7. Rendal

CHAPTER 7

Rendal

I watch Zola and Penelope chase each other around the playground, their laughter carrying on the warm breeze. A sense of contentment washes over me as I turn to Chloe, sitting beside me on the bench.

"It's days like these that make everything worth it," I say, feeling at peace.

Chloe nods, her eyes softening as she watches the girls play. "I see this kind of joy every day at school," she says, a smile playing on her lips.

I can't help but chuckle. "Must be nice. My days are full of grumpy developers and impossible deadlines."

She laughs, the sound light and musical. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. At least you don't have to deal with glitter explosions and crayon masterpieces on the walls."

"True," I concede with a grin. "Though I've seen some pretty questionable whiteboard drawings in my time."

Chloe raises an eyebrow. "Worse than a kindergartner's self-portrait?"

"You'd be surprised. Ever seen a flowchart drawn by a sleep-deprived coder? It's modern art at its finest."

She giggles, shaking her head. "I'll take your word for it. Still, I bet you don't have to break up fights over who gets to be the line leader."

"Nah, just arguments over who gets to name the new software release. Last time, we nearly ended up with 'Unicorn Sparkle Version 2.0.'"

Chloe bursts into laughter, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Now that I'd like to see!"

I feel a warmth spread through my chest at the sound of her laughter. It's moments like these, simple and unguarded, that make me realize how much I've come to care for her.

I lean back on the bench, watching Zola and Penelope engage in what looks like an epic game of tag. Their shrieks of laughter fill the air as they dart between playground equipment.

"Speaking of energy," I say, nodding towards the girls, "you must have a secret stash somewhere to keep up with a classroom full of kids like that."

Chloe grins. "Oh, you have no idea. It's like herding cats on a sugar high some days."

"Try herding developers with a caffeine addiction," I counter. "Last week, I caught two of them having a nerf gun battle over the last energy drink in the fridge."

She laughs, her eyes sparkling. "I couldn't handle that. I'll stick to finger painting…even if it ends up on the walls."

"I'm sure it looks like some of the incessant programming battles I've dealt with. Ever tried to decipher code written entirely in emoji?"

Chloe shakes her head, giggling. "Can't say I have. But I am skilled at decoding a five-year-old's story about their weekend." She gives me a smile. "More so than you'd ever believe."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Try me."

She clears her throat dramatically. "Okay, here's one from last week: 'I went to the moon and saw a purple elephant eating spaghetti with my grandma.'"

I burst out laughing. "Okay, you win. That's way more creative than anything my team could come up with."

"It's not all fun and games though," Chloe says, her smile softening. "Sometimes it's heartbreaking. Like when a kid's having a rough day at home and you can see it in their eyes."

I nod, understanding. "Yeah, I get that. It's tough when personal stuff bleeds into work. Had a guy going through a nasty divorce last month. Kept mixing up his variables with his ex-wife's name."

Chloe winces sympathetically. "Ouch. How'd you handle that?"

"Lots of patience and maybe a few extra coffee runs," I admit. "Sometimes being a manager is more about being a friend than a boss."

She nods, her eyes warm. "I feel the same way about teaching. It's not just about ABCs and 123s. It's about being there for them, you know?"

I feel a surge of admiration for her. "You're amazing, you know that? The way you care about those kids..."

Chloe blushes slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. It means a lot to hear that."

We share a moment of comfortable silence, watching our daughters play. I can't help but feel grateful for this connection we're building, one conversation at a time.

Deciding to lighten the mood, I turn to Chloe. "And speaking of the crazy things kids do, I think you'll get a kick out of this."

A smile tugs at her lips. "About Zola?"

I nod and she shifts closer toward me, looking eager. "So, the other day, Zola decided she wanted to train our cat, Mr. Whiskers, to do tricks," I begin, a grin spreading across his face. "She spent hours trying to get him to jump through a hoop and even tried to bribe him with treats. The cat just sat there, looking completely unimpressed."

Chloe bursts out laughing, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "I can totally picture that! Kids and their wild ideas," she says, still giggling. "It's just like when my students try to teach each other new games on the playground."

I chuckle, remembering Zola's determined face as she tried to coax Mr. Whiskers into performing. "Oh, it gets better," I say, leaning in conspiratorially. "After an hour of trying, Zola decided to show Mr. Whiskers how it's done. She got down on all fours and started crawling through the hoop herself, meowing the whole time."

Chloe's laughter rings out, her whole body shaking with mirth. "Oh my God, that's adorable!"

"I wish I'd recorded it," I admit, grinning. "Mr. Whiskers just sat there, looking at her like she'd lost her mind. I swear that cat rolled his eyes at one point."

"I can just imagine," Chloe says, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "What did Zola do next?"

I shake my head, still amused by the memory. "She decided Mr. Whiskers needed a costume to get into character. Next thing I know, she's chasing him around the house with one of her doll's tutus."

Chloe snorts, covering her mouth with her hand. "Poor Mr. Whiskers!"

"Yeah, he wasn't having any of it," I say, chuckling. "He hid under my bed for hours. Zola kept trying to lure him out with treats, but he wasn't falling for it."

"Smart cat," Chloe remarks, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

I nod, grinning. "Smarter than me, apparently. I made the mistake of suggesting Zola try again tomorrow. She took that as permission to turn our living room into a circus training ground."

Chloe raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh no, what happened?"

"Let's just say, I came home from work to find cushions arranged into an obstacle course, complete with a makeshift tightrope made from her jump rope," I explain, shaking my head at the memory. "And there was Zola, trying to balance a book on her head while walking across it, 'demonstrating' for Mr. Whiskers."

Chloe bursts into another fit of giggles. "That's priceless! Did Mr. Whiskers ever attempt the tightrope?"

I snort, remembering the cat's unimpressed expression. "Are you kidding? He took one look at the setup and promptly curled up for a nap right in the middle of it. Zola declared him the 'Sleeping Beauty' of the circus."

After another hour, we decide it's time to get the girls out of the sun. We all pile into my car, having carpooled from Chloe's house, and it feels so right to have Chloe next to me and Zola and Penelope in the back talking excitedly.

I pull into Chloe's driveway, the car filled with the excited chatter of Zola and Penelope recounting their playground adventures. As we step out, the girls dash towards the house, their energy seemingly endless.

"Slow down, you two," Chloe calls out, laughing as she unlocks the front door.

I chuckle, following behind. "I swear they run on some kind of supernatural power source."

Once inside, Zola and Penelope make a beeline for Penelope's room, their giggles echoing down the hallway. Chloe and I find ourselves alone in the kitchen, the sudden quiet a stark contrast to the day's chaos.

"Want something to drink?" Chloe asks, moving towards the fridge.

"Water's fine, thanks," I reply, leaning against the counter.

As Chloe grabs two glasses, I can't help but smile. "You know, I think Zola's planning to smuggle Mr. Whiskers here for a playdate next time."

Chloe turns, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh no, not another circus training attempt?"

"God, I hope not," I groan, though I can't keep the grin off my face. "I don't think my living room could survive round two."

She hands me a glass of water, her fingers brushing mine. "Well, if she does, we could always set up an obstacle course in the backyard. Might be safer for the furniture."

I laugh, shaking my head. "Don't give her any ideas. Next thing you know, she'll be trying to teach Penelope how to be a lion tamer."

"With stuffed animals, I hope," Chloe giggles.

Our laughter fills the kitchen, and I feel a warmth spreading through my chest. Chloe's eyes are bright, her cheeks flushed from laughing, and suddenly, I'm overwhelmed by how beautiful she is.

Without thinking, I lean in towards her. Chloe seems to have the same idea, moving closer. But in our eagerness, we misjudge the distance and our noses collide awkwardly.

We both pull back, eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, we just stare at each other, and then we burst into laughter.

"Well, that was graceful," I joke, rubbing my nose sheepishly.

Chloe's still giggling, her cheeks now a deeper shade of pink. "Let's try that again," she says, her voice softening as she meets my eyes.

I lean in once more, this time moving slowly and carefully. Our lips meet in a gentle, tender kiss that quickly deepens as we lose ourselves in the moment.

The world around us seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us and the undeniable connection we share. When we finally pull apart, we both wear matching smiles, our eyes reflecting the warmth and affection we feel.

"That was much better," I whisper.