An Innocent Thanksgiving

Not that I had anything against Leo. He was a wonderful guy. But he just wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel anything with him.

Especially now that I’d had another taste of Cal. Dammit. Could that man stop ruining things for me? Now I was going to be daydreaming about him all over again in the shower and I did not have time for that nonsense. It had taken me long enough to get him out of my head the first time.

Not that he had ever really left, but I liked to pretend that he had. Salvaged some of my dignity that way.

“Presents for Fern?” Leo asked.

“Yup.” I had always put my daughter first, over everything else, and I didn’t regret a thing. Fern was the most important thing in my life.

“That’s sweet.” Leo followed me as I went up to my apartment.

“Thanks for helping.” Leo always seemed to be there when I needed him—if my lawnmower wasn’t working, or I was struggling to carry something. I appreciated it, really, but I hoped that he wasn’t getting any ideas. Despite his best efforts to get me to see him otherwise, I was never going to see him as anything more than a friend.

“Y’know, I tried my hand at baking cookies today,” Leo noted as we got up to my apartment. “I’d love your opinion on my success, and Fern’s of course. I could drop by later with a batch and see what you think?”

“Ah, thank you, but I’ve got a busy day today. I’m behind on a project and I’m going to try and catch up during N-A-P time.” I had to spell it out as I opened the front door so Fern wouldn’t get all indignant about not needing a nap.

Jenn, my best friend and Fern’s frequent babysitter, waved from where she was finger painting with Fern. Leo set the bags down in the kitchen. “I won’t make a peep,” Leo told me, still focused on his mission. “I’ll just stand quietly while you sample my wares. Nobody will wake up unless you chew too loudly.”

“I appreciate the offer, really, but I just don’t think so. Maybe if I have time later tonight.” I opened the front door for him, smiling in thanks.

Leo’s own smile faltered a little, but he nodded and headed back to his apartment. I closed the door behind him with a sigh, feeling tension bleed out of me. I hoped that he would start taking the hint soon. It was only a matter of time until I couldn’t stand it anymore and blurted out that I wanted him to cut it out and give up hope, and I didn’t want to hurt him like that.

As I closed the door, Jenn snorted. “When are you going to put that poor guy out of his misery?”

I ignored her, looking at Fern instead. Her hands were absolutely covered in paint, but her actual paintings were really lovely. “Wow, great job honey! Your stuff is beautiful!”

“Thanks!” Fern added a bit more green to one painting. “We learned ‘bout…” Her face screwed up as she concentrated. “Impressionists.”

“The Impressionists, yeah, they were an important painting group, weren’t they?”

Fern nodded. “I tried to do it like them.”

“Well I think you did a fantastic job. But it’s time to wash up now, okay? Jenn and I will hang these up so they can dry.”

Fern went into the bathroom and I started cleaning up the paints. Jenn folded her arms. “I’m serious, Maggie. Leo’s cure, and it’s clear that he likes you.”

“Well, I don’t like him, so that’s that. And besides, I don’t have time to date anyone. I’m a single mother, I have to focus on Fern.”

“You know that excuse is tired, right? It was tired two years ago. If you don’t want Leo, there are plenty of other fish in the sea out there. You’re a great catch, there has to be some great guy out there for you!”

“Mmm.” Jenn had been bringing this up about once a week for as long as I’d known her. I was used to tuning it out by now.

“I think…” Jenn wiggled her eyebrows. “I think that maybe it’s because you’re still hung up on Fern’s father.”

Ah, great. Jenn was always fascinated with the ‘mystery guy’, as she’d dubbed him, who was the father of my child. I hadn’t told her anything. Literally, nothing. I’d shut the conversation down every time she’d tried to pry. Jenn was a good person but she was also the meddling kind and I knew that if she knew she would never stop until she got every single detail and then she’d probably do something ridiculous like call Cal up to get details from him or organize some kind of reunion or something.

“If you’re so stuck on Leo,” I said instead, “why don’t you go next door and sample his cookies?”