Present
It was a chilly but sunny day. Sylvia was sipping coffee idly on a park bench. There were a couple of kids playing at the play park just a few feet away from her. She noticed a man walk in, the two boys at his side laughing and showing off to him. Brothers, she thought. The man was too young and lanky to be a father, his face was too enthusiastic and alive. This was a man who wanted to spend time with his siblings, not a man who had to take the kids out so his wife could make dinner in peace and so that they’d be tired when he came home and won’t make noise when he has that important business call.
Sylvia was immediately drawn to him.
He was nothing like her.
“Your kids?” she asked innocently, sneaking up to his side as the man watched his brothers play.
“Hahaha. No. Brothers” he replied smiling at her. She judged him to be of a similar age to her, perhaps a bit younger.
“Ah, right, of course. Sorry.”
“No need. I’m Isaac.”
“Sylivia.”