
It’s not weird, it’s practical.
Practical is not cute. I’ll send you something later. I have to finish this article right now. Work-life balance is a struggle.
Leah sent laughing emojis back.
Can I send him to your social media?
No! Just wait, I’ll send you a pic.
I wanted it perfectly curated to the receiver.
It occurred to me that might actually be the worst possible thing to do, but it didn’t stop me from devoting ten minutes to scouring my phone for an image of me in crop pants at the beach in August.
I sent it to Leah.
Why is this better than your Instagram?
I don’t want him seeing random pics.
As I went back to my article, determined to focus and knock it out, she just sent me a “kk” text.
Sully started crying, effectively ending my worktime.
“I’m an idiot,” I told my empty apartment. I’d wasted time searching for a photo when I should have been working. “I might even be hopeless,” I said, even as I lifted my phone off my desk and stared at the image of the man Leah had sent.
What’s his name?
I held my phone in my hand as I stood up to go get the baby.
Yates.
Is that his first name or last name?
First. Yates Caldwell.
I sent a wide-eyed emoji back and shoved my phone in my back pocket.
Sully had rolled onto his stomach and was lying there crying. He instantly stopped when he saw me. I smiled and reached for him.
Good on paper wasn’t always good in real life. Like Sullivan’s father. I needed to remember that.
“I’m just going to keep an open mind and live in the moment,” I told Sully in a singsong voice. “That’s all I can do, right? No expectations. Just meeting new people.”
He smiled, like he actually believed me.