The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Theresa didn't catch the subtle vibes between adults and was chomping at the bit, grabbing Brandon's arm with excitement and

blurting out, "Daddy, | wanna go on the roller coaster!"

Brandon took a pause to glance at Sophia, leaving the ball in her court.

Sophia eyed the roller coaster, noting that it was tenough for tots to enjoy, so she gave the green light, "Let's hit it."

The roller coaster had three seats side by side, with Theresa plopped right in the middle and Sophia and Brandon taking the flanks.

The little munchkin was beside herself, having both mom and dad to tag along for a playdate - it was a total ty.

This was also a first for Sophia and Brandon to hang out together, probably all for the kiddo's sake, leaving Sophia's feelings a tad

tangled.

But she didn't let that emotional spaghetti mess with the day, nor did it put a damper on Theresa's fun.

She and Brandon were just like any other set of parents, bending over backwards to make Theresa's day.

Brushing aside a long-lost sense of regret, Sophia actually found joy in the moment.

Having kids made one wanna give them the world, spoil them rotten, and just shower them with love unconditionally. So seeing

Theresa this happy and bubbly really filled Sophia's cup.

Sophia and Brandon were with Theresa as she took the playground by storm, hitting all the kid-friendly rides like bumper cars,

water rafts, merry-go-rounds - you nit, they did it, with patience and genuine enthusiasm.

During the halftbreather, Brandon snuck off to the loo to dial up Kent, nudging him to bring Susan along to the amusement

park.

"That's a bit out of the blue, isn't it?" Kent seemed to wrestle with the idea on the other end, "Randomly asking her out, she might

think I'm up to something."

"How's that out of the blue?" Brandon's voice was chill, "Your boss needs a hand with the kiddo; you're out of your depth, so why

not call in the kid's godmother for sbackup? What's the big deal?"

Kent saw the light and agreed without skipping a beat, "Alright, I'll give Susan a ring."

After hanging up with Brandon, Kent called Susan to see if she could lend a hand; his boss had roped him into sbabysitting,

and he was a bit out of his league. Theresa knew her well, so maybe she could help.

Susan was at home, bored out of her skull, binge-watching sshow.

She'd gotten a heads-up from Sophia's family about their outing earlier in the day, asking if she wanted in.

Susan figured they'd be a tdoing their thing and she'd stick out like a sore thumb, so she passed. But now, hearing Kent's

proposition, she did a double-take, "Aren't Mr. Crawley and Sophia already taking care of the kiddo? Why do they need you to step

in?"

Kent pondered for a sec, "Probably slast-minute work stuff. You know how busy Mr. Crawley can get."

"Sophia didn't mention anything," Susan couldn't help but murmur.

Kent shot back, "You know how Ms. Yearwood is, not one to trouble folks - probably didn't want to put you out."

Susan figured that made sense, "Okay, then. Meet up at the thpark in an hour?"

"How about | swing by and pick you up?" Kent offered, "I'm about twenty minutes out, get yourself ready."

Susan didn't play coy; she nodded, "Sure," and hung up.

Susan had thought about slipping into something and dashing out, but standing at her closet, she paused, gave herself a once-

over in the mirror, then grabbed a towel and sclothes, and decided to freshen up with a shower and a bit of makeup. She got

all dolled up before stepping out.

When Susan and Kent arrived at the thpark, Sophia and Brandon were gearing up to grab a bite with Theresa at the theme

restaurant.

Sophia was a tad surprised to see the two rock up together, "What brings you guys here?"

"Just felt like getting out of the house, blow off ssteam," Kent jumped in before Susan could speak, pulling out a chair for her

and one for himself before sitting down.

Susan chimed in, "Yeah, it's been ages since I've had sfun; thought I'd tag along."

Sophia got the picture and let it be, not prying any further.

She'd be over the moon if those two hit it off, though it didn't seem like they were there yet.

Brandon kept mum the whole time, just turning to signal the waiter for two more sets of silverware.

Theresa was overjoyed to see her godmother and Kent join in.

Kent teased her, "Having a blast with mom and dad, aren't ya?"

Theresa gave a serious nod, "Yep."

Kent probed further, "So what did you guys get up to?"

Theresa thought hard, ticking off on her fingers, "Roller coaster, water rafting, bumper cars, merry-go-round."

She rattled off a list and seemed ready for more.

"Does our little treasure want to keep the party going?" Susan picked up the thread, asking her.

Without hesitation, Theresa's head was bobbing, "Yep."

"How about Theresa goes for another round with Susan and me?" Kent smoothly offered.

Theresa's eyes lit up, and she nodded frantically, "Yes!"

Then, remembering her parents were still there, her questioning gaze shifted back to Sophia and Brandon.

Sophia glanced at Susan, who was playfully pinching Theresa's nose, laughing, "Geez, look at you, all giddy. Why don't you just

move into the amusement park and play from dawn till dusk?"

There wasn't a hint of annoyance in her demeanor.

Sophia figured the two were still in that awkward, flirty phase and probably wanted Theresa around as a buffer to dodge any

awkward silences. She gave a nod and told Theresa, "You gotta behave when you go out with Susan and Kent, got it?"

Theresa nodded right away.

Brandon also patted her head, adding, "Go ahead if you want, Theresa."

Theresa was over the moon; she hadn't had her fill of fun yet, and now that she had company for another round, she was buzzing

with excitement. So, the moment everyone polished off their meal, she couldn't wait and started pestering Susan and Kent to

hustle and go have sfun.

"So, should we take Theresa to have a blast first?"

Kent and Susan, who were also stuffed, looked over at Sophia and Brandon to see what they thought.

Sophia and Brandon nodded in unison.

"Keep a close eye on Theresa," Brandon cautioned.

"Don't sweat it. I've been looking after Theresa since she was a wee one."

Susan said with a smile, just about to scoop up Theresa when Kent beat her to the punch and lifted her up.

Theresa, still with her parents on her mind, couldn't help but say to Brandon and Sophia, "Mommy, Daddy, just hang here, okay?

Wait for me. I'll be right back after playing."

"Have fun with Kent and your godmom." Brandon told her, "Don't worry about us."

"Okay."

Theresa nodded, said her quick goodbyes to Sophia and Brandon, and then took off with Kent and Susan to ride the roller coaster.

The once lively dining table suddenly went quiet, leaving just Sophia and Brandon.

Without Theresa's constant chatter, the table felt empty, and Sophia was a bit out of sorts, clueless about what to talk with

Brandon about. The thought of sitting in silence with Brandon for a couple of hours made her hesitate, so she glanced back at the

tthat had already walked away.

"Maybe | should go check on them, too," she said, getting ready to stand up.

Brandon shot her a look, "Why would you want to be a third wheel?"

Brandon had already picked up his phone, quickly paid the bill with a scan, and then stood up, suddenly bending down to grab

Sophia's hand.

"Let's go have sfun ourselves."

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