“Sounds like Matty. How’s he doing? How’re both of you doing?”

For a second, that day in her classroom lanced through Sebastian and he fought the urge to visibly wince. The white-hot shame of being told he was neglecting his son had never quite subsided. No matter how good a father he was now. But he swallowed hard and pushed the feeling down. She hadn’t been judgmental then, and she didn’t seem judgmental now.

“We’re doing really well. Got our hands full with this guy.” He nodded down at Crabby. “And we moved a few months ago, so we’re still settling into the new place.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Still in Bensonhurst. I didn’t want him to have to change districts, so we found a spot not too far from our old place.”

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “I’m in Bensonhurst now, too. I actually just got a job at an elementary school there. Matty would be going into second grade already?”

“Good memory. Yeah. I can’t believe it, honestly. Second grade already. So, you’re not in pre-K anymore?” His phone buzzed in his pocket, another message from Cupcake, he was sure. It reminded him how much he didn’t want to do things that way. And here, right in front of him, was this pretty woman who’d helped him out of one of the darkest moments in his life. Plus, she was looking very cute in a summery dress and her perfect little sneakers.

This was the kind of woman he’d like to go out with. He didn’t have to squint at a profile pic or read between the lines of the two-hundred-word description of her life. He could just absorb the heat of her sunshine on a perfectly good late summer Saturday. Live. In person. Ask her. Just do it.

“Pre-K was what paid the bills while I got my certificate, but I knew I wanted to be in the counseling department of an elementary school somewhere.”

“So you won’t lead a classroom?”

She shook her head.

Just do it.

“Via, you know I never really took the chance to truly thank you. For what you did for me and Matty. I’m not sure I know how to really express it... Ah, I was wondering if you’d let me buy you d—”

“Hey, babe, you wanted me to get olive oil and what else?”

Sebastian’s attention focused immediately on the extremely good-looking man who’d just walked up to them. Like, stupid good-looking. He had a model’s face and a swatch of long, carefully unruly black hair. This was Brooklyn, so of course the kid was way too hip for mankind. He wore suspenders over a flannel shirt. Seb tried hard not to raise his eyebrows.

“Oh, Evan, this is my friend Sebastian. Sebastian, this is my boyfriend, Evan.”

Of course she had a boyfriend. She was pretty as heck, sweet and accomplished. Just of course.

Evan was a few inches shorter than Seb and leaner, like a runner. Seb was built more like a tank. Barrel-chested and wide stanced. Both of them towered over the very slight Miss DeRosa.