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GEORGIA

I wipe down the rented stroller with disinfectant then Cade parks my little bundle, strapping him in before he pulls out the zoo map. He studies it a few moments. “Where to first?”

“Africa,” I say immediately.

“The petting zoo is close to the African exhibit. That’s on my list.”

“For sure. August is in his giraffe and elephant phase,” I say while I put on Auggie’s brand-spankin’ new khaki Tilley’s hat that Cade showed up with this morning. Who knew they came in kids’ sizes? Adorbs. He bought me one too except mine’s white. I tighten the elastic drawcord on Auggies and for a change, he doesn’t resist. I’m sure it helps that his daddy has an identical one on top of his head.

“I never grew out of my giraffe and elephant phase. Kenya is on my bucket list,” Cade says. “Says here the giraffe feeding is daily from eleven-thirty to twelve-thirty then again from two-thirty to three.”

“Let’s head there first while August is fresh. We’ll probably hit the feeding just right.”

“Wanna see the bongos?” Cade says leaning down and walking backwards to talk to August as I push the stroller along. “They’re big African antelopes.”

“Doggie.”

“Not quite bud. More like a deer.”

We take in the sights as we stroll along. It’s busy for a Monday with everyone wanting to eke out the last drops of fair weather. There are families and kids running around everywhere taking advantage of photo opportunities with sculptures and colorful paintings of the wild kingdom that are scattered throughout the zoo. We round a bend and see a bronze elephant sculpture and a wall with African tribal patterns. We’ve arrived. We stroll beyond the wall and get our first glimpse of the elephants. I love the earthy, exotic smell.

“Auggie, look! See the elephants!” Cade exclaims.

Auggie squeals in delight and waves his hands. “Hi Phant!”

Cade takes him out of the stroller and places him on top of his shoulders. “Hang on to my head, Augs.” Cade’s large hands fold over Auggie’s chubby legs, securing him snuggly as he approaches the exhibit for a better look. I swear seeing my son perched on Cade’s broad shoulders makes me tear up. It’s the cutest thing ever in their matching hats.

We watch one elephant play in the pond; close by another one fills his trunk with water and bathes himself, while on land another rolls around in clay.

After we get our fill, I say, “We’d better move on if we want a shot at feeding the giraffes.”

“Good thinking,” Cade agrees. We pass kids riding camels on our way there. And we timed it perfectly because they are just starting to feed when we arrive. We walk up the ramp and stand on the tall wooden platform. The giraffes are waiting for us and their long tongues sort and eat the leaves straight from the branches we’re holding out.

“I swear, I don’t know who is more excited, you or August.” My heart’s doing funny things in my chest.

Cade grins at me. “Probably me. I haven’t been to a zoo since I was a little kid.”

“That’s one of the perks of havin’ a child,” I say, “getting to be a kid again.”

“I’m beginning to see that.”

“I never thought about it before but I reckon you missed out on a lot on account of baseball.”

“Yeah, but it was all I cared about back then. Starting at the age of ten I spent the majority of my summers at baseball camp. I mean, my parents were being supportive. They never forced me to go. I guess it wasn’t the most well-rounded childhood.”

We continue through Africa observing zebras, rhinos, hippos, lemurs, lions, monkeys and gorillas. Then we howl with laughter in the petting zoo when a pigmy goat takes a liking to Cade. It’s a lot and you could spend the entire day in Africa. We stop for lunch, sitting on a shady bench in front of a flock of beautiful pink flamingos.

“Isn’t it weird to see a pink bird?” I say. “Doesn’t seem real.”

“Right?” he says then bites into his coney.

“Let’s narrow down what else we’d like to see before August crashes.”

He takes a bite and chews while talking. With a mouthful he says, “Gwaw idea.”

I laugh. “I think you said a good idea.” August is busy eating his fries, a slight breeze stirs his curls beneath the Tilley hat.

“I love our hats. Thanks.”

“Welcome.”

“Someone is getting sleepy,” I say, nodding at August.

“Should we call it a day then?”

“Anything you’d like to see before we go? I wouldn’t want the big kid to go away disappointed.”

“I’m good. The petting zoo was epic. I can now die a happy camper.”

I polish off my hot dog then get up and throw away our trash in a nearby receptacle painted with colorful zoo animals. “Let’s go then.”

As we head to the exit, Cade lays his arm across my shoulders as I push the stroller. This time I don’t pull away. It feels right. I’m tired of worrying about it. This whole thing feels natural. The three of us spending a normal day together like real families do is a moment I want to hold on to. I’m the happiest I’ve been in a very long time. I fight down panic at the thought. I’m afraid if I acknowledge it, I’ll jinx it.

B y the time we get back to my place, the sun is setting. Cade carries in our sleeping child and puts him in his crib. When he returns, I hand him a glass of sweet tea and we plop down on the couch together. Jasper studies us from his doggie bed then gets up to go into Auggie’s bedroom. Cade’s gaze is intense as he sets his glass down on a coaster. The heat in his eyes tells me what’s coming and I’m not sorry.

“Georgia, I’ve been waiting all day to ask you this—can I kiss you?”

I lick my lips. “Can’t say I’d stop ya.”

When he cups the back of my head and his warm lips finally brush mine, I moan. It feels like I’ve been pent up for days and now I’ve finally been released. His lips trail across my jaw, then my chin and down to my neck, his tongue sliding against my skin, nuzzling and nibbling until I’m squirming with desire. When he returns to my lips, they part willingly and his tongue slips inside. Before I know it, we’re lying down together, me half on top of him, our kiss deepening and lingering. Our kiss goes on and on. I am floating, completely lost in the moment, where nothing else exists.

“Georgia,” he sighs against my mouth. “I want you so bad.”

Alarm bells are jangling in my brain but do I listen? No. Instead, I whisper, “I want you too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” And right now, I am. I’m tired of fightin’ it. Just this once I’m going to give in to what I want. To hell with the consequences. I cannot resist this man. He kneels to slowly undress me, his eyes hungrily taking in every inch as he goes. When he stands to undress his hooded gaze is on me. Now it’s my turn to watch. It surely ignites a fire in my lower regions. He lifts his tee shirt, pulling it over his head before tossing it to the floor. I practically swoon over his glorious shoulders and pecs… all sculpted, lean muscle. I see a delicate cursive script tattooed under his right pectoralis muscle that wasn’t there two years ago. I squint to read it.

“What’s your tat say?”

He looks down at it shrugging self-consciously. “From struggle comes strength.”

“Is that coming from your baseball experience?”

“Partly. I got inked soon after I arrived in San Diego. When it finally hit me that I’d given you up, I mean really lost you, I had to tap in deep. It wasn’t easy being there at first. I was in some serious emotional pain. Hard to play ball when you’re having an existential crisis and I had to play ball. I couldn’t let my teammates down.”

“Somehow that makes me feel better, even after all this time. So do you feel strong now?” I ask.

His shy smile makes my toes curl. “Sometimes,” he says.

“So, are you gonna make love to me or what?” I pull impatiently at his waistband.

He unzips his shorts and they drop to the ground. Oh, my. I bite my bottom lip. His black briefs leave nothing to my imagination. His powerful thighs, defined and taut, show the countless hours he’s spent training. He is fully aroused and I’m suddenly flushed and tingly all over.

He crawls over me, his nose gently brushing my cheek before he presses his lips against mine. His musky scent is intoxicating as we make love right there on my living room couch with the soft serenade of crickets drifting through the open windows and the heady aroma of our sex lingering in the air.