Catching Up

It was my first time in Chicago, and I was here for a fan event. After finding myself with some extra time, I decided to explore the city. The early autumn air was refreshing as I walked through the bustling streets, with the towering skyscrapers casting long shadows over the pavements.

'Now where can I get a deep dish pizza?' I thought as I walked around. I could see people gazing up at me; some did a double take as I walked past them. When I was looking at the Michigan Avenue Bridge, I heard the voice of a young woman from behind me.

"Hey, aren't you Daniel Adler?" I turned around to see a girl looking at me in surprise, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"Uh, yes, that's me," I replied.

"Wow, I love your books! Can I get a picture with you?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course," I smiled, posing for the photo. The girl thanked me profusely before darting away, excitedly typing on her phone.

Continuing my walk, I found myself at the Art Institute of Chicago. As I approached the entrance, I passed a group of tourists who were exiting the building; one of them pointed at me, whispering to her companion. I knew what was coming—my days of anonymity were at an end. I knew I would be recognized in LA, but thought I wouldn't be in other cities, at least for the time being. I was wrong.

"Excuse me, are you Daniel Adler?" asked a blond boy with a German accent.

"Yes, I am. Nice to meet you," I responded.

"Oh, we are so happy to meet you! We read your books in Germany. Very big fans!" the boy exclaimed, his accent making his enthusiasm even more endearing.

"Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy them," I smiled.

"Could we take a picture with you?" the woman with him asked, holding up her camera.

"Absolutely," I agreed, and we posed for a photo. They thanked me again and headed off, chatting excitedly in German.

Soon, more people began to recognize me, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by a group of teenagers, all eager for photos and autographs. "Can you sign this?" "I loved your last book!" The questions and praise came fast.

"Thank you, everyone! Thank you for your support!" I tried to respond to as many as I could, but the crowd was growing. Realizing the futility of the situation, I made my way through the crowd, apologizing as I went, and flagged down a taxi. "Can you take me to a good café? Somewhere quiet would be great," I asked the driver.

"Sure thing, I've got just the place in mind," the driver said, pulling away from the curb as I settled back, relieved to be out of the spotlight for a moment.

"So, you're some kind of celebrity?" the driver asked.

"Yeah, something like that," I responded.

The café he took me to was off the beaten path, a little nook away from the main tourist areas. I paid, thanked him, and made my way inside. As I stepped in, the smell of coffee and baked goods filled the air. I ordered a coffee and a sandwich at the counter and took a seat by the window. It had been a hectic week, and I tried to enjoy every bit of free time I had. Just as I was about to take a bite of my sandwich, I heard a familiar voice calling me from behind.

"Daniel?" the voice called out again.

I turned around to see a woman walking towards him. She looked very familiar. She had long, blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a stylish leather jacket over a simple white tee and skinny jeans, paired with ankle boots.

Wait, did she change her hair color?

"Scarlett?" I exclaimed, standing up to greet her.

"Daniel," she said, quickly closing the distance between us and pulling me into a hug.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as we separated.

"I'm just visiting some family in the area," she replied, her voice as melodic as I remembered.

"Why don't you join me? We can catch up," I suggested, gesturing to the seat.

"That sounds great," Scarlett agreed.

Scarlett took the coffee she had at her table and sat down with me. "So, what have you been up to since we last met?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Scarlett's face lit up as she began to recount her recent adventures in acting and traveling. "Well, you know how it is—auditions, shoots, more auditions," she chuckled.

"Anything new I should look out for?" I inquired, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Actually, yes," she said. "I just landed a role in the new 'Star Trek' movie!"

"Wow, that's huge, Scarlett!" I exclaimed, impressed. "Congrats!"

She shrugged modestly. "It's just a small part, but I'm really excited about it. It's only a few minutes on screen."

"But still, it's 'Star Trek'. That's iconic. What's the role?" I pressed, intrigued.

"I'm playing Captain Kirk's mom," she revealed with a laugh.

I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a bit too young to be playing his mom?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "It's just one scene, and they wanted a younger actress for it. It's more of a flashback, so it makes sense in the context."

"That's still fantastic. Just a small stepping stone to bigger projects," I said, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I'm just happy to keep doing what I love," Scarlett said, her eyes reflecting a genuine passion for her craft.

After talking for a while and catching up, she looked at me with a smile. "So, you're still dating that girl from your school?" she asked with a mischievous tilt of her head.

I chuckled. "Yes, Scarlett, I am."

"Boo, too bad," she pouted playfully.

I couldn't help but smile at her theatrical disappointment. "While I'm flattered that a beautiful woman like you is interested, I'm pretty happy with Haley," I replied.

Scarlett gave me a sly smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, you know what they say about teenage relationships," she teased, letting the suggestion hang in the air.

I just laughed it off. As the afternoon waned, we realized it was time to head our separate ways. We left the café together, stepping back into the busy Chicago street.

As we said our goodbyes with a friendly hug, Scarlett leaned in and whispered sultrily in my ear, "If you ever find yourself single again, give me a call."

Her words sent an unexpected rush through me, leaving my heart pounding as she pulled away with a wink. I shook my head to clear the whirl of thoughts her comment sparked and watched her walk away with a confident stride.

"Take care, Scarlett!" I called after her, receiving a playful wave in response.

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It was a quiet evening at home, and I found myself looking after Alice, who was now three months old, while Mom and Nathan enjoyed a well-deserved date night. Alice, with her big eyes that seemed to mimic my own and a hint of brown hair just starting to grow in, was nestled comfortably in my arms. At three months, she didn't do much besides eat, sleep, and fill her diapers, which made her a pretty low-maintenance companion, albeit a slightly boring one.

I walked around the living room, gently bouncing her. "You know, Alice, you're a bit boring now, but I can't wait for you to grow up," I whispered to her, though I knew she understood none of it. Her eyes followed me curiously, a faint smile playing around her mouth.

Settling down on the couch, I opened up a copy of my upcoming book, The Titan's Curse, and began to read aloud from it. She seemed to find comfort in my voice; whenever she was crying, Mom would just hand her to me as my voice always seemed to comfort her.

As I read from the book, Alice gurgled, reaching out with her tiny hands. Smiling, I continued, changing my voice to suit the characters, hoping to make it more entertaining for her.

She would coo or wave her hands as I continued to read, which made me chuckle. It was like she was really listening, engaging with the story.

The evening passed with me reading chapter after chapter, Alice occasionally drifting off but mostly just listening—or so I liked to think. When her eyes finally closed and she settled into a deeper sleep, I gently laid her down in her crib, tucking her in with her favorite blanket.

As I stood near her crib, my phone vibrated. Pulling it out, I saw a text from Haley: "Hey, can I come over and then we head to that party together?"

I quickly typed back, "Sorry, no, I'm watching Alice tonight."

Almost immediately, Haley replied, "Then I can come over and we can watch her together?"

Pausing, I texted, "Aren't you at Jay's tonight? Thought you said it was a big family evening."

Haley's response came swiftly, "Yeah, it's Jay's night, so all the kids are here. But it's fine if I step out for a bit."

"Isn't it a bit rude to Jay to just leave? Especially if he's hosting?"

There was a longer pause this time before Haley responded, "Not you too... 😒" Then she cut off the conversation.

I shook my head, glancing at Alice. "Looks like Haley's angry," I whispered to Alice.

After a while, I heard the front door open and the familiar voices of Mom and Nathan downstairs. They soon appeared in the doorway of the nursery, both smiling after their night out.

"Was she any trouble?" Mom asked, peering into the crib at the sleeping Alice.

"No trouble at all," I replied, standing up from the chair.

Nathan chuckled softly, patting me on the shoulder. "She's always calm with you, isn't she?" he observed with a smile.

"Yeah, she's a good listener," I grinned, glancing down at Alice.

With a final check on Alice, we quietly left the room. I went downstairs, checked my phone, and again texted Haley that I was free now. She quickly texted back, inviting me over to Jay's. I slipped the phone into my pocket and went to get my jacket. I heard another text come in but didn't bother looking and headed out the door.

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Before I could even knock, the door swung open to reveal Jay with a welcoming smile.

"Daniel! Good to see you," Jay said, his voice filled with warmth.

"Hey, Jay," I greeted him warmly.

As I stepped inside, Manny and Luke hurried over to greet me. "Hey, guys," I said, giving them a high five.

"Are you here for Jay's night too?" Luke asked.

"I think so," I replied, unsure why Haley had asked me to come here.

"Hey, Daniel, thanks again for the advanced copy of The Titan's Curse." Alex said from the living room."

"Just make sure you don't spoil anything," I replied with a playful wag of my finger, causing Alex to laugh and nod in agreement.

Jay, still beaming, turned and called out toward the back of the house, "Haley, someone's here for you!"

I could hear her coming down; I expected a warm greeting, but instead, she looked surprised, almost alarmed. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone filled with confusion.

"You texted me to come over," I replied, confused at her tone.

She quickly made her way to me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me aside away from the kids. "I meant for you to sneak in, not come through the front door!" she whispered.

Confused, I checked my phone, and indeed, there was a message from Haley instructing me to sneak in.

"Ok, ok, this is fine. Let's go to the party now," she suggested, but my attention was already captured by the movie playing on the TV. I moved closer to get a better look.

"This is a great movie," I said to Jay, who was standing next to me. At that moment, Gloria emerged from the kitchen, offering me a homemade sandwich.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Sloppy Jay," Jay enthusiastically replied.

I took a bite, and it was really good. "It's good," I said to Jay.

Haley came from behind me. "Come on, let's go," she said, tugging on my jacket.

"Why don't we just stay here?" I suggested, turning to her with a hopeful look.

Haley appeared taken aback by the suggestion, her eyes widening slightly. Jay, on the other hand, looked as if he'd won the lottery, his face lighting up with delight. The kids, including Alex, chimed in with excitement, urging me to stay.

Haley looked around and after a brief moment of hesitation, she relented with a smile. "Fine, let's stay," she agreed, her tone softening.

"Great, I'll get you a drink," Jay said, leaving for the kitchen. Haley and I settled on the sofa, joining the others watching the movie. It was a good Western, and I hadn't seen it in a while. 

After a while, Cam and Mitchell arrived, bringing along their friend Sal, and not long after, Claire and Phil joined the gathering as well, turning the evening into a full-fledged family affair.

The night continued; the movie was coming to an end and Haley, who had found a comfortable spot on my lap on the sofa, leaned closer and whispered, "Did you hear the latest celebrity gossip?"

Curious, I whispered back, "What's up?"

"Apparently Daniel Adler is having an affair with the rising actress Scarlett Johansson," she said playfully.

I sighed softly, realizing the paparazzi must have spotted us together in Chicago. "Ah, the paps must have seen us in Chicago," I confessed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"There's nothing to tell," I assured her, still whispering.

"And oh… She tried to make a move on me again," I added.

Haley's response was less than quiet. "That bitch!" she exclaimed, much louder than intended.

The room suddenly went quiet, and all eyes turned toward us. "I mean what a bitch, right? He went down without a fight," Haley said, pointing to the TV.

Laughter filled the room as everyone turned their attention back to the film.

"Good save," I whispered.

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