Colton

"Let me guess." I turned to Luna, after I gave hugs and kisses to the kids. "They can't bring just anyone because the kids requested you. You're their favorite person."

"You got it." She smiled.

I chuckled. "Pretty sneaky, huh?"

"Sweet didn't tell me you were coming."

I figured it out from the look on her face when she saw me. Unlike me, I knew she'd come. I told Sweet to let me know if Luna's invited too, so I wouldn't be surprised like the last time.

"Are you disappointed?" My eyebrows rose.

"Of course not. Actually, I'm glad you're here."

"Ah, I know you missed me." I gave her a teasing look, and she chuckled aloud, saying I was being silly.

My heart turned into a race car of excitement and fluttering butterflies upon seeing Luna. It had been a week, but it seemed like ages. When our eyes met locked, it was like hitting the pause button on this wild action pack movie. She was standing there, looking amazing, and I was mesmerized on my feet. Her laughter was like a beautiful melody in my ears. It wasn't just her stunning looks that got me hooked, it was the fire in her soul, and the sparkle in her eyes whenever she talked about what she loved.

"Hey, Uncle Colton. Come, pick me up!" Zoe interrupted my thoughts.

The twins were holding onto me, so I carried them, one in each arm, and joined their parents at their table. Luna and I continued talking as we made our way.

"When did you arrive?" She asked.

"Earlier today. I slept like a rock on the plane, so I'll have plenty of energy today."

"Great. 'Cause we're on Joshua's team and he's all about winning, you know."

"Oh, really?" I turned to Joshua. "Is that true, young man?"

"Yes! We're going to beat everyone. See my muscles? They're super strong!" He flexed his puny arms, and we were like, "Yep, that's amazing!"

Sebastian and Sweet gave us hugs, and then we chatted, catching up on life and talking about the kids and what they've been up to.

The ladies and the kids headed to the face painting booth 'cause the kids wanted their faces done, while Sebastian and I stayed at the table, sipping energy drinks.

"I'm happy you guys made it," he said. "I have no idea how Sweet and I would handle the kids. They're all competitive, you know. They want to join in on all the games."

"No problem, bro. I'm always here for you and your family."

Kindergarten family sports fests are super fun events with lots of laughs, cheers, and tons of activities for the little ones and their families. The event wasn't just about competing, it's all about bringing the community together, working as a team, and making unforgettable memories.

The fun began with a lively parade of the kids and their teachers around the school campus, followed by enthusiastic instructors leading a warm-up session to get everyone moving.

Later on, kids and their parents or guardians played traditional games like the egg and spoon race, balloon relay, dress-up relay, newspaper relay rush, water relay, sack race, and so on. They brought bursts of laughter and excitement, encouraging kids to work as a team and promote family collaboration.

At three in the afternoon, the activities ended. Every participant already showered and changed clothes to watch the awarding ceremony in the gym.

Luna and I gave it our all for Joshua. We scored some wins, and so did the other teams. We ended in second place. Zoe, Sebastian and Sweet, crushed it and took home the championship trophy.

"That was a blast." I told Luna, after we got the award. We actually gave it to Joshua to take home.

"Totally. I've never had this much fun before."

"You did great, especially in balancing eggs and popping balloons." I told her.

"We were a great team. We just lacked practice, especially for the dress-up relay."

We couldn't stop laughing when we remembered how hilarious it was when I dressed as Mary Poppins and she dressed as Charlie Chaplin.

Luna

Colton really impressed me. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful father someday. He was really cool and didn't think twice about joining the games, no matter how hilarious they were. He taught Joshua and the other kids how to work as a team, face challenges, support each other, and have fun, regardless of the outcome.

I couldn't help but think of Barry. He's definitely not going to dress up as Mary Poppins and join the games. He cared too much about his image and what people say. He didn't like people making fun of him.

That's not a great quality, huh? Who gives a damn about what people say? Just do you and do what makes you happy, as long as you don't hurt or disrespect anyone.

I let out a sigh. That reminded me of my fancy engagement ring. Barry should've let me know before spending the company's money.

"You good?" Colton raised his eyebrows. "You spaced out all of a sudden."

"I'm starving."

"Same here. Come on, let's grab some pizza." He invited me, and I stopped him.

"We can't. Sweet got some food ready for us at their place."

"I'm pretty sure they won't mind if we go out and eat on our own. They're all exhausted and just want to rest. They woke up super early this morning to prepare for the event. Besides, Sebastian was whining about his achy back and Sweet's feet were killing her."

Yeah, he was right. Just as I was about to suggest asking Sweet first, some guy on crutches interrupted us.

"Hey, Colton!" The guy tapped him on the back.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Colton greeted him and saw the crutches. "What happened?"

"I had a motorcycle accident. Man, it was so bad. I thought I was gonna lose my leg. But I'm all good now. Just got released from the hospital yesterday." He shrugged. "You know, I have to be here for my son."

"Happy to hear you're alright. Take care and get better." Colton tapped the man's back, then turned to me. "By the way, this is Luna. Luna, it's Aiden."

"Hi, nice meeting you. Hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks. I saw you all in action earlier. You guys rocked it, that was great teamwork. Congrats on getting second place."

"Thanks, dude. We fulfilled our duties as uncle and aunt. My sister married Luna's brother. They needed a hand with their three kids."

He chuckled. "I did the same when I was single."

Colton looked at me and was like, "by the way, Luna. Aiden is Cox's college buddy."

I was surprised, staring at Aiden with raised eyebrows.

"You're Aiden Harding?"

"Yeah." He grinned widely. "You know Barry Cox?"

My eyes immediately lit up. "Absolutely. I'm his fiancée."

"Oh! You're the one he got engaged to." He stared at me in disbelief. "It's been ages since I last saw that guy. I heard he's a big shot now."

My forehead scrunched up. "You didn't see him last Monday? Didn't you guys have lunch?"

"Last Monday?" He was like, "nah" and shook his head. "I had an accident last Sunday. I was confined at Maryland hospital for like an entire week. I just got out yesterday."

My heart sank. Barry lied.

***

Colton was right. Sebastian and Sweet were cool with us eating out. It seemed like they were on board with the idea.

Later, I jumped into Colton's fancy Maserati. Barry made me so upset and I felt like rebelling. Colton picked up on my mood shift. He was smart enough to figure out that Barry lied to me about meeting Aiden Harding, but said nothing.

We grabbed some pizza, salad, soda and water, and ate them right away. I was mad as hell, but I still had the appetite to eat.

"Where do you wanna go?" He asked after we were done eating.

"Can you take me anywhere? I couldn't care less if it's in the middle of a desert. I just wanna forget about Barry, my wedding, the business... I wanna disappear and get away from all the stress in my life."

He gave a nod and was like, "are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely sure." I said and got comfy on the car seat.

"Okay. Just shut your eyes. Trust me, a little nap will do wonders for you."

I did what he suggested and closed my eyes. I passed out instantly. Later, I woke up feeling really well-rested.

I looked at Colton. He was still behind the wheel.

"Can you believe it? I fell asleep."

"Yup, you did. You slept for three hours."

"Seriously, three hours?" My eyebrows snapped together. There was no way I slept for three hours straight in a car.

"See that?" He pointed at the clock on the car's dashboard. "It's already eight."

"Wow, I must be dead tired." I turned and looked outside. It was super dark, and I did not know where we were. I remembered I said to him to take me anywhere. "Are we heading to a desert?"

He found it funny and chuckled. "Nope. I think you'd prefer a chill spot that won't fry us."

"You're right. Appreciate your thoughtfulness. So, where are we going?"

"In my hometown." He replied.

"You mean, in Dansville?"