One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 84: It's a family date, isn't it? ~~~It killsto think how much you tried to makes thinks to work. I wouldn't listen to you. All I would do is put myself first. I took you for granted and I pushed you away a little more each day. Somewhere inside this hell I have seen my mistakes. Oh, but now it's too late. What I wouldn't give just to go back when you were in my life... I'll do it right this time~~~ -Blake Shelton- "Mommy, can I play with them?" Cali askedpointing to the group of children her the sage playing hide and sick near where we were sitting.

I can see the excitement showing in her eyes, so I tried to play a joke on her.

"Hmm... letthink of it." "Huh?" And I chuckled as the excitement on her face turned to disappointment. "Mommy, please?" She even kissedon the forehead and hugged my neck tightly to make sure I agreed. Little did she know that I was just playing with her. "Fine, you can play with them, but don't go to the farther side, okay?" She nodded happily. "And promise to be careful." "I will, Mommy, thank you. I love you." "I love you too, baby." She's my source of strength but she's also my weakness.

She kissedon both cheeks before running to the children who were now enjoying playing.

I watched her as she starts talking to them and later, they started plating a new game.

-'Tflies so fast. I now have an eight-year-old Cali and a few years from now, she would be a teenager, soon having a boyfriend and God---how could I start living without my daughter by my side when she already got married? Haist!'- I sighed loudly as I shake that thought out of my head. What am I thinking about? She's too young for that! "Ahh!" "Oops! Baby, be careful!" I screamed when I saw that Cali was about to fall, but thank God that one of her playmates helped her and immediately pulled her hand. Thanks to that little boy. I promise to treat him later. And when she got back on her feet, she gavea flying kiss and started running again. I couldn't help letting out again another sigh. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"It's okay, it's a part of growing up." "Huh!" But I gasped in surprise when someone spoke behindand my head automatically snapped from where the voice was coming from. It's not that I didn't recognize who the owner was, but the question that swirled in my mind---'what is he doing here' madeturn to him. And my breath suddenly stuck in my throat the moment I saw him. He wore jeans and a plain white shirt that shows how beautiful his body is.

"Hi." Luke greeted, showing the dimple on the left side of his cheek and his pearly white teeth. His familiar sandalwood scent hit my nostrils and that madehold my breath for a second.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, avoiding his gaze and trying to hide the shock in my voice.

"Uhm, I just want to see you and my daughter---" "How did you know we're here?" I asked again, not letting him finish his sentence.

"Well... can I sit here?" He pointed out the vacant space on the blanket.

I nodded, with a slight smile. Do I have a choice? "I was actually going to visit Cali, but your maid toldyou two are in the park, so I decided to go here." He said when he's finally seated. "By the way, I bought pizza and burgers on my way here." And that was only when I noticed the brown paper bags next to him.

"You shouldn't have bought anything, Melly has already prepared a lot of snacks for the little girl to make sure she won't get hungry." But he just smiled atand started to unpack what's inside the paper bags. A large Hawaiian flavored pizza, 3 large cheeseburgers, French fries and large drinks for three.

"Yeah, I know you won't get here not prepared but I also don't want to get here empty-handed, so I bought Cali's favorites." "Oh, okay." I shrugged and then nodded before turning my attention to Cali who was now laughing loudly as she ran away from her boy playmate. The slittle boy who helped her earlier.

"Hey, Cali, slow down! I can't reach you!" The boy shouted running after her.

"Oh, con, you can do it, Kyle!" She giggled and that madelaugh at the stime.

A few minutes later, my attention has already been caught by the children and speople at the park in which, I becoblivious of the stare of the man sitting next to me. I didn't notice how the smile curled on his lips just looking atand then he simply looked away when I turned to him.

"Aherm." He cleared his throat.

I raised an eyebrow as I got confused about what he was doing.

"Uhm, do you have any plans after this? I mean, are you going somewhere else after wandering around here?" My eyebrow remained in its position as he askednot looking atbut at his hands that resting on his knees. "We're thinking about going to the coffee shop near Jack's old apartment, the one near the college university." I answered straight which I immediately regretted. '-Why the hell did I tell him our plans?'- I mentally slapped my forehead. I shouldn't have told him about it. "Oh, great, I can take you there, if you want." And that's only when he looked atwith a wide smile painted on his lips.

"No, it's okay---" but my words died in mid-air as I got interrupted by our daughter who's now running back to our seat.

"Daddy!" She screamed excitedly and she lunged on her father, hugging him around the neck.

"Oops! Be careful, my princess." Luke said in between his laugh as he hugged his daughter close to him.

And by watching them, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Cali seemed so happy seeing her father.

I turned to them again and listened to their conversation as if I wasn't around.

"Daddy, how did you know that we're here?" She asked the smile in her face hasn't faded. Luke lifted her and placed her on his lap before answering her question.

"Well, I cto your grandma's house and was going to visit you, but Melly toldthat you and your mom were here, so I decided to follow. And while I was on my way, I bought you snacks. Pizza, burger and fries." "Whoa! Those are my favourites!" She even clapped her hands in excitement.

"Yeah, I know that's why I bought them for you and they are here." Luke removed the paper bag that was covering the box of pizza. Now I know why he put it on top of the box earlier.

"Yehey! Can I eat them now, daddy?" "Of course, these are all yours." "But what about mommy?" That was when she remembered me.

"Well, I bought sfor mommy too." I gulped when I heard that familiar word from him. "Mommy." And he gavethe burger and soft drink in a can with a hopeful smile on his lips. But since Cali was watching, I have no choice but to returned his smile and accept the food.

"Thanks." I simply uttered, averting my eyes away.

"You're welcome." I heard him say, but pretended not to hear it and busied myself opening the can of soft drink.

"Daddy, mommy and I were planning to go to the coffee shop near Auntie Jack's apartment after this," Cali said While munching the burger in her mouth. "Yeah, that's what your mom told me." He said nodding to her which made her eyes widen and light up with excitement... again.

"Really?" Her eyes moving fromand to her father.

"Yup---" "Are you coming with us?"...her follow up question.

"Uhm---" "Con, daddy, just say yes and cwith us!" "My princess, I think you should ask your mommy first about it." "Huh?" Cali turned to me. "Mommy, can daddy cwith us go to the coffee shop?" I gulped in an instant as they both looked at me, waiting forto say yes.

"Cali---" "Mommy, please? Let's take daddy with us, please?" And she used again her puppy eyes style.

Haist. How would I say no to this adorable child of mine? "Okay, we'll go there with your daddy." And that's it.

"Yehey!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands. "It's a family date, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Luke and I turned to her at the ith a stime, but with a different m reaction. While he seemed surprised by what he had heard, I was shocked and felt awkward about it.

At that moment, while Cali was waiting for our answers, Luke and I shared a look. I think that's one of the I things I should tell my daughter about. The question is that --- how would I start to explain to her that we can never beca family again? How would it be if I still couldn't forgive her father for what he did? If we already had our own life... he already had Cherry and I have David.