Finding Love Again

Chapter 3

After leaving the ballet school, Steve decided to take Livy to Central Park so that she could run around and play. Livy was joyful. She loved going to Central Park with Steve because they always played together. They played catch, hide and seek, and Frisbee.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Livy said when they were taking a break from playing.

"Ok. Let's go get some hot dogs." Steve pulled her up from where she was lying on the grass.

"Then can we get ice cream?"

"Of course we can, princess."

They located a hot dog cart and ordered. Steve ordered one hot dog with ketchup for Livy and four hot dogs with ketchup and mustard for himself. After receiving their hot dogs, they went to sit at a bench to eat them.

"Can we go see Aunt Pepper?" Livy inquired.

Steve sighed. "Livy, I asked you this morning if you wanted to tag along with me or go with your Aunt Pepper. You picked to stay with me, and I really need to go home to start working on my next art project."

"But, Daddy," Livy whined, "I want to go see Aunt Pepper. Please can we go?" she pleaded.

Steve really didn't want to go because he knew Pepper was going to insist that they stay for dinner, and he wanted to get home. Seeing his daughter's face, he knew he couldn't say no. "All right, we can go, but later."

Livy's face brightened up. "Thank you, Daddy!" she squealed with delight. "I love you!" Livy embraced Steve in a big hug and gave him a slobbery kiss.

"I love you, too, princess. Now, let's go get that ice cream you wanted."

"Can I have a piggy back ride?"

"Yes, you can." Steve picked Livy up and put her on his back. "Rogers, you're going to spoil her if you keep giving in to what she wants," Steve muttered to himself.

Steve took Livy to their favorite ice cream parlor Häaggen-Dazs. Livy got a chocolate chip cookie dough kiddie cup, and Steve got a brownie à la mode large waffle cone. They walked calmly back to Central Park while eating their ice cream. They sat down on the grass and finished eating. Once Livy finished her ice cream, she started running around. Steve watched her closely. Oh how he wished Peggy was here with them watching Livy and enjoying this moment! Livy soon got tired and came back and lay down beside Steve. Steve stroked her hair until she had fallen asleep. He looked at his phone and saw it was a little after two. He decided to draw a little. As he was thinking about what to draw, his thoughts wandered to the red head he had met today. Natasha Romanoff. He couldn't get her fiery red hair and green blue eyes out of his head. He could imagine himself kissing those lips and tasting them for the first time. She was beautiful. Steve smiled. He absentmindedly started drawing her. Thanks to his photographic memory, he could remember every detail. He admired his work after he finished his sketch, but he remembered Sharon. "Oh, Rogers, you just disrespected your own girlfriend with your thoughts and this drawing," he scolded himself. He was about to rip out the sketch from his notebook to crumple up and throw out, but he just couldn't. "I guess I'll have to keep this hidden so that Sharon won't find it," he thought as he put the notebook back in his backpack.

Livy was still sleeping soundly next to him. He knew he had to wake her up so that they could leave, but seeing her sleep so peacefully he regretted having to do it. "Livy," he whispered while shaking her lightly. "Princess, wake up."

Livy moaned and switched to a different position, but she didn't wake up.

"Come on, Livy. You want to go see your Aunt Pepper?" Steve didn't receive an answer. "Okay, I'll take that as a no. Let's go home."