“Candace, sweetheart… meet Dylan,” I say, with a brief pause to soften the moment. “My boyfriend.”
She just barely furrows her brow, and a slight blush colors her cheeks. Even so, she stands up with some timidity and approaches, shuffling her feet with slow, measured steps.
“Hello, Candace. How are you?” Dylan asks, bending down a little to be at her level, with a gentle voice that seems to want to build a bridge between them.
“Mommy… what time are we leaving?” The question seems like a subtle attempt to avoid the interaction. But I don't want to let it go unnoticed.
“You didn't respond to Dylan's greeting,” I say gently.
She sighs, a sigh so soft it almost gets lost in the air.
“Hello. I'm fine,” she repeats, this time looking at him directly, but showing some reluctance.
I look at
