A New Tradition

"It would help." 542 was good at his job but could have a tendency toward resignation for a coupling. It was why Angela's presence in his life had made him far more successful.

"You might have access to a perfect muse to get the ball rolling."

"I hear she's the best." 542 grinned at his love.

Jake -- The last weekend in January

'I'm about to get Sandy leashed up and head over to the park. Are you two still coming?' Jake tapped out a group message to Rissa and Natalie.

Throughout January, getting the dogs together at the park became a new tradition for Saturday mornings. Rissa and Nat brought Chester to come to play with Sandy. It was effective at tiring the energetic young spaniel out for at least the day, though she awoke every Sunday ready to go on her customary long run.

Chester wasn't the only thing that had Sandy excited to get to the dog park every weekend; the little girl, who also came along with the retriever, was the highlight of his Brittany's week. Clementine gave the dogs her undivided attention and plenty of pats. Jake needed the time to socialize with friends as much as his canine companion. Tabitha was becoming a constant bright spot during his weekends. They had developed a teasing and flirtatious relationship in the three weekends they had kept the new habit going.

The ladies had always been reliable, but six inches of snow the day before might have been enough to cancel plans for Sandy and Chester to play at the dog park. The impromptu play dates had effectively tired his puppy out, even if it required him to bathe her after two of the play dates.

'The roads are fine, and there's no wind. The goof loves the snow, so we're on the way!' Natalie texted back.

'Sounds good. I'll bundle up and walk over.'

"Park, Sandy!" The pup had been snoozing in a sunbeam, but the invocation of the park had her interested instantly.

The dog park was only a couple of blocks away in the snow. It took a little longer than average in the deep snow. The waterproof boots that Jake had found still tucked in a moving box were a great boon for the day. Sandy bounced through the snow like a bunny rabbit with the most joyous and goofy look on her face. Snow wasn't uncommon in the region, but it was only the second time in her life that they had gotten more than a trace. The first had come only a couple months after Jake adopted her.

Jake's heart sank a little when he turned the corner toward the park, and he only saw a single SUV in the parking lot. As much as he tried to keep himself from getting too close to Tabitha, lest she stomp on his ailing heart, something was brewing between them. It would still be nice to talk to Ris and Nat, but there wouldn't be any additional chances to practice his flirting with the beautiful mother.

Natalie and Clarissa were already at the park when he got there. Chester was bounding through the snow after a ball, chased by a little girl wearing a puffy winter jacket that almost made her look like a mummy, or maybe the Michelin man was the more apropos image. Tabitha had her cell phone out as she took pictures of her daughter. Jake smiled when he saw her. Maybe it's time that I ask her out. Something's going on here.

"Hey, Jake!" Rissa yelled out and waved from inside the enclosure.

"I didn't know you were bringing guests. Hello, Tabitha and Clementine! Nice to see you again."

"Clementine needed more puppy time." Tabitha shrugged nonchalantly but had the tiniest of smirks on her features.

"Go, Sandy. Go play with Chester." The Brittany beelined for the structure before she barked once at Chess and sped off to grab the squeaky ball that Clem had just thrown.

Conversation flowed easily again as the adults occasionally collected photos of the pups and Clementine having a grand time in the snow. At times Jake didn't have anything helpful to add as Tabi and Nat discussed where they wanted to take their dissertations, so he just listened to the two brilliant women. The program should only take a couple of years, maybe slightly longer if their day jobs slowed them down or if they wanted to do deeper research. Nat was planning on working full-time while completing it, which might extend it further.

Tabitha's job was being flexible to work around her duties as a mother and career. While Natalie wasn't sure what she would do with her degree when she graduated, Tabi's physician group wanted her to oversee nursing for the entire network. The current head was planning to retire in a couple of years and had been her mentor. As soon as Tab got her doctorate, she would spend a few months training her before the woman started her nationwide retirement tour to visit the pods of grandchildren scattered across the country.

The pups and Clementine had snow spraying everywhere as they ran, wrestled, and cavorted through the park. Frequent peels of innocent laughter poured out of the girl whenever the dogs did anything silly, which was frequent. Each time she giggled, Tabitha's face lit up.

After a half hour and plenty of sparkling conversation, Jake took his turn to play fetch with the pair of canines. Chester would bring the ball back to him if the retriever tracked the ball down. Sandy, however, just used the ball as an excuse to take off in another wild chase around the park. Clementine helped corral the young Brittany several times so Jake could fetch the ball and start the process over again.

When Jake crouched down to get the ball from Sandy again, a snowball hit him dead in the chest. Rissa's wicked grin gave away the culprit. Jake collected the squeak ball in one glove and clutched a snowball in the other. He tossed the ball toward the tall fence and unleashed a return volley toward Rissa.

His aim was off. Natalie caught the snowball on a shoulder instead of Ris. "Oh no, you didn't." Natalie giggled, scooped snow into her palms, and returned fire. The clump of white fell ineffectually a few feet in front of Jake. He ducked behind the agility structure and collected more wintery ammo. His next throw was headed toward Rissa perfectly, but she weaved out of the way. Tabitha looked surprised as snow exploded across her black colored coat.

"Oh! You're in trouble now, mister!" Tabitha slid her phone into a pocket and ducked behind a tree to get her own snowball going. Natalie and Rissa unleashed a salvo that forced Jake into cover.

Tabitha nailed him on the top of his head when he peeked back to take aim. "No fair! Three on one!" Jacob's protest may have worked better without the chuckles.

"It's not three-on-one! I'll help you!" Clementine joined him behind the structure.

"Thank you, Clementine. With your help, we might stand a chance." Jake managed to say before he caught a dense clump of snow in the shoulder.

The five-year-old tried her best, but the snow she threw barely made it over the distance to the women. Her arm might not be tipping the scales in his favor; however, it did make his trio of opponents' throws less fervent. Sandy and Chester chased the thrown objects that must have seemed to magically disappear when they hit the ground.

Natalie, Rissa, And Tabitha proved to be a formidable force. Ris and Nat kept up the withering cover fire as Tabi advanced. She weaved from tree to tree, ducking lithely out of the path just before the snow could make contact. Clementine's aim could get closer as her mother encroached on their position. Tab let out a battle cry as she ran out of cover and took aim at Jake. The impact of the precise snowball knocked Jake's sunglasses off his face before she scooped Clem up and ran back toward her teammates' frontline. The pair laughed and giggled the whole way back across the field.

"I surrender!" Jake waved his stocking cap like a flag as he stooped down to find his sunglasses. "You stole the only chance I had." His guffaws joined in with a chorus of laughs.

"That was fun. Thanks for being a good sport, Jake." Tabitha smiled so broadly that Jake could feel his heart melting.

"No problem. Can I interest you ladies in hot cocoa and marshmallows to warm up after our war? Consider it part of the peace treaty."

"I want cocoa!" Clem yelled out at her mother and two friends.

"Who am I to argue with her?" Natalie shrugged.

"I have some cookies to sweeten the deal," Jake mentioned before whistling for Sandy. "Dog treats are available to those that can't have sweets."

"This was all I had planned for today." Tabitha set her babe back on the ground. "We'll meet you there since we drove."

"How about I walk Chester over with you so we can keep the smell of wet dog out of the car?" Rissa leashed Chester while Natalie held open the first gate.

"Alright, we'll meet you two over there." Natalie quickly kissed her future bride before unlocking the SUV for Tabi and Clem.

Jake and Rissa trudged back through the snow as the other three took the long way from the park to his place. They couldn't cut through a narrow alley like Jake and Ris could on foot.

"What do you think about Tabitha?" Rissa asked, about half a block away from the park.

"She seems nice. She's cute and fun from everything that I've seen. Tabi also throws a mean snowball."

"She's single, you know. That's your one hint, mister." Rissa's expression got dour. "Having a kid isn't what's scaring you, is it?"

"It doesn't scare me..." Jake answered truthfully.

"But..." Ris grimaced.

"I would be cautious about asking her out. The thought of a family doesn't scare me." Jacob hoped he was portraying sincerity in his words. "However, I would hate to start something and for it not to work out for the kid. Especially when that kid seems as awesome as Clementine."

"No skipping steps, bub. Get to know her first before you worry about how it might affect Clem. Tabitha's protective of her little girl, so just listen to her. You should ask Tabi out for drinks sometime. Nat and I would love to babysit."

"I might have to do that, Rissa. Are you two ready for the big day? It's so close now." Jake switched subjects.

"I think so. My dress is ready to pick up on Monday, so it will feel much more real then. I still think it's silly that I hadn't realized I was in love with Natalie a year ago. It seems so obvious now. My life is immeasurably better with my soulmate to support me now." Jake could hear the indescribable joy in her voice. For once, he was happy that he had never asked her out. Rissa was meant to be with Natalie. Any chance he might have had with her would have ended in heartbreak.

The trio of ladies taking the SUV arrived at the house well before Rissa and Jake. A tap on his phone opened the garage door, so they didn't have to stay in the cold for long. Tabitha looked fetching in her warm workout wear as opposed to the dress she wore the first time that Jake had seen her. When she took off her coat, he couldn't help a quick glance at her fantastic booty.

"Where'd the cookies come from, Jake?" Natalie questioned as she picked up a frosted sugar cookie.

"I made them this morning. I'm going to take some of them to work for a friend's birthday on Monday. I didn't need the extras, though."

"You can bake?" Tabitha had a touch of a taunting tone in her voice as she grinned.

"Yes, I can." Jake nodded his head. "I didn't like cake as a kid. So, I learned to make cookies."

"You don't like cake?" Rissa sounded incredulous.

"I'll eat it, but I prefer cookies." Jake picked up a dog-shaped cookie and took a bite.

"Who doesn't like cake!?" Clementine was aghast.

"It's okay to not like things others do, sweety." Tabitha smiled. "Even if it's a little weird." The expression changed into a smirk that the little girl couldn't see. Her gaze fell on Jake and seemed to tease him a little more.

Clementine was delighted to find a trove of toys in one of the guest rooms. They were there for Jake's nieces and nephews to play with when his siblings came into town. He loved seeing them, but the small bunk beds and toys made it, so his brothers and sister wanted to stay with him instead of in a hotel when they visited.

Tabitha, Rissa, and Natalie were delightful to talk to. It was great to be seeing adults outside his family and his job. Since purchasing the house, much of his free time had been sucked into projects to modernize the property that hadn't been updated since it was built in the early nineties. He was incredibly proud of the tile in the kitchen that he and his older brother had done themselves. The only sloppy work was hidden underneath the refrigerator.

"Oh, shoot." Rissa was looking at her phone when she threw her hands up in frustration. "We can't use those dinner reservations tonight, babe. I forgot I traded on-call nights with Susan." There was the hint of a disingenuous tone in her voice.

"That's alright, Rissy. We'd already seen that play anyways. We'll just pay the cancellation fee and try again in six months." Natalie looked resigned before her eyebrows shot up. "Unless..." Jake felt like he was being set up for a punchline.

"Unless?" Tabitha questioned, taking the bait.

"Would you and Jake want to take the reservation? How often does Diego's have an open table?" Rissa's smile gave her away, but Jake didn't hate the idea. Still, he would wait to see which way Tabitha was leaning.

"You two were both actors in high school, right?" Natalie questioned. "Diego's and a night at the theatre sounds like a good time."

"I don't have a sitter." Tabitha looked intrigued as she threw out the obstacle.

"Yeah, you do. Rissa was the best babysitter in town back in high school."

"I'm not dressed up for this." Tabi had a slight smirk on her face.

"What you're wearing looks great." Jake hoped he didn't sound overly enthusiastic.

"She does," Rissa agreed. "However, Diego's has a dress code. We can run you by your apartment, Tab. Do you have a tie and sports coat, Jake?" Her attention turned to him.

"I have a suit or two. Tabitha, would you like to go to dinner and catch a show with me?" Jake managed to stay composed as he asked the beauty out on an actual date.

"I do have a dress I haven't worn yet." Tabitha's eyes turned to focus on Jake.

"You two could babysit here, I would suggest Tabi's, but you can't have dogs at your apartment, right?" Jake returned the gaze. Her brown eyes were so expressive and beautiful underneath her marmalade-rimmed glasses. "The backyard might make tending dogs easier."

"Come on, Tabi, I'll run you home so Jake can get ready." Rissa grabbed her keys from the counter.

"You know what? It sounds like fun. Clem, honey, do you want to ride back home with your mom or stay here and play with Nat?"

"I like these blocks." Clem's vision didn't leave the colorful tower she was building. Sandy and Chester lay near Clementine as they kept watch on the girl. Though it seemed like time running around had them exhausted, they weren't letting their dropping eyelids ruin their vigil.

Tabitha -- Several hours later

Jake dressed up nicely. He looked incredible in a well-tailored suit and tie that brought out the cerulean characteristics in his eyes. Diego's didn't disappoint; it wasn't a place that Tabitha would have customarily thought of for a first date. It was almost too romantic for the get-to-know-you phase of a relationship, but the pair didn't seem to mind. Quiet conversation let them get to know each other more profoundly than time with friends or playing with dogs had allowed.

Tabitha had been worried that an accountant might be a boring date, but Jake had led an exciting life. He was a runner and a rock climber. He had two brothers and a sister. One brother was older, while the younger pair were fraternal twins. Tabitha declined to answer too many questions about her own family as she wanted to stave off the inevitable tears. That wound was too raw.

They had attended the same college during their undergraduate studies. The nursing building was clear across the campus from the business school. It was slightly odd that they hadn't at least run into each other at a party or in prereq classes. Though intro classes at state were massive, even if they had shared a class, they might not have known it without comparing schedules. Jake was a year older, so he had a head start at the campus.

His blue eyes sparkled as they stretched their legs before the show. One moment they were leaning against a pole in the lobby and laughing about a story from his high school theatre production, and then there was a magical magnetism. She leaned on her heels as he bent down slightly to meet his lips. Tabi grabbed his tie to move him close enough to engage him.

The kiss was energetic but subtle, as they were still in public. Tabitha's heart raced, and her body came to life in a way it hadn't in years. Although she had made sure that she was present and emotionally available for Clem, the romantic portion of her had atrophied since Kirby had left. Her formally numb libido roared to life from just a single kiss.

"Not bad, Jake, not bad." She teased. Tabitha hoped that he didn't mind when her impish side snuck out.

"That's all I rate? Just a not bad." His gleaming smile screamed that he wasn't offended by the taunt. Challenged, maybe, but not offended. His lips met hers again, this time slightly more insistent.

Tabitha embraced him closer. The man had more tone than it appeared at first blush; she wanted his strong arms wrapped against her. The pair sidled around the pillar without breaking the smooch to get out of sight as patrons entered the theatre. There was a fire kindled in the kiss. An ember that Tabi had been worried had been doused permanently by tragedy and loss. Jake had a cocky grin when the kiss finally subsided.

"Okay, so we have physical chemistry too," Tabitha smirked before she reached out for his hand and pulled him toward the theatre.

During the play, the flame that had been reignited in Tabitha was burning with abandon in her head and heart. The romantic subject matter of the production undoubtedly aided in the amorous feelings blazing within her. It was such a simple thing, them holding hands wordlessly throughout the play, but it assisted in her falling for the intriguing accountant.

At intermission, they filed out of the theatre along with a majority of the crowd. After a brief stop by the restroom, the first time they had stopped holding hands since the kiss, Tabi pulled out her phone to check on Clem. Her heart raced when she saw numerous texts from Rissa and Natalie. Most of them, in the beginning, were photos of Clementine and the pups doing something cute.

'Rissa got called into work. We're going to run her over to the hospital.'

No big deal. Natalie knows how to take care of kids. She has a booster seat for her nephews. Tabitha kept herself calm before she read further down the text chain.

'Rodger's wife is having her baby!' An enthusiastic text filled with triumphant emojis came next. Rodger was Natalie's older brother awaiting his third son's birth. 'Clem and I are going to run by my apartment and get a suitcase, so we can go see them when Rissa gets off call.'

"Well, crap. I guess we need to head back home." Tabitha grumbled a little before scrolling further.

"Is everything okay?" Jake looked legitimately concerned for a moment.

"Yeah, Ris got called in, and Rodger's baby is on the way, so she needs to head in that direction. I need to go pick up Clem."

'We can't head toward Rodger's until after Ris gets off call, so don't rush home too quickly. Have fun with Jake.'

Tabitha momentarily thought before tapping out a message that they would be home after the play. Her libido would have liked the opportunity to take Jake home to her apartment, but that wouldn't happen tonight. Unless. It had been three and a half years since she had been with a lover, and for most of the time, Tabi had felt numb. Jake was awakening her body in a way that she didn't wholly understand, but she needed to act on it lest it fade again.