Cats In the Cradle

53. Emma

Daniel played music by a band called "Panic! At the Disco" on the way to the restaurant. It was lively and fun, and I added it to my growing list of music to explore.

I wondered if Daniel had ever listened to Paramore or if he knew the song "Cat's In the Cradle," which Lara still played pretty often. It was one of my favorite songs now.

It reminded me of Daniel, but because he'd been able to break the cycle that his father Alessandro had begun. He hadn't ended up like the son in the song, who grew up to become just like his father.

I knew that that had been his worst fear, and it filled my heart with joy, knowing he was trying his best to be a much better man.

"Hey where is your mark?" He randomly asked, looking more closely at my thighs, which he'd been paying extra attention to tonight. I thought maybe he was trying to initiate something sexual, and I felt myself getting a little wet while his hands lightly skimmed over my thighs.

But apparently he was only concerned about how my leg was healing. He really was such a great friend to me. I did miss the romantic aspect of our relationship, but I was grateful that he was respecting my wishes to keep things friendly. Maybe that kiss after our date would just be on the cheek, like I told Mia.

"Oh... Lara and Mia put makeup over it. It's faded a lot in the last few months. Lara says it will eventually turn silvery-white, most likely. It'll hardly be noticeable at all, thank goodness."

Daniel's jaw tightened, and he exhaled slowly.

"Yeah, thank goodness. That would be really awkward for any future boyfriends," he laughed.

Future boyfriends?

I couldn't even picture that at this point in my life.  If I couldn't manage a romantic relationship with the man I was still in love with, I certainly wouldn't be able to manage one with someone new.

"Well, any future boyfriends will be very, very far in the future, I'm sure," I whispered awkwardly. It felt wrong to even talk about a potential relationship with someone else with my ex-husband. Even though we were only friends.

Daniel beamed at me, looking noticeably more relaxed than he had a minute ago.

"I'm glad to hear that, Em," he mumbled so quietly, I barely made out what he said.

Is that what he said??

He pulled the car into the parking lot, parked, and quickly got out to open my door, unbuckle my seat belt and help me step out. With his large, strong, gentle, warm hands.

I felt those familiar butterflies in my stomach all over again.

What is happening? We're just friends now.

"Alright, don't forget to grab your shawl and your new phone. Let's see if Aunt Lara's Korean food hype is worth it!" He smiled down at me, and I blushed.

This suddenly felt like our first time meeting each other more than a night out with a good friend. But I tried my best to ignore the fluttering, and I allowed him to lead me inside.
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He did actually keep things very friendly during our dinner. We caught up on everything that had happened in the last few months. I learned that he hadn't started therapy himself yet, citing a lack of health insurance since he'd been out of a job until recently.

I was a bit jealous that he wasn't being forced to endure the agonizing, emotional probing that I was subjected to once a week.

I told him I wanted to start my GED classes soon and then go to college, even though I knew Lara already told him. But he still seemed excited for me, and he divulged that he was also going back to school for his MBA. It would be fun for us to both be students together.