She fetched Ava’s coat and hat and then buckled her into the stroller, armed with an arsenal of snacks and toys to keep her daughter entertained. Then she hit the streets.
Central Park on a crisp autumn day was one of the loveliest places on earth, Emma decided as she wheeled Ava along the twisting, tree-shaded pathways. She could hear the distant laughter of children on a playground, and some tourists were posing for photographs in front of the statue of Christopher Columbus. Every colour seemed sharp and bright, as if the whole world had been brought into crystalline focus.
As Emma strolled along Ava watched everything avidly; they made it all the way to the Central Park Zoo where they both watched the animal statues dance around the iconic clock. Emma bought a hot dog from a cart and shared it with Ava, enjoying people watching from a park bench, and then when her daughter fell asleep in her stroller she walked back uptown, stopping in front of the gorgeous esplanade with Bethesda Fountain as its magnificent centrepiece.
Every step she took felt as if she were breathing life back into her soul. She hadn’t realised until then just how much of a rut she’d been in, living with her sister and staggering through her days. It had taken Larenzo’s suggestion to get her out of it, and for that she was grateful.
Ava was starting to stir, and so Emma walked back towards the apartment on Central Park West. She stopped at the playground directly opposite the park’s entrance and unbuckled Ava from her stroller before putting her into one of the baby swings. Ava chortled with glee as Emma pushed her, enjoying the autumn sunshine on her face.
She didn’t know how long she spent in the playground with Ava, savouring the day, but it must have been more time than she’d thought for the sun was starting to sink behind the buildings on Central Park West when a hand suddenly clamped down hard on her shoulder.
Emma whirled around, her heart seeming to leap right into her throat, and saw Larenzo glaring at her ferociously.
‘Where have you been?’
CHAPTER TEN
‘YOU SCARED ME, LARENZO.’ Emma shrugged off his hand and pressed her palm to her thudding heart. ‘Good grief. Why did you sneak up on me like that?’
‘Answer the question, Emma.’
She blinked up at him, amazed at how different he seemed now, scowling down at her, everything about him hard and fierce and utterly unyielding. Right now she could almost believe he really was a Mafioso.
‘Where have I been?’ she retorted, her voice rising in both anger and fear. ‘Here, in the park, with Ava. It’s a beautiful day and I wanted to get out and see the city.’
‘You didn’t tell me you were going to the park.’
‘I wasn’t aware I had to inform you of all of my movements.’ She glared at him, conscious that the parents and caregivers around them were obviously pretending not to listen while eating up every word. ‘What’s with the third degree?’ she demanded as she lifted Ava from the baby swing.
Larenzo was silent for a moment, the ravages of his anger still visible on his face. ‘I don’t like not knowing where you are.’
Emma stared at him, exasperated. ‘So what are you going to do? Implant a chip in my shoulder, or how about an ankle tag? Seriously, Larenzo, I need my freedom.’
Larenzo didn’t answer and with a sigh she buckled a protesting Ava into her stroller. ‘Let’s go back to the apartment. We’re causing a scene.’
Larenzo glanced around the playground, his scowl deepening as he saw several mothers whispering and shooting them speculative looks.
‘Fine,’ he said, and reached for the handles of the stroller. Emma walked beside him while he pushed Ava back towards the park entrance.
They had just reached the park gates when Larenzo stiffened, and then, shoving the stroller towards her, strode across the pathway.
Emma watched in stunned disbelief as Larenzo approached a man and without so much as a qualm took the expensive digital camera he was holding and began to push its buttons.
‘Hey, you can’t do that—’ the man exclaimed.
‘Do not,’ Larenzo said, biting off each word and spitting it out, ‘take pictures of my family.’
‘So the rumours are true, you do have a child?’
Larenzo’s face was thunderous as he handed the camera back to the man. ‘I repeat, do not take photographs of my family.’
Without another word he turned back to Emma, standing there with her jaw hanging open slackly.