Chapter 12 The Park Day That Went. Kinda Viral
"Noah."
He looked up from the dinosaur toy in his hand.
"Do you want to go somewhere fun today?"
He stared at me for a second like he was thinking very seriously about it.
Then he said,
"Where are we going?"
I blinked.
Wait.
That was a full sentence.
Like an actual full sentence.
My brain took a moment to process that.
"You just said a whole sentence."
Noah tilted his head.
"I talk."
I laughed.
"Okay fair."
I crouched down in front of him.
"We are going to the park."
His eyes widened just a little.
"The one with the swings?"
"Yes."
"And the slide?"
"Yes."
"And the big climbing thing?"
I pointed at him.
"Wow. You know a lot about this park."
He stood up immediately.
"Can we go now?"
I smiled.
"Yes we can go now."
He grabbed his little jacket and tried putting it on by himself, which honestly looked adorable but also a little chaotic.
I helped him zip it up.
Then he grabbed my hand automatically.
"You always hold my hand," I said.
He looked up at me.
"It feels safe."
My heart did that weird warm thing again.
"Okay."
We started walking toward the park and Noah was talking the entire way.
Not quietly.
Not shyly.
Actually talking.
"There was a dog here yesterday," he said, pointing down the street.
"What kind of dog?"
"A big fluffy one."
"A golden retriever?"
"Yes!"
He looked very proud that I guessed correctly.
Then he pointed at a car driving past.
"That car is really fast."
"It probably is."
"I think Uncle Dominic has faster cars."
I laughed.
"Your uncle definitely looks like someone who owns very fast cars."
Noah giggled.
An actual giggle.
I looked down at him.
"Did you just laugh?"
"Maybe."
"You did!"
By the time we reached the park he was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Swings first!"
"Okay okay."
I lifted him onto the swing.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
I pushed him gently.
He laughed immediately.
Loud.
Happy.
"Again!"
I pushed him again.
And again.
He kept laughing.
The kind of laugh that makes other people smile without realizing it.
After a few minutes he looked back at me.
"You should try the swing."
I blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Noah I am a grown woman."
"You can still swing."
I crossed my arms.
"You are very persuasive."
He grinned.
I sat on the swing next to him.
And yes.
I absolutely swung.
"Okay this is actually fun."
"I told you."
We spent almost an hour in the park.
Swings.
Slides.
The climbing structure.
At one point Noah laughed so hard he almost fell over.
And honestly it might have been the happiest I had ever seen him.
The next morning my phone woke me up.
Not the alarm.
The phone.
Buzzing.
Over and over again.
I groaned and reached for it.
Eight missed calls.
From Sophie.
Five from Clara.
Several messages.
My brain was still half asleep.
"What happened..."
The phone started ringing again.
Sophie.
I answered.
"Sophie why are you calling me like the world is ending?"
Her voice exploded through the phone.
"AMELIA."
I pulled the phone away from my ear.
"Ow."
"Why are you on the internet?!"
I sat up.
"What?"
"Check your phone!"
"I am on my phone!"
"THE NEWS!"
Now I was fully awake.
I opened the internet.
And froze.
Right there.
On the screen.
A picture of me.
And Noah.
At the park.
Him laughing on the swing.
Me pushing him.
Another picture.
Me sitting on the swing beside him.
Another one.
Noah holding my hand.
The headline underneath made my stomach drop.
"Dominic Blackwood's Son Seen Laughing With Mystery Woman."
Another article.
"Who Is The Woman Spending Time With Blackwood's Heir?"
My brain stopped working.
"Sophie..."
"YES?!"
"I think I accidentally became news."
Sophie screamed.
Clara's voice appeared in the background.
"Tell her she is trending!"
"YOU ARE TRENDING!" Sophie yelled.
I stared at the photos again.
"Oh my god."
Another article popped up.
More pictures.
Different angles.
Some from the swings.
Some from when Noah was laughing.
My phone buzzed again.
New message from Clara.
CLARA: You are literally everywhere.
I ran a hand through my hair.
"This is bad."
Sophie laughed.
"No this is hilarious."
"No it is not!"
Clara grabbed the phone from Sophie.
"Okay but you have to admit the pictures are cute."
"That is not the point!"
Another buzz.
New message.
Unknown number.
My stomach dropped slightly.
Because I had a very strong feeling I knew exactly who it was from.
Dominic Blackwood.
And something told me he was not going to find this situation nearly as funny as Sophie and Clara did.