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"C'mon Mom! You're gonna make us late!" Elena yelled as her father picked her up off the motorcycle. All last night she had been talking about how excited she was to ride it, but as soon as she got on it this morning with Ezekiel, her facial expression turned to sheer panic. It took them about five minutes of coaxing her into riding it before she finally agreed. With that, Elena and EZ left on the bike while Catalina followed behind them in her car.
The two adults followed after their daughter as she ran up the sidewalk. "Slow down, Elena" Ezekiel called out. The child slowed down before approaching an older lady and tapping her arm. "Excuse me, ma'am. Will you please take a picture of me and my parents?" Elena asked. "Sure sweetheart" The woman smiled. Catalina gave the woman her phone before she and Ezekiel bent down to Elena's level.
After the camera flashed, they stood. "Thank you" Catalina smiled, taking back her phone. The woman returned the smile until she saw EZ's vest that read prospect. Ezekiel was too busy paying attention to Elena to notice the dirty looks the woman was giving him. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?" Catalina asked. "Hmmm" The woman seemed to be snapped out of her trance, "No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."
Catalina opened her mouth to speak again, but EZ put his hand at the bottom of her back and whispered in her ear, "Let it go, Lina". She gave him a look but eventually did as he said. "Alright, kid. I think this is where we say goodbye" Ezekiel said. Elena put her hands up, motioning for him to pick her up. When he did, she wrapped her arms around his neck before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Bye Daddy!" She said, before reaching out to Catalina.
She did the same to her mother before whispering in her ear. "Try not to miss me too much" Elena said before climbing down and running off into the school. She waved before she got far enough to the point where they could no longer see her. Ez turned to walk away but noticed that Catalina hadn't moved. "I think this is the part where you walk away" He said, moving closer to see a tear roll down her face, "Are you crying?."
Ezekiel tried his best to suppress a laugh, but it slipped out. "Don't be a jerk, Ezekiel. I cry every year" She said, wiping her wet face. "You're still as soft as I remember" He laughed, "Are you working today?." Catalina thought before responding. "Yeah, but not until later. My schedule got screwed up at the hospital so I have to work a shift from 9 to 3 tonight. Which reminds me, Can you stay with Elena tonight and take her to school in the morning?" She asked.
"Yeah, I have some things to finish up with the club later but I'll be there before you leave for work" Ezekiel said. "You know things would probably be a lot more easier if you just moved in, right?" Catalina asked, as the two walked to her car. "You would be okay with me moving in?" He raised his eyebrow. If she was being honest, her heart throbbed at the thought of Ezekiel living with her. Elena would finally have both her mother and father under the same household like she always should have had.
"Yeah, I mean it's not like we're strangers. It would benefit all of us. We wouldn't have to divide Elena's time between the two of us, and she can grow up in a stable two-parent household" She pitched. "Are you sure?" EZ asked. "Positive" Catalina reassured. There was a moment of silence, clearly filled with thought. "Ok" He responded. She refrained from jumping up and down, managing to keep a composed posture.
