Love In Design

Chapter 38 - Baseball

"She probably went to the backyard," I say.

The moment we walk to the back porch what I see makes me grin.

OWEN

Ruby looked lost and shy without her mother around, so Nathan and I called her to play with us. It surprised her that I knew who she was, and that's because Julia has a small picture of her at the studio. She sauntered and eyed our reaction and she walked closer. I opened her hand and placed the baseball in it, without hesitation or further instructions, she threw it with all her might and hit Nathan on his knee; she burst into giggles.

Birds chirped nearby and Ruby stood on her toes to look. I lifted her in my arms while she placed hers around my neck. Sweet memories of my little Ciara came to mind. I pointed to the birds flying in and out a nest in a nearby tree and her eyes filled with wonder. Then my daughter walked towards me and somehow the picture felt complete.

"Ruby, this is my daughter Ciara."

"You are so cute," Ciara tickles her neck and Ruby reacts with delighted giggles.

Julia stands by Kaley on the back porch, her face full of surprise. I feel concerned and hope she doesn't think I want to harm her daughter, so I place Ruby back on her feet.

"I see you've met Owen," Julia tells her daughter when she joins us.

"I saw birds and a nest, and they were singing, and I threw a ball at that man," she points at Nathan. Dr. Lagos has just arrived and is looking at his bruised knee.

"She hit Nathan, but it wasn't on purpose. You should consider putting her in Little League," I chuckle.

"You need to apologize, Ruby. That wasn't nice," she sighs and walks towards Nathan.

"It was her..."

I turn to look at Ciara, who smirks.

"She was your date."

"What makes you think I'm dating?" I ask, feeling amused at her words.

"On Friday evening, Uncle Nathan was obviously babysitting me. He told me you needed to buy some things for the house. I wanted to call you to bring me candy, and he got me in his car and drove me to the supermarket himself. That and your smile right now make sense."

"Julia and I had dinner together," I admit since there's no sense in keeping the truth hidden.

"I'm glad you did. Now that Uncle Nathan is dating Zara, I think it will be fun for you to date too."

I put my arm around her shoulders and kiss Ciara on her temple.

"I like Julia. She's so smart, brave and kind."

"I think she likes you a lot as well," she says, and as I follow her gaze, I find Julia staring at me.

ZACK

I'm not over the way my parents treated us, but have put it aside to enjoy these days to the fullest. Having Mila stay with me during the summer break was a great idea and her company helps me to overcome my weaknesses. With each day that goes by, my need for a pill lessens and my confidence increases. I don't need that alter ego to feel accepted or attractive. During a meeting at the studio, I opened myself to the group and told them about my struggle since the start of college; how I discovered the drugs and how they 'helped' me cope with thoughts of inferiority in many aspects. My friends shared kind words with me and continue to support my self-discovery journey. Because I'm still finding out who really this adult Zack Valentine is.

I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. David's idea of throwing a barbecue was excellent, not only because the food was great, but because our significant others and children joined us. The ladies, including Ciara and Ruby looked content. I wished Elvam was there with us, that would have made it even more perfect. On Saturday, when I went to see him, he looked healthier than ever, and he told me he has begun a plan to reduce his medication.