I got to know a few of the other fathers over time. Standing around together in the freezing rain watching our kids pretend to have fun on the swings. The damp slides. We all knew they would rather be at home on their iphones. The iphones we had bought for them. But this was their one day a week with Daddy, so they put on an act. We would slip them a little money as we said goodbye, I suppose that helped.
We smoked and glanced repeatedly at the time. Wanting this awkwardness to be over. Not wanting this time to ever end and force us back into our miserable, sad lives. The most important thing was not to be late returning them to their mothers. God alone knew what the consequences of that might be. Not a risk worth taking.
We complained to each other about the weather. We talked about football. It passed the time. Then someone suggested we all go out for a drink some evening after the kids were gone.
I never went back to the playground. Now I take the kids to feed the ducks and we are the only ones there.
