Part 2The Rebound Theory

New York is a massive city, but sometimes it feels like a small town. A week later, I walked into a Starbucks near my apartment, and there they were.

"Dr. Ethan!" Lily shouted.

Sitting across from Maya and Lily was another woman.

"Ethan, this is my best friend, Chloe," Maya introduced us. "And Lily’s godmother."

Chloe squinted at me. "Ethan? Wait. Did you go to UCLA?"

"Yeah," I said, bracing for impact.

"I knew it!" Chloe slammed her hand on the table. "Maya, how do you not know this? This is Ethan! The MC from graduation! One of the 'Med School Hotties'!"

Maya looked at me, confused. "You were the host?"

She remembered the MC. She definitely didn't remember the guy who awkwardly hit on her.

"Wait," Chloe continued, loud enough for the whole café to hear. "Ethan, you don't remember Maya? How is that possible?"

Maya grabbed Chloe’s arm. "Ethan, ignore her. She has zero filter. Are you meeting someone? Don't let us keep you."

"Actually, I’m free," I said. "Lily, do you want to see Disney on Ice? I have extra tickets."

Total lie. I would pay a scalper triple the price in the parking lot if I had to.

"Yes! Can Dr. Ethan come, Mom?" Lily begged.

Maya hesitated. "You should probably call him 'Uncle Ethan'."

"If he comes, I'll call him whatever he wants!"

And that’s how I ended up on a date with my dream girl and her daughter.

We had an amazing day. Maya wore a red dress that knocked the wind out of me. We ate gelato, walked through Central Park, and for a few hours, I pretended we were a family.

When I got home to my empty apartment, the loneliness hit me like a truck. I knew I was playing with fire. She had a husband somewhere. I was just the nice doctor entertaining her kid.