Alex - And the Lovely Boyfriend

A giant spiral slide stood in the middle of the park.

It had warm colors that fit the autumn theme. Its wide tube coiled tightly, making two twists before a half one at the bottom. People of all ages gathered around it. Adults held onto kids as they descended together. Friend groups created trains for their turns.

Other playground equipment circled around it. All filled with children.

Several swings littered the place. They were placed neared the picnic tables. It allowed for a few groups to have more privacy. For guardians, they could watch over both the children and their belongings.

Logan parked the car at the appropriate spot.

After he helped Alex, he revealed the picnic basket from the trunk.

He took out a thermos and handed it to her. "It's chicken broth to warm you up."

Alex could feel the heat from the canister. It melted off her frozen hands, turning them back to normal. "How—well, you just thought of everything, didn't you?"

"I had to." Logan snorted, closing the trunk. "You think I'd let anything slip for your father to disapprove? I'm not just impressing you. I have to impress him too. You bet I prepared well."

"So you told him about the escape room?"

"I did."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "How did he take it?"

"How about let's not talk about it?"

Since she held the thermos with both hands, Logan placed his free one on her upper back. He ignored the tables and led her to a clean spot under a tree. The workers had already raked most of the leaves.

He pulled out a blanket, unrolling it over the ground. The picnic basket sat on the other side while he and Alex sat together. The cool autumn air surrounded them.

Alex opened the thermos and filled the cap. Rich watery soup flowed into her mouth. The spices danced on her taste buds. The savory flavor enraptured her senses. She just might finish the whole canister.

"Wow, this tastes really good,��� She gasped, draining her second cup. She felt the broth pool inside her stomach. The warmth circulated across her body.

"Thanks but that's prepacked. I just heated it." Logan chuckled. Facing her, he had his legs crossed. He opened up the basket and pulled out some food.

Container after container covered the blanket. Each one had sliced vegetables, cooked shredded chicken and grated cheese. Two bottles consisted of hot sauce and salsa. Then, a pouch of tortilla joined the party.

"Are those chicken tacos?" Alex asked as she closed the thermos. She passed it to Logan, thinking if he wanted any. The smell of Mexican seasoning wafted into the air.

Her stomach rumbled again.

"Yep, soft chicken tacos," he confirmed. His hands opened each tupperware. "You can customize your own if you want more meat or more vegetables or both. Totally up to you. We also have guacamole. Dessert will be later."

Alex dived in. She grabbed a tortilla and used a spoon to fill it up. For her, she preferred lettuce and tomatoes for the vegetables. They made up the first layer. Chicken came next and the cheese topped it off.

She used both the salsa and the hot sauce. Then, she rolled it all together.

Shutting her eyes, Alex took the first bite. Her mouth chewed softly, relishing in the taste. The juices of the chicken mixed together with the salsa. The hot sauce added a little kick.

Alex noticed the silence mid-bite. Her right eye peeked at the corner.

Logan watched her closely, waiting for her verdict.

She chuckled and swallowed the food. "It's delicious. I want to try the second one with the guacamole. These tortillas are small enough for me to eat, at least, five servings."

"I'll tell mom about the compliment."

Logan began to make his own soft tacos. Unlike Alex, he started out with the salsa. He coated the tortilla and left a thin outer ring untouched. He combined both chicken and vegetables in one layer, favoring more onions. The cheese sprinkled at the center.

He folded it once and bit almost halfway through the taco.

"Aunt Tim helped you?" Alex asked, wiping the corners of her mouth.

"Dad had to leave for a meeting. Jae was who knows where. It was just us. She made the dessert. She was actually craving it and decided to share it with us."

"Is she pregnant?"

Logan choked. He put the taco down and covered his mouth. Alex checked the basket for some water. She found a water bottle, quickly handing it over. Logan accepted it instantly and gulped down a mouthful of water.

"What makes you think she's pregnant?" He asked, panting from the lack of breath. His throat felt hoarse.

"I don't know." Alex shrugged. She sat back down with her legs tucked under her. "I heard 'cravings' and I thought 'pregnant'. I wasn't really serious. Emily loved to joke about it whenever someone had cravings."

She leaned in closer and observed his face. "Don't you want a younger sibling?"

Logan dried his face with a tissue napkin. "I never really thought about it."

It had always been him and Jae. They weren't close to their extended families. He had cousins that he never met. He always thought that the next time he'd be related to a kid would either be his son or his brother's.

But a sibling? It didn't cross his mind even after the engagement.

Did they want a new family member? If so, would it be a boy or a girl?

Alex snapped her fingers, bringing him back to reality. "Are you threatened that you won't be the baby of the family anymore?"

Logan scoffed and clicked his tongue. He leaned in her direction. A mischievous smile stretched his lips. "How about I become your baby?"

In contrast, she wore a deadpan expression. "How about a no?"

"Then, honeybunch?"

"No."

"Sugarplum?"

"No."

"Pumpy-umpy-umpkin?"

Alex rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. "Now, you're just quoting lyrics."

"Well, what can I say?" Logan said. He spread his arms and shrugged. His tone followed the melody of the song. "You're my sweetie pie. You're my cuppycake, gumdrop and snoogums-boogums. You're—"

Before Alex could choke him herself, a soccer ball rolled towards them.

It hit Logan's leg.

Three kids sprinted in their direction. Two boys pumped up their legs, trying to outrun the other. The girl stayed back. She didn't want to join the competition. She knew they could be really competitive.

One of the boys cupped his mouth and yelled. "Hey, old man. Can you give us the ball back?"

At the sound of that, Logan stood up immediately. He held the ball in between his hands. His emerald green eyes glared at the boy. "Who are you calling an old man, you brat?"

"AAAHHH!" The kids screamed. They spun on their heels as Logan chased after them.

Alex covered her face. She could feel the eyes trained at their picnic spot. It seemed like Logan had little patience with kids. He'd have a hard time if he suddenly had a sibling. She couldn't imagine him taking care of a baby.

"You have a lovely boyfriend."

Twisting her neck, Alex met the eyes of an old woman. The latter sat on the picnic table with a pair of knitting needles. A ball of yarn sat beside her, lacing around the needles. She already managed to weave half a scarf.

Alex pressed her lips together. Her eyes followed Logan as he captured a kid and tossed the latter over his shoulder. The boy thrashed, trying to kick him. "I wouldn't say so…"

"Aw, come on, dear." The old woman giggled. Her stormy blue eyes almost disappeared from her wide smile. "No need to be shy. I know when two people are in love. That boy looks at you like you're the morning sun that lights up his day."

"I would disagree."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Why is that?"

Alex played with a dried leaf. Her fingers slowly ripped it apart while she watched Logan. He tickled the kid's stomach. The boy began to laugh as his legs continued to kick Logan.

A small smile teased her lips. It seemed like she judged too quickly.

When she spoke, her voice came out soft. "Because it's him who is more like the sun. Always bright. Always smiling. Always energetic… like nothing can bring him down."

The old woman stared at her kindly. "You better hold onto him then. Forever or not, you have to seize the moment. Let him know how much he means to you."

Alex dropped her gaze, grabbing another. The words swirled around her head. She looked at the picnic. All day, she received nothing but gifts from Logan. Her heart sank. She hadn't prepared him anything.

There had to be something she could do. Her eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. She regretted not visiting the bookshop. It seemed to have many trinkets.

Still, she didn't want to give up yet—even if she couldn't sneak away to buy something.

Alex snapped her head back towards the old woman.

"Do you have any suggestions?"