JC smirked, a polite smile forming as diners around them grinned and whispered every few minutes. He should have been used to blocking it all out by now, but deep down, he would always be more comfortable behind the scenes, living his life privately. 

His lunch companions were a bit more outgoing about it, having signed a couple autographs already. 

“So...J here tells me you’ve had a little reunion of sorts...A certain author?”

JC smiled and shook his head “Justin has a big ass mouth...And he started it…”

Justin grinned, swallowing a swig of his beer before answering “Someone had to…”

“So it’s true? You and Hannah…”

JC nodded “Yeah…”

“Nice. I always liked her...Not that you brought her around enough…” Lance teased.

“Well…” JC blushed.

“They were ‘casual’” Justin air quoted before laughing lightly.

“Whatever…” JC mumbled.

“What about now?” Lance asked. 

“What about now?” JC countered.

“Still casual?”

JC sighed “Not...exactly...Things are ...complicated.”

“How so?”

JC looked to Justin, who feigned innocence as he shrugged.

“J didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Lance asked, a suspicious look on his face.

JC took a breath “Well, uh...Hannah has a kid…”

“WHAT?” Lance’s eyes went wide “Oh wow...and you’re...cool with that? I mean you never-”

“I know…” JC cut him off. “She’s a pretty cool little girl, though…” JC beamed.

“Oh damn C...You’re all in, huh?” Justin looked at him in almost shock. 

JC shrugged, reaching for his drink “I guess I am…”

Their conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. Looking down, his brow furrowed.

“Uhhh...I have to take this...Get me the tacos, yeah?”

JC stepped aside to a hidden corner to answer.

“Annie?” 

“Hey Jace,” she sighed “I have to cancel tomorrow. I’m so sorry…”

Hearing the frustration in her voice, he was concerned “What’s going on, mama…”

She let out a slow breath “Andy…”

JC winced, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sighed back “Did he bail again?”

“He did…” she replied. “Livie was really looking forward to it. Ice cream. I should have known…” she sighed. 

JC nodded as he took a breath. They were supposed to be spending a day at the beach together the next day. He felt himself get sad when he realized his disappointment was more in Olivia being let down than losing a day with Hannah. 

“What was his excuse this time?”

“Same thing it always is...work…”

“Have you told her yet?”

Hannah was quiet “I had a meeting. She’s with my mom...I’ll tell her when she gets home…”

“I’m sorry, Hannah…”

“It’s not you...I just hate that I keep having to cancel plans.”

“That’s not you either, and we can reschedule...It’s not a big deal. Just...Make sure she’s ok. “

“Thanks, Jace…” Hannah resigned herself. 

They hung up and JC took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly as he walked back to the table Justin and Lance were waiting at. His focus had been compromised. He had to find a way to cheer both Hannah and Olivia up.

****

The next day, Hannah brushed her little girl’s hair back out of her face, squeezing the stuffed kitten in her hands as she heard the doorbell ring. A puzzled look on her face, she excused herself. She wasn’t expecting anyone. 

“I’ll be right back, ok baby?” She kissed the top of her head and ran down the stairs, not wanting to be away from her for longer than she needed to right now. 

Opening the door, she stood caught off guard. 

“Jace...What are you doing here…?”

He smiled softly “Well...I was in the neighborhood?”

Hannah softened a bit “It’s not a good time...Liv is ...Well she really wanted ice cream… and her dad...who I might kill…”

JC smiled “Yeah...Thought that might be the case...So let’s go get some ice cream…” 

“You didn’t have to...Look I know we had plans…”

He shrugged. “ Plans change…”

A small voice interrupted them. 

“Mommy…” Olivia appeared next to her, tears still in her eyes. 

Hannah sighed “Baby I said I’d be right back…”

Olivia looked up at her and then noticed JC in the doorway, her eyes lighting up a little. 

“Josh!” 

He crouched down to her level.

“Hey Livie...I heard you wanted some ice cream…”

She nodded quietly.

“You think mommy will let us go get some?”

She looked up at Hannah, hopeful “Mommy, please?”

Hannah looked at her, then to JC and smiled. “Go get your jacket, baby girl…”

Olivia ran off excited “Can kitty come?”

“Of course! Cats like ice cream, too!” JC called after her.

Looking back, she giggled before heading to her room. 

Hannah turned back to him, eyes dancing. 

“You’re...something..” she shook her head, leaning forward to kiss him quickly.

He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. 

“Just couldn’t stand the thought of her upset…” he cast his gaze up the stairs toward Olivia, and Hannah melted.

**

Olivia broke free from Hannah’s hand as they entered the cafe, way too excited about her ice cream to hold on any longer. 

“OLIVIA …” Hannah called as she went to grab her. JC got to her first, scooping her up easily.

“HEY little lady...slow down…” he smiled. She giggled as JC held her tight.  “If you fall and crack your head it’s gonna be kinda hard to eat ice cream.” 

“I’m not gonna fall!” she proclaimed .

“Well not NOW…” he smiled.

Hannah looked on, too caught up to say anything as she walked up behind them at the display case.

JC turned Olivia to face the row of flavors to choose from. “What kind of ice cream do you want, Livie?”

She was kicking her feet. “BUGGLE GUM!” 

“Bubble Gum?! Yeah? You sure?”

She nodded her head emphatically. “Yes! Buggle gum!”

Hannah laughed “Baby you know you can’t have bubble gum…”

JC gave her a questioning look.

“Mama PLEASE?” she pouted.

“Liv you don’t eat the ice cream…”

“I eat it!” she reasoned. 

Hannah laughed “Uh huh…”

Olivia gave JC a look. He had seen puppies with less pouty eyes. He shook his head. He had no hope of winning this one. 

“Pleeeeaaaaase?” he winked at Hannah. 

Hannah sighed. “You’re cleaning it up if she makes a mess” she whispered.

“Deal! One buggle gum for the livie-bug!” he smiled. 

They sat down with their ice cream, and Hannah stayed quiet. She was going to enjoy this. JC had no idea what he was in for. She took a bite from her own cup, and watched as Olivia immediately dug her little fingers carefully into the cold scoop to retrieve a gumball. 

“Livie...You have a spoon…” she reminded her.

With mischievous eyes, Olivia lowered her gaze and silently picked up her spoon. Her effort resulted in flinging a gumball to the floor, a little sigh escaping her. 

“Hey what’s that taste like?” JC tried.

“Buggle gum…” Olivia answered him, staring at him like he had three heads.

JC bit his lip. “Yeah? You sure? You haven’t even eaten any of it.”

Olivia looked down at her cup, considering his words. She carefully scooped some ice cream into her spoon and took a bite. 

“It’s yummy!” she exclaimed.

JC smiled “Nice...Have more!”

He looked to Hannah, proud. 

Hannah sighed, amused, directing his attention back to Olivia, who had taken another bite, only to spit half of it back into the cup. As he looked to her, she proudly produced a gumball from her mouth. “It’s pink!” 

JC stifled the urge to laugh. “Olivia, eat the ice cream…”

The next 20 minutes consisted of the three of them enjoying their treats, while Olivia made her way through a gumball excavation. Ice cream half melted, Olivia found one more gumball, digging for it as she lost her grip, sending melted liquid flying directly onto JC’s shirt. 

Staring up at him with a gumball and ice cream stained mouth, she laughed. 

“Livie...That wasn’t very nice…” JC looked at her.

“I’m sorry!” she cheerfully apologized. 

Hannah looked on. “Livie...You’re a mess!”

She shook her head “Noooo”

“Yeesssss” Hannah teased back at her. 

“I got it…” JC smiled, getting up to grab more napkins.

He came back and set to work on Olivia’s face.

“No!” she wriggled, backing away from the napkin. 

“Livie can I see your hands?” he asked softly.

She held them out, JC wiping them but finding the napkins sticking to the congealed sugar stains.

Olivia shook her hands to try to get them off as JC pulled bits of paper away, and tried wiping his own shirt.

After a few minutes, Hannah laughed softly.

“What?” JC looked at her.

Sighing, she dug into her bag, producing a package of baby wipes and a stain remover wipe.

“Need these?”

A slow smile crept across JC’s face. “You’ve been holding out on me…”

“You had to learn the hard way, grasshopper…” she winked.

Chuckling, he took the wipes and repeated his clean up efforts on Olivia. 

This time, it went much more smoothly.

“Well THAT’S better...You look like Olivia again!” he smiled at her. 

Olivia kicked her legs back and forth, the sugar setting in.

“Ready to get home, baby?” she cooed at Hannah.

Olivia nodded then looked at JC “Thank you for the ice cream….”

JC grinned. Such a tiny, polite human. “You’re welcome, cutie..”

Hannah and JC made their way back to Hannah’s house, Olivia knocking out in the back seat not long after they had gotten in the car. 

Hannah beamed at him from the passenger’s seat. “You were really good with her…”

JC smiled “That was fun.”

“Your cleaning skills could use some work, but, she likes you…”

JC smirked “I like her…”

Hannah sighed “Jace look I know...a lot is different. It’s been years and I have a kid. You have your whole career going and this was really nice, but, I know it’s a lot to be around.”

JC smiled, focused on the road as he spoke “It’s great to be around. “

Hannah bit her lip “For now. She’s cute and little and, well she was mostly behaving today. It’s not always like that. But she’s my priority. Always.” She sighed. “I’ll have to cancel more plans. I’m tired a LOT more. “

“Hannah...I’m a big boy...I can handle it.” JC reassured her.

She pressed her head back into the seat. “Yeah...I’ve heard that before…” she mumbled.

JC sighed “Hannah...I’m not him. I’m not even me from all those years ago. You’re right. I’ve made mistakes.  I DON’T know much about what comes with having a kid around. But I can learn. I can try. As much as you want me to. Hannah, she’s part of you, and I want BOTH of you in my life.”

Hannah smiled, glancing back at her daughter sleeping in the backseat, and then to JC behind the wheel. She had to admit, she could get used to this. It was the life she could have never known she wanted, even if it had taken a few detours and unexpected paths to get here.