LOVING DAHLIA ( ᴘᴀɪɢᴇ ʙᴜᴇᴄᴋᴇʀs) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8: Ice Cream and The Park

Dahlia arrived at the daycare, excitement building in her chest as she anticipated seeing Sadie again. As she stepped through the door, she immediately spotted her little girl across the room. Sadie's face lit up with joy the moment she saw her, her tiny legs pumping as she ran toward her mother, calling out with all the enthusiasm in her little voice, "Mommy!"

Dahlia knelt down, opening her arms wide, waiting for Sadie to launch herself into her embrace. When the little girl finally reached her, they wrapped each other in a tight hug. "I missed you, Mommy," Sadie whispered in her sweet baby voice, her head tucked against Dahlia's neck.

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Dahlia whispered back, her heart swelling with love.

As they hugged, Dahlia glanced up to see Paige standing a few steps behind, watching the adorable scene unfold with a soft smile on her face. The sight of Paige, standing there so effortlessly cool yet warm, sent a flutter through Dahlia's chest. Paige's smile widened as she took in the bond between mother and daughter.

Sadie, still wrapped in her mother's arms, noticed Paige standing there. Her eyes grew wide with recognition, and she started to squirm excitedly. "Mommy! Mommy! It's the same lady from the store! She's here!" she exclaimed, her small voice high with excitement.

Dahlia chuckled at Sadie's enthusiasm, finding her daughter's excitement contagious. She gently stood up, keeping her arm around Sadie, and turned toward Paige with a smile. "Sadie, this is Paige," she said softly, introducing them officially. "Paige, this is my daughter, Sadie."

Paige crouched down slightly, offering her hand to Sadie. "Hey there, Sadie," Paige said, her voice warm and gentle. "It's nice to officially meet you."

Sadie hesitated for a second, then giggled as she took Paige's much larger hand, giving it a tiny shake. "Hi," she said shyly, looking up at Paige with big, curious eyes before offering a toothy grin.

Paige smiled even wider at the little girl's cuteness. "I heard we're going for ice cream, huh?" Paige asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

At the mention of ice cream, Sadie's entire face lit up again, and she started bouncing up and down. "Ice cream! Yay! I want strawberry!" she squealed, her excitement bubbling over.

Both Dahlia and Paige couldn't help but laugh at Sadie's exuberance. "Well, I guess that settles it," Dahlia said, smiling as she held Sadie's hand. "Let's get going."

They headed to the ice cream shop, Sadie chattering away the whole time about her favorite flavors. Once inside, Paige opted for cookie dough, and Dahlia, after a moment's thought, chose the same. Sadie, of course, got her strawberry ice cream, her face lighting up as she took her first bite.

After they got their cones, they strolled through the nearby park. The October sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled light along the path. Sadie skipped ahead of them, licking her ice cream with a grin, while Paige and Dahlia walked side by side, occasionally stealing glances at each other.

"So," Paige asked after a moment, breaking the silence, "when's your birthday?"

Dahlia smiled, taking a small bite of her ice cream before answering. "June 1st. What about you?"

"October 20th," Paige replied with a grin. "Not too far away."

Dahlia laughed softly. "I'll have to remember that."

They continued talking, moving on to favorite colors. Paige mentioned her love for purple, and when Dahlia said blue was her favorite, she couldn't help but glance at Paige's eyes, the color so striking that it always seemed to leave her a little breathless. Their gazes locked for a brief moment, and time seemed to slow as they stared at each other.

It was Dahlia who broke the eye contact first, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. She cleared her throat. "So, Paige, you've been playing basketball for a while, huh? Do you love it?"

Paige nodded, her expression softening as she thought about the sport that had shaped so much of her life. "Yeah, I do. It's been my passion for as long as I can remember."

"What about you?" Paige asked, turning the question back to Dahlia. "What made you get into photography?"

Dahlia smiled, her love for photography evident in her expression. "It's always been a passion of mine. I've always loved capturing beautiful things, moments that tell a story. There's something special about freezing time in a photograph."

Paige listened intently, her heart warming at the way Dahlia spoke about her craft. She loved the sound of Dahlia's voice when she talked about something she was so passionate about. It made Paige want to know more, to hear more.

Before they knew it, the time had slipped by, and it was already nearing noon. Dahlia glanced at her watch, surprised that they had spent so much time together. She wasn't complaining, though. It had been a perfect morning.

"I guess we should head back," Dahlia said reluctantly. Sadie had finished her ice cream and was now chasing after a few fallen leaves nearby.

Paige nodded, though a part of her didn't want the time to end. "Yeah, I guess so."

As they reached their cars, Paige turned to say her goodbyes. She knelt down and gave Sadie a high-five, making the little girl giggle. "See you around, Sadie."

Then, Paige looked up at Dahlia, her heart beating a little faster. "See you tomorrow at practice?" she asked with a grin.

Dahlia smiled back, but before Paige could leave, she found herself blurting out, "Hey, um, do you want to come to a soccer game on Friday? It's Carla's game against Villanova. You can bring your teammates if you want."

Paige's eyes lit up at the invitation. "I'd love that. And if it means I get to spend more time with you and Sadie, I'm definitely in."

Dahlia couldn't help but blush at the sincerity in Paige's voice, her cheeks flushing a light pink as Paige shot her a wink and flashed her signature, disarming smile.

"I'll see you then," Paige said, her voice soft as she walked toward her car.

Dahlia stood there, watching Paige go, her heart fluttering. Paige had a way of leaving her feeling like a blushing mess, and she wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.

With a final wave, Paige drove off, and Dahlia couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Something was definitely stirring between them, and Dahlia was excited-and maybe a little nervous-to see where it might lead.

XoXo V ❤️❤️❤️