Sweet Caroline {Ryan Blaney} ✔️

twenty-two

In case you missed my schedule change announcement because wattpad was being weird — updates will be on Tuesdays while I participate in NaNoWriMo! If you'd like to read my NaNo work, let me know and I'll send you the user that I'll be posting it on (it's my baseball account)
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"Can Ryan be my dad?" Caroline blurted out in between bites of cereal that she had insisted on having this morning.

Her sudden question nearly made Lydia choke on the piece of toast that she had been chewing on. She had expected questions from Caroline but that question? It felt like it came out of left field. She froze, trying to figure out what to say to Caroline -- this was not the time to have this conversation.

"What?" Lydia finally asked, hoping Caroline would clarify her thoughts. Ryan had stayed all the way to bedtime, he had even read Caroline a chapter from the book they had been reading through. Having Ryan there felt normal, just like he was meant to be there. Lydia should have known to brace herself for the questions but that question was not on her radar.

"I mean, he plays with me and brings me pizza like my friends' dads do. I want him to be my dad." Caroline shrugged, turning back to her cereal.

"I think we should talk about this later, okay? Today we're going to go race Ryan race, remember?" Lydia had no idea what to say to Caroline, she didn't really want to tell her the truth without Ryan there. The best she could do was distract and hope that she could keep Caroline busy enough to stall the inevitable.

Caroline's eyes lit up as she picked up the pace of her eating. "Today is going to be so fun, Momma!"

"I think so too." Lydia smiled at her daughter. "But we better get a move on."

"I'm full!" Caroline jumped off of her seat, scrambling to her room.

Lydia chuckled, making a mental note to bring Caroline a snack for the road. She picked up her phone off of the kitchen counter -- she wanted to give Ryan a heads up that Caroline had asked if he could be her dad.

When she turned her phone screen on, she noticed that she already had a text from Ryan. Her stomach twisted as she read it.

Stacy is going to be at the track today. I'm really sorry.

Lydia chewed on her lip as she tried to figure out a response. She was really hoping that Stacy wouldn't be at the track today so Ryan could just have a good day with Caroline and not have to worry about Stacy over his shoulder. Lydia decided to just give Ryan a supportive answer and not mention Caroline's question.

Don't worry about it. We will all make the best of it. We will see you soon.

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"There's Ryan!" Caroline tugged on Lydia's hand, Ryan's figure quickly approaching. "Do you think he'll let me sit in his car again?"

"What is it with sitting in his car?" Lydia glanced down at her daughter.

Caroline shrugged. "I like to pretend to be a race car driver." Her tone was matter of fact like Lydia should've known that.

"Hey guys," Ryan greeted them, crouching down to hug Caroline. "Are you ready to watch some racing?"

Caroline nodded excitedly, grabbing Ryan's hand as he stood up. They walked silently towards the garage but Ryan stopped suddenly right before the entrance.