Uncertain, Yet Willing, Galen!

June 1st - Mid Morning

Trista Callahan didn't know what to expect. The day had approached faster than she'd thought. Two weeks ago, she had received notification that she had been matched. A spouse had been found, an appropriate match (as deemed by The Vow, Inc.) secured. Galen Anderson was just a name, a faceless man in a sea of many. Trista hoped that soon, soon he would be more than just a name, he would become real. A man that she could see herself with, a father for her daughter. Right now, the unknown should have terrified her. But, she found herself strangely numb, of little to no feeling. Should that be a red flag? The first sign in a string of many? Trista didn't believe in omens or signs or anything of that nature. She believed in truth, loyalty and chances. She was willing to give Galen a chance, so long as he treated Spencer kindly.

The man didn't have to take to her little girl, immediately. But, she would be scrutinizing the way he acted around her. Trista just wanted someone willing to accept the fact that her daughter came first, to be okay with her having a child. She had taken it as a good thing, during the course of their phone conversation, that he hadn't seemed concerned over that bit of information. Trista had decided to call him, to test the waters. Galen had been open to meeting, to her bringing Spencer along. They had decided to meet at a place where the child could run around, play. Trista didn't want her daughter to feel suffocated or awkward, sitting at a dinner with her mother and a strange new man. It was hard enough, introducing new people to Spencer. The five year old was extremely bashful around strangers, it took her a bit to warm up to someone.

She realized that she was feeling a touch of nerves, she wasn't sure how Spencer would take to meeting Galen. Trista wondered if maybe she should put off introducing the two. She hadn't exactly met the man herself. What if it was a complete disaster? Would she be emotionally damaging her young daughter, should it not work out? A sigh escaped, she didn't have time to back out now. Trista didn't have a babysitter in her back-pocket. Her parents had left a week ago, returning to Seattle. They felt comfortable enough to leave Trista and Spencer in peace, to let them adjust to life in their new town. Spencer would just have to content herself with the playground. It would give her and Galen time to talk, she just hoped it wouldn't be awkward.

Trista glanced at the time, she had decided to meet a little later in the morning, to give herself time to get Spencer up and going. The five year old wasn't exactly a morning person. The next half hour was spent, getting herself and her daughter ready. Spencer was asking question after question, ones Trista tried to answer as quickly as possible. Spencer seemed satisfied with her responses, she fell silent once in the car. Trista was thankful for the moment of peace, it gave her time to quell her nerves.

Pulling into the abandoned school parking lot, Trista shut off the car. Spencer was excited to get the chance to spend some of her energy running around. As much as the child loved her tea parties and dress up, the tow headed girl loved playgrounds, just as much. Calling after her five year old, to be careful and stay in sight, she sat on an empty bench. The morning was lovely, not yet filled with the unusual humidity that had been plaguing the town in recent weeks. Trista closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the chair, soaking up the sunshine. She loved the feel of the warm rays, it made her feel relaxed, calm. The feeling was welcomed after the nervousness of her morning.

Galen made his way down to Evergreen Elementary School, letting his mind wander as he drove. He was surprised that The Vow had found a suitable match for him so quickly. It wasn't that he didn't think they could find him a match--after all, that was their job and what he had paid for them to do--but that it had happened so easily and so quickly. Part of Galen had expected to receive some kind of message back from the company saying that he was too selective in his application and that they couldn't find anyone with whom to match him. However, Galen also figured that there were men and women even more selective than he was and they had been matched by The Vow.

Yet, now he was on his way to meet his match, Trista, and her five-year-old daughter, Spencer. Trista had communicated with him first, but Galen had found it easy to readily agree to meet the two females at the local elementary school. After all, it made sense to meet at a place where the little girl could run around and expel some of her pent-up energy, rather than forcing the child to sit quietly and behave while the two adults ate dinner at a restaurant or any number of other less child-friendly locales.

His mind lost in thought, it took Galen hardly any time at all to drive to the elementary school parking lot, and he soon found himself parking his car right next to Trista's, but leaving enough space where he and Trista could open the doors of their respective cars to get back in without accidentally smacking the car door against the other's car.

Once he had parked, Galen double-checked his two 'passengers' in the seat next to him: two teddy bears that he had brought as a gift for Spencer and her mother. He had decided on teddy bears because they were more appropriate for a child; and he had gotten each of the females one--a baseball teddy bear as a 'peace offering' for Spencer and a hockey teddy bear for Trista, to show Spencer that 'her mommy' was getting one as well, in the hopes that it wouldn't make the little girl uncomfortable receiving a gift from him when she saw that her mom was getting one, too. Galen had found out that Trista's favorite sport was hockey, and he used to play professional baseball, hence the reason behind the two sport-themed teddy bears.

Seeing that his 'passengers' were still 'secured' by the seat belt--because, of course, you had to put a seat belt around them even if they were merely teddy bears--Galen exited the vehicle and made his way over to where Trista was standing. He left the teddy bears in the car for now, because he wanted to check with Trista that he could give them to Spencer and herself before he brought them out and showed them to the two females.

"Hi . . . Trista?" he asked in a questionable greeting as he approached the blonde woman.

"Hmm?" Trista had been lost in thought, her mind drifting away momentarily. The male voice broke her moment of solitude, she opened one eye to look him over. The man was tall, dark haired and undeniably attractive. So this was Galen Anderson, in the flesh. Trista decided that it would be rude to just continue, sitting there, starting at this man out of one eye. As nervous as she was, she wasn't about to forget her manners. Leaning forward and opening her eyes, she looked up at him. He was tall, very tall. Trista liked that. For some reason, taller men made her feel needed, protected. If you looked back at most of her ex-boyfriends, almost all had registered somewhere at or beyond the six foot mark. "You must be Galen. It's nice to meet you." she said, standing and giving him a smile. It was always awkward meeting anyone, especially one you are suppose to spend the rest of your life with.

"Spencer? Come over and say hello!" she called, waving her daughter over. The little girl didn't budge. She merely paused, glancing over at the strange new man. Without so much as a change in facial expression, Spencer merely turned her back. It was apparent that Spencer was not going to make this easy. It was never easy, introducing new people to her daughter. Trista was always left in the dark, as to how Spencer would react. Sometimes, her daughter took to people. With little to no effort on her part. Other times (like today), it took a little more coaxing to make the five year old feel at ease. Trista gave Galen an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. She's apparently wearing her stubborn pants today. I normally don't have to explain away at her rudeness." She sighed, shaking her head and letting her daughter be, for the moment.

Trista knew that sooner or later, her daughter's curiosity would get the best of her. For now, she wasn't going to force the issue. If things went well, there would be plenty of time to acclimate her daughter to the presence of Galen. She would definitely be expressing her disappointment to Spencer later, once they returned from the park. "Isn't the weather gorgeous? I forgot how much I missed sunshine." Dear God, she was talking about the weather? Trista had been absent so long from the dating game, she had no idea what people were suppose to talk about. For the last five years, her life had been all but standstill. Simon was the only person in her circle of friends who was still active in her life. Everyone else had just simply faded away. She missed how easy it was to be around him in that moment, they were way beyond all the 'getting to know you' stuff.

"Oh man. I'm not good at this first date stuff. You'll have to bare with me. I admit that I am really, really nervous. I am glad you came though. You are almost as cute as your voice." Trista teased, feeling herself relax a little more. She laughed, giving him a sidelong glance. She motioned for him to sit, then took a seat herself. She crossed herself, smoothing her shirt in the process. Glancing out towards her daughter, she gave Spencer 'the look'. The little girl laughed, knowing full well that she had upset her mother. Spencer just wasn't ready to approach the strange man, just yet.

Galen returned the smile that Trista gave him. He noticed that he had to look down on her, but that wasn't abnormal for him, given his 6'2" frame. He smirked as he took in that she was examining him through only one eye. Why he hadn't paid attention and noticed that before (or, rather, didn't think anything of it) he took to be a good sign, however. Not that he was losing his touch in that he didn't pay attention to such a small thing, but that he didn't care. Perhaps it meant that he was going into this relationship as open as he could be about it, which Galen took to be a good sign, at least from his point of view.

The next part was how he was going to greet her. Would a simple handshake do, or could he go for a more European approach and give her a kiss on each cheek? Would she mind him kissing her on the cheek after they had just met, or would she be affronted by his sudden openness toward her? Galen decided to give Trista the benefit of the doubt--that she wouldn't mind it--as he brought his hands up to gently hold her by the shoulders as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on first one and then the other cheek. Slowly pulling back, he smirked slightly before his smirk stretched into a small smile and he finished his greeting with, "It's nice to meet you, too."

Galen followed Trista, making his stride smaller so he could easily stay in step and walk next to her. He watched the exchange between Trista and Spencer, and he couldn't help but smirk when he saw that the little girl wasn't quite ready to come over and see him and that she wanted to do it on her own time. "It's okay," he replied, shaking his head and grinning widely. "I have a pair of stubborn pants, too, and once they're on, they're hard to get back off!" he laughed.

He kept up with the conversation in stride, not minding that Trista jumped to talking about the weather. "Yeah, it's nice. Spring is my favorite season . . . or fall . . . hell, I don't know which," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But, uh, yeah, I think that sunshine makes everything better," he added quickly before he followed Trista to sit down on the bench. "Almost as cute as my voice? Just almost?" he asked, pretending to pout before he quickly sobered up and winked at Trista as he added quickly, "Well, I'm glad that I'm at least almost as cute as my voice!" a smugness hiding in the corner of his smirk as he spoke. Galen shook his head and chuckled as he added, "I'm a good guy. I wouldn't leave you hanging. Besides, I couldn't let a pretty lady like you wait out here all alone," complimenting Trista without hitting on her--even though he did already find her very attractive.

After a pause, and seeing the look that passed between mother and daughter, Galen spoke up again. "I have something in my car that she might like-" he started to say, before he suddenly stopped and looked surprised at how that had come out of his mouth. Wow, way to sound like a child predator, Galen! he mentally berated himself as he paused to take a breath and clear his throat before he tried again. "I brought, um, a stuffed animal for her . . . if she can have it," he said. "I brought one for Mommy, too, so he could have a bear-friend and so Spencer wouldn't feel weird being the only one taking something from me!" he added quickly, grinning broadly at his explanation.

She found herself widening her eyes, as he leaned down. For a moment, it seemed as if the world around her stood still. Trista felt his hands, gently grasp her shoulders and his lips landing softly on her cheek. The greeting took her completely by surprise, she had never been greeted in such a manner. Trista laughed, more out of nervousness and surprise than anything else. Her face flushed, a small blush coloring her pale skin. Usually instances like this were scenes in some cheesy romantic movie or novel. Where the tall, dark, handsome stranger appears, steals the scene and the heart of the heroine. The whole European way of greeting had a hint of sophistication that translated in its wake. It was a few seconds later that she realized she hadn't really minded, it had been sweet and definitely out of the ordinary.

Trista was thankful when he didn't seem insulted, by Spencer's lack of enthusiasm. It was hard enough trying to maintain a love life, when most of her free time was spent sipping imaginary tea and in the company of stuffed animals. She didn't really earn 'sexy' points when most days, she found herself dressed in sweats and an old t-shirt. Galen had been the first opportunity in a while to embrace her maturity, to have a chance to mingle with someone closer to her age. To not have to sit and make up different voices and accents when talking to inanimate objects. Trista was enjoying the start of 'grown up' time, she really could get use to this.

They broke into an easy banter and the longer they talked, the more comfortable she became. Galen didn't seem too caught up, to interested in his own agenda. She chuckled at his subtlety. Trista admitted that she felt herself perk, a tiny bit when he used the term 'pretty'. The compliment was welcomed, she couldn't help the smile that played upon her lips. Spencer told her almost daily that she was pretty. But, when it came from a man like Galen, it took on a whole life of its own. The attention was a welcome change.

She looked over towards him, as he mentioned that he had something for Spencer. Trista's eyebrow rose slightly, for the second time since meeting him, Galen had managed to surprise her once more. She didn't know how many men would of been thoughtful enough to be so considerate. She was impressed, Galen was quickly earning marks in the win column. "Spencer loves stuffed animals. I think its the child equivalent to owning shoes or purses." Trista had never seen a child so obsessed with collecting stuffed animals. "She can have it. Though, you may have to sit through a few tea parties with her in exchange for the peace offering." Trista called out to Spencer, putting a finality in her tone that usually brought her daughter sulking over within seconds.

Spencer knew that tone. It was the tone that usually meant she was in big trouble, the kind that resulted in time outs. She still didn't like that man, sitting next to her mother. He was too tall and to her five year old perception, he seemed like a giant. Spencer was sitting, perched on top the slide, waiting to go down. The child gave her mother a long look, alternating between her and the stranger. Trista called her name again, telling her to come over. Spencer bent her head, giving her mother one last look and scooted herself down the slide. She planted her feet on the ground and made her way, a little defeated towards them. Crawling into her mother's lap, she wrapped her arms around Trista's neck.

"Spencer, this is Galen. He came to spend some time with us today. I think, maybe if you are nice, he may have something for you." Trista smoothed the hair off her daughter's forehead, looking at Galen over the top of Spencer's head. She mouthed the word, 'Sorry' again, feeling slightly embarrassed by her daughter's behavior. Spencer nestled herself in the crook of her mother's arms and warily gave Galen the time of day. The little girl mumbled a greeting, soft and quiet.

As much as Galen worried that Trista wouldn't enjoy or appreciate his European style of greeting her with a kiss on each cheek--which, he didn't worry much about it because he knew that he was an attractive man and a handsome individual and he hadn't met a woman who didn't mind being greeted with a kiss on both cheeks--he went with it and was glad that he had as it seemed that Trista was also one of those females who didn't mind him greeting her with a kiss on each cheek. At least she didn't slap him or try to push him away. When he caught the blush that crept across her face, he couldn't hide the small smirk that worked its way across his lips in response.

As they sat on the bench and talked, Galen found that it was nice and easy to carry on a conversation with Trista. She wasn't a 'stereotypical blonde' in that she was ditsy or giggly or silly. She was, in fact, mature--as was evidenced by her having a daughter and the way in which she treated and took care of Spencer--but she wasn't too serious about everything and she had a sense of humor.

Galen was glad that Trista didn't take his comment on having something in the car for Spencer the wrong way as he definitely hadn't meant for it to sound wrong in the first place, especially since they were matched and she had a kid of her own. He laughed at her comment about stuffed animals being the child's equivalent of shoes and how he might have to sit through a few tea parties. "I think I can manage that," he said, the laughter still evident in his voice. "As long as I don't have to wear a boa . . . or a frilly hat . . . or a dress . . . or anything with lace, really," he added as his laugh died down but a playful smirk appeared on his face.

He watched as Trista called Spencer over and the girl begrudgingly came to see her mother and to be introduced to him. Galen wasn't about to hold the girl's actions against her. He knew that he wouldn't have been any more enthusiastic to meet one of his parents' adult friend when he had been her age. When he was a child, he had always found adults boring--unless they played sports or games with him--and he would have much rather been running around and playing than sitting still while his parents talked and carried on adult conversations.

Instead, Galen caught Trista mouthing the word 'Sorry' to him and he sent her a nod and a wry smirk to let her know that he understood exactly what was going on, from both the child's and the adult's perspective, before he turned his blue gaze onto Spencer. He gave the girl a grin and held out two fingers for her to shake (as his two fingers were the equivalent size of her small hand) as he greeted the blonde child. "Hi, Spencer. I'm friends with your mommy. It's nice to meet you. I like your outfit," he said, trying to cover all his bases at once. He wouldn't take it personally if the little girl didn't respond to him any more than she already had, but Galen still wanted to be nice to Spencer both for hers and Trista's sake.

"I can't promise that she won't try. Spencer has a way or wrapping people around her tiny, little finger. Though, the thought of you wearing a boa? Well, let's just say, I wouldn't quite forget that image for awhile." She could picture him, though. Sitting down, humoring them both and trying to win the little girl's favor. Of course, there was still so much that she didn't know about Galen, that he didn't know about her. But, that was the beauty of marrying a stranger, of not exactly knowing what you were getting yourself into. Look at Spencer's father - she had known exactly what she'd been getting into and it had all blown up in her face. So, who was to say that this - this match making service wasn't just as normal, just as risky as the 'other' way? No matter how you spun it, the odds were the same. There was never any guarantee, no iron clad outcome. Not when you involved matters of the heart.

Trista held her breath. As Galen offered a greeting, the man held out two fingers for the child to shake. Inside her mind, she began to beg her daughter to loosen up and return the gesture. What would she do, if Spencer refused his gift or to acknowledge his presence? The woman wasn't going to dissolve the match, on the basis that he just simply didn't meet her daughter's standards. What standards did a five year old have anyway? No, if her daughter didn't take to Galen immediately, it wasn't a deal breaker. Trista would be disappointed, she had this fantasy built up inside her mind. Of meeting her match, of all three of them meshing together beyond her wildest expectations, of basically riding off into the freaking sunset. But, reality wasn't that easy or that perfect. Reality demanded challenges and patience, lots and lots of patience. Spencer moved her hand towards Galen's. The tiny fingers wrapped around his. It was tentative, but monumental. The first hurdle had been passed.

"Hi. Can I have my somefing now, Mommy?" Spencer let her hand fall away, once more curling it into her mother's hair. The child still wasn't sure if she liked the giant, sitting next to her mother. But, he had liked her outfit. Even at the age of five, fashion was important to the little girl. "I dwressed myself." Spencer added, as an afterthought. She felt it was important to let him know. She was a big girl and she could dress herself. Trista hid her smile. Galen had managed to at least gain Spencer's attention, at the mention of her outfit. She mentally added a check to the win column. The man was doing extremely well, only time would tell if he could keep it up. "I think you could have your something now, if Galen wants to give it to you."

Trista was sure, that once Spencer received her toy, she'd be off to play and acclimate the stuffed animal to the world of her imagination. She would be able to enjoy, completely what was left of the morning and this meeting with Galen. It was difficult having a child and trying to date. But, for her it had been important for Galen to know what he had signed up for. She hadn't wanted him to be blindsided, no one deserved that, ever. This way, if they still decided to get married, she knew it would be with an open mind. That Galen was willing to at least give her and give her daughter a try. That was all that she could really ask for. Right now, it was all that she needed. There would be time for romance later.

"I'm sure she does. Most little girls do," he replied with a chuckle, a chuckle which increased in intensity and duration, turning into a laugh as he shook his head and passed a hand over his face. "Oh, great. I'm sure that'll make your day. If you ever need a laugh, just think of me in a boa!" he laughed mock-sarcastically. He knew it was all in good fun, but he didn't want to destroy his 'macho man' status by not seeming to act appalled at the thought of wearing a boa. Of course, he wouldn't want to--and he wanted to make sure that was known--but he would do it if he were 'forced' to wear one by the little girl during make-believe tea parties.

Instead, Galen turned his attention back onto Trista, and then Spencer, when she approached. She was a cute little girl, and when she spoke, Galen saw just how precocious (and precious) she was. His eyebrows rose and he had to swallow back a chuckle when Spencer immediately asked her mother if she could have her something right then. Of course, she would, though. What child her age wouldn't want a special surprise as soon as they heard about it? What child also didn't rip through wrapping paper on birthdays and at Christmas to get to the present inside?

Galen grinned then when Spencer announced to him that she had dressed herself. Nodding, he added, "Very pretty," letting her know that he appreciated her little girl style of dressing, and also trying to keep the dialogue going with the small child. Then he looked from Spencer back to Trista and nodded, agreeing with the blonde's statement. Holding up a finger, he flashed a grin at the two females as he said, "I'll be right back!" before he quickly stood up and jogged over to his car to retrieve the two teddy bears for both of them.

With his height, which in turn gave him long legs, it didn't take Galen long to reach his car and return to Trista and Spencer. He held the two teddy bears behind his back until he reached them again, and then he crouched down to be at a level with Spencer once more. "This is for you," he said, producing the baseball teddy bear from behind his back and handing it over to the little girl, "and this one is for your mommy," he said, producing the hockey teddy bear from behind the other side of his back, and leaning over to hand it to Trista. "I hope you two like your gifts," he said, with a wide grin, before he added, loud enough for Trista to hear, so she could comment if she wanted, but mostly meaning his statement to be for Spencer, "You know, I used to play baseball, so that's why this bear does, too," he mentioned, motioning to the teddy bear as he spoke.

Galen was so good with Spencer. The man hadn't even known the both of them for longer than an hour. But, she already felt as if his actions came from an honest place. He was making an effort and already it was endearing him to her. Trista felt even more of her anxiety over this meeting, fall away. In her mind, she had already given up hope of finding a decent man to be something of a father to Spencer. When you were a single mother, dating came with lots and lots of red tape. She had come to the conclusion that if she was having trouble on her own terms, finding someone to settle down with, then maybe with the help of a third party, she might have some modicum of success. Sure, she wasn't expecting Galen to immediately become the long awaited father figure for her little girl. Trista knew that each day, would be a new beginning - a step towards maybe having some semblance of normalcy and a family. But, with what she was seeing now, she realized that it may not be so far fetched. That perhaps, just maybe, the ending to her loneliness was in sight.

When he returned, holding two teddy bears in his arms, she laughed. How long had it been since she'd been given a present? Trista felt a tiny thrill of excitement, as he handed one to her and one to her daughter. She noticed that her own teddy bear was dressed like a hockey player. The small detail made her widen her eyes in surprise. Trista loved hockey, she didn't really pay attention to any sports. But, when it came to a hockey game, well the woman would find herself glued to all the action. Perhaps it was that being a mom, meant she had to give up living a rough and tumble life. She wouldn't lie. She was an adrenaline junkie at times and the blood and gore that usually happened during a hockey game, well it made her thrive and go all out crazy with excitement. Trista liked to think that she lived vicariously through a hockey player.

As she waited for Spencer and Galen to talk, she began to wonder what the future held in store. Galen's good looks were a definite plus. He had a build that she could find herself wrapped up next too in bed. She couldn't help but picture waking up next to him, every morning. The light that played in his eyes and his sense of humor definitely all played into it. On a physical level, she already knew that he was her type, that at least for her there was a physical attraction. Chemistry was important to her. Trista felt that already, at least one part of the equation was already present. She wondered what had driven a man like Galen, to need to use of a matchmaking service. She couldn't imagine that he had much trouble with the ladies. Spencer seemed to be more and more relaxed around him. She still hadn't entirely given her approval, but the teddy bear was a significant boost in his favor. Galen talked to Spencer on a personable level. The woman could tell that he saw, at least for her benefit that treating Spencer as an individual and not a child would in the long run be very beneficial. As her daughter hung on Galen's every word, the little girl smiled his way and thanked him for the teddy bear. Scooping the new stuffed animal into her arms, she skipped away, eager to introduce her newest member to the world of imagination.

"She likes the gift and I think she is warming up to you. This is a good sign." Trista responded, after her daughter had once more left the two adults alone. "Thank you for my bear. How did you know I liked hockey? You definitely get a check in the pro column for that detail." Trista looked into his eyes and for the first time, felt all her anxiety fall away. This could be easy, so very easy and she was excited that things seemed to be looking up.

Galen wasn't quite sure how to approach things with Spencer, but having Trista as a guide sure helped. Plus, Spencer was at an age where she could tell him if she did or didn't like things. Granted, Galen knew that they couldn't give into her every whim or desire, but Spencer was old enough to be able to communicate effectively with them. Galen didn't have any children of his own, but some of his former baseball teammates had kids of their own or there were the fans who were parents who brought their sons and daughters to the game, so Galen had been interacting with children for a while. For now, he kind of saw Spencer in that capacity, but definitely with the obvious possibility of her becoming his own step-child.

He was glad that Trista laughed when she saw him with the teddy bears; that was a good sign. It meant that she was receptive to his childish side and that she knew he was trying for her and her daughter. After he handed off the teddy bears to their respective new owners, Galen began speaking to Spencer about her teddy bear. Once he was finished with that, she thanked him for the gift, to which Galen grinned and nodded, giving the small girl a happy, "You're welcome," his grin growing when he saw her rush off with the teddy bear to play with him.

Galen then turned back to Trista to hear what she had to tell him. "I'm glad. She's a cute kid. I've never had any kids of my own, but I've been around others' kids, so I get the gist," he replied, making a rather amused face because he found his own word choice an odd one; as if there were a 'gist' for child-rearing. His face took on an even more amused quality when she asked about his choice in getting her a hockey teddy bear. "You just seemed like that type of woman, like a mama bear who would do whatever it took to protect her little cub. That, and you seem like someone who wouldn't be opposed to taking someone out by whacking them in the legs with a stick!" he laughed, miming taking a swing at someone's legs with a hockey stick.

The afternoon passed much that way. Galen and Trista continued to talk, to laugh. It was so easy, so natural that she had to wonder if it wasn't all too good to be true. That little voice inside her head, telling her that she should be careful and not trust so easily. Trista considered herself an extremely good judge of character. Galen had presented enough of a good first impression that she didn't hear any of her internal alarms ringing. Just because she had been burned by Spencer's father, that didn't rule out ever finding someone that made her happy. Of course it was all so new and there wasn't much to be said of the first meeting. Yes, he was ever the gentleman. Yes, after a little coaxing on her part, her daughter seemed to accept him. But, would that still be the case - weeks or months down the road? Simon would tell her to go for it. She could hear him sighing, see him shaking his head at her knack for over analyzing and 'borrowing' trouble. Trista would have to make a visit to his apartment, after they left Galen's company. Best friends could always help sort out your troubled thoughts.

As the sun reached the middle of the sky, she glanced at her watch. Spencer would soon be reaching her limit. The little girl was due for a nap and some lunch. The nap more or less being the point of concern for Trista. Right now, her daughter was lively and content. But, in an hour or two she would turn into a little monster. Cranky and a handful, especially if she went without her afternoon nap. Trista sighed. She had forgotten how nice it was with adult company. Not to be draped with costume jewelry and talking in high, animated voices to the army of stuffed animals her daughter routinely employed as citizens of her imaginary world. Galen had paused too. Trista didn't want to end this afternoon, but she needed too. She was never very good at initiating a good bye.

Trista stumbled over her words, feeling a blush creep once more across her face. "Perhaps we should put a comma here. It seems as though my daughter might be a little on the tired side." As if on cue, Spencer gave a wide yawn, complete with an eye rub. The teddy bear, which had been lovingly accepted was accidentally knocked off the playset. This immediately made the little girl begin to cry, as she bemoaned all the dirt and horror the toy was now enduring. Asking if she could give him a call, perhaps go to lunch in a few days, she went to scoop up her daughter and the teddy bear. Galen and Trista parted ways and she had to place a hand across her mouth. It had been a long time since she had left a man's presence with a smile. They promised to definitely continue the conversation on a later date and she gave him a kiss on the cheek as she bundled her daughter into the backseat.

Maybe this would all have a happy ending. At least the beginning had been simple and started off on a good note.

END OF THREAD