Tommy Sallow is onto better and brighter things. After working a small hometown beat in upstate New York, he's finally in sunny California. As expected, it's the same shit in a different town. Except, you know, now he's near the ocean and miserable...
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Blowing a solid bubble is no easy feat. You want a plethora of bubbles to chase after? I can do that in my sleep. You want one big, perfectly round bubble to chase into the trees? Nope. No matter what I tried, I couldn't seem to give Mia the exact bubble she wanted. She wasn't upset, actually she found it quite comical that I couldn't manage to form a decent bubble. I don't know where she got the idea that bubble blowing was some inherent skill that all moms have, but I sure as heck was not blessed with this particular ability.
When Tommy first stepped outside, I felt a sense of ease. I like being around him, and having him join us outside, choosing to leave the party with his friends, had my heart doing a little dance. A dance that it probably shouldn't be doing, but it did. When Mia called me out, casually taking to Tommy's warm presence the way I have, I couldn't help but sit back and watch as he blew her mind.
He never once backed down when Mia asked him to join. He dove right in with a genuine sense of joy. He didn't do it out of obligation. He actually seemed to be having a good time. Even his horse like version of Stella showed that he was invested. Something I appreciated. Mia was taken away from a lot when I brought her here. Having someone else on her side means a lot to me, to her.
If only we could have stayed on that patio though. It was the closest thing to the beach we had tonight. Our own little world where we were free to be ourselves. Merging with the rest of the party ripped us from the comfort of our bubble.
When we first stepped into the dining room, the brown haired one immediately clung to Tommy's arm just like she did in the living room. I haven't quite gathered her name yet, seeing as I bolted from the room earlier. I promised Mia I would join her on the patio and I really wasn't up for the touchy feely theatrics on display. The very ones that I get to watch again. I don't miss the small tense in Tommy's shoulders though.
Mia runs around my side, pulling my eyes from the girl clinging to Tommy's arm. Mia jumps into a chair right in the middle. "Mommy, you can sit right here," she beams.
"You got it," I smile, coming up beside her.
"And Tommy," she turns back. "You can sit right here," she points to the chair on the other side. My eyes quickly shift back to his, wondering what he's going to do as everything in me tenses. I was not expecting that.
Before I even have a chance to analyze the situation, he shrugs the girl from his arm and slides in next to Mia.
"Wow," Trevor says from beside the table now, his hand on his heart. "Mia, I thought that was my seat."
"Sorry, Uncle Trey. Tommy just blew the most biggest bubble I ever saw! And he has a dog. A really really cute one."
Tommy's eyes flash to mine and I can't help but think about our first interaction on the beach. The one where I called him out for using his dog to get girls. He smiles slightly and I laugh, shaking my head.
