The clock always ticked slower when the Friday workday was ending. It had to be a scientific fact.

Mark stared at the numbers on the bottom of the screen, his eyes watering after a long day in front of the computer. 4:50. Just ten more minutes. He wished he could leave that very second since he didn't actually have any work he needed to be doing, but his boss was a stickler for the employees clocking out exactly on the hour. He didn't want to push his luck.

As he stared at the clock, he heard a pair of heels clicking towards him and groaned under his breath. Only one person wore heels at their office since the dress code was casual, and it was the one person who could chat him up for a good twenty minutes and make him much later leaving the office than he wanted to be.

Sure enough, Lucy materialized by his desk a second later. “You look eager to bolt,” she said, bumping her hip against the side of his cubicle. “Have any Friday night plans?”

“Same as always,” he said. “Picking up my kid for the weekend.”

Lucy beamed at the magic word 'kid'. It was like she was mentally mapping her road to the role of step-mother and wanted to showcase all of her maternal charms so that Mark would single her out for it. It had been that way ever since he'd first mentioned that he was getting a divorce to his co-workers, and possibly even before then. She'd pretended to be sad, but had started buttering him up almost instantly.

Too bad for her, Mark had no intention of getting remarried to someone who would eventually grow frustrated with him for the same reasons his ex-wife had.

“How is the little nugget?” Lucy asked with exaggerated enthusiasm. “I couldn't believe how much he'd grown up in the last picture I saw of him. Lou's three now, right?”

Mark bobbed his head. “He's doing just fine, thank you.”

“It's too bad you only get him on the weekends, though. It makes you hard to nail down for weekend plans.”

“I prefer to stay at home, honestly.”

Lucy's lower lip jutted out. “That can't be healthy. A single young man such as yourself should be out and about making sure he doesn't miss his second shot at love. Lou should have a mother, shouldn't he?”

“Lou has a mother,” Mark reminded her, a little defensively. Even though he and Allison were split up, they didn't have a bad relationship, and it bothered him a little bit when everyone tried to make him feel better by tearing down his ex-wife.

Lucy waved her hand dismissively. “He needs a mother on the weekend, too. And a mother who doesn't have the bad taste to divorce a good man.”

Mark sighed and glanced at his computer clock. 5:00, thank god. He rose to his feet, grabbing his briefcase. “Sorry, Lucy, but I gotta run. See you next week.”

“But can't you stay for a-”

“Sorry, but Lou is waiting. Bye.”

He exhaled as soon as he was out of the office. He loved the weekend, but for a different reason than most other salarymen probably did. It was the precious time he got to spend with his son, and that as much as anything made him smile as he hopped into his car and drove away into his favorite days of the week.

A lack of passion. That was the reason he and Allison had split up.

“I think you like me very much,” she had said to him the day she announced her decision. “I think you like me as much as it's possible for you to like someone, and that's why you married me. But you don't love me from the depth of your heart. And since this is my one and only life, I want to spend it with someone who loves me to that extent. That's not you.”

Mark had been surprised, but not blindsided. She'd been gloomy for months, and he knew he hadn't been making it better. No matter what way he tried to reach out to her, they'd never been able to connect with one another. Maybe he hadn't tried hard enough, or maybe she hadn't been willing to accept his efforts. Whatever the case was, nothing had worked, and it had ended in this.

“I'm sorry if I haven't been doing enough for you,” he'd said. “I know I can do better. We have a kid, Allie. He's just two years old. He needs us, he needs both of us. We can work on this.”

“The thing is, I don't think we can,” she said sadly. “If it was just that our personalities weren't meshing or we'd been arguing a lot, I'd be willing to do absolutely anything to make it work for Lou's sake. But what I'm trying to say is I don't think you love me. And there's no cure for that. If you don't, and I haven't changed your mind about it after three and half years of marriage and the three years of dating before that, I don't think it's going to happen.”

Still, they'd gone to counseling and Mark had made a few attempts at special dates to prove that he did love her in his own way. But he could tell right away that none of these things made Allison happy. She'd loved him in the beginning, he remembered, but she too had turned cold after his years of being a lacking lover. She wanted to be set free, and he couldn't really blame her.

If he was being honest with himself, Allison was probably right about him. He cared about her more than any other girl he'd met before, but it wasn't the love of romance novels, not even during the honeymoon phase. He didn't burn for her, he didn't think constantly about how much he wanted her; he was happy to make a life together with her and their son, but it was the having a family part of it that he liked rather than losing his head over the person he'd made it with. It was a comfortable love, one like a gentle fire in winter instead of a blazing inferno.

She wanted the blazing inferno, and Mark didn't blaze. And that was that.

He'd been terrified of losing his son because of the divorce, but since Allison didn't have a vendetta against him, Mark got weekends and flexible visiting. They saw each other often, and Mark still got to be there for many of Lou's important moments as he turned three and grew bigger with each passing day.

He was content with his relationship with his son and his cordial friendship with Allison, and had no complaints about his life overall. But sometimes in the back of his mind, Mark worried. Was this all his heart was ever going to be? Would it never be able to touch a deeper love than simple contentment? Would he ever figure out what it was like to be consumed by fire, or would he simply sputter on pitifully, a flickering light in a world where everyone else burned so brightly?

When he rang the doorbell to Allison's apartment, someone else answered.

Mark blinked in shock. The last person he was prepared to greet at his ex-wife's was another man, but here one was. He was a younger type, a college student probably, with black hair, a wide smile, and crinkly eyes. He was wearing one of Allison's pink plaid aprons over a sweater and jeans, and there were spots of flour on his cheeks and chin.

The guy quickly rubbed his hands on his apron and stuck one out after it was clean. “You must be Lou's father, right? Mark? It's nice to meet you. I'm Allison's mother-helper, Jinyoung.”

Mark stared at his hand for a moment. Allison had mentioned something in passing about getting a mother's helper on days when she had to scramble for a deadline and couldn't focus on Lou as much as she needed to, but Mark had been expecting a high school girl, not whoever this was.

Still, Mark finally stuck his hand out and shook it. Since he was in sales, he thought he was pretty good at reading people, and this Jinyoung at least looked pretty friendly and inoffensive. If you took in his wrinkled eyes and his pink apron, he actually looked pretty cute.

“Is Allison busy right now?” Mark asked, dropping Jinyoung's hand.

“She's just finishing up her article. Lou's in the kitchen. We were making gingerbread cookies for him to take home with you.” Jinyoung stepped out of the doorway. “Come on in.”

Mark followed him inside, still feeling a little weird about being shown into his ex-wife's house by another guy, even if it was a mother's helper. It wasn't that he was worried about being replaced by Allison (he assumed she would date, since part of the reason they'd broke up was because she wanted to find real love), but he definitely didn't want to be replaced by Lou.

Luckily, his son brightened up as soon as he walked into the room with Jinyoung. “DADDY!” he shrieked from his booster seat. “Lookie, lookie! Cookies!” He lifted up one of his gingerbread men, which clearly Jinyoung had let him design himself judging by the haphazard lines of icing covering it.

“Wow!” Mark gasped, making a shocked face. “You did that all by yourself?”

“Yup!” Lou chirped. “I'm a chef!”

“Then where's your white hat?”

Lou considered for a moment, but Jinyoung was faster. He grabbed one of the paper hats they gave you at Steak 'n Shake from Lou's play bin and planted it on Lou's head. “Don't be silly,” Jinyoung said in a sing-song voice. “It's right there, can't you see?”

“Yeah! Silly Daddy!” Lou giggled, clapping his hands. “The chef made this!” He the second cookie in his pile into Mark's hands. “Try it!”

Mark accepted it and took a bite, grimacing a little as the excess of cinnamon on it hit his throat, though he quickly corrected his face for Lou's sake. “The chef really likes cinnamon, huh?”

Jinyoung flushed behind Lou's chair. “Uh, that was one of mine.”

Mark couldn't help but chuckle a little at his embarrassment. “Shouldn't you be setting the good cooking example for my son, here?”

“I like cinnamon,” Jinyoung said defensively.

Mark laughed again, then grabbed a napkin and rubbed some of the icing from Lou's lips. “Are you ready to go visit Daddy's place today, little man?”

Lou nodded earnestly. Since he was so young, he hadn't yet questioned his Mommy and Daddy living in two different places and why he was bounced back and forth between them. Every once in awhile, he'd get upset that Mommy wasn't coming along with him to Daddy's, or that Daddy had to leave after dropping him back off at Mommy's, but all in all, he was handling it as best as he could.

Today, however, he made a new request. “Daddy, can Jinny come with us?”

“Jinny?” Mark asked, glancing up at Jinyoung.

Jinyoung beamed, but quickly shook his head. “I'm sorry, Lou, but I have to do homework tonight. But thank you so, so much for thinking about me!”

Lou wrinkled his nose. “What's homework?”

“It's this really boring thing people who go to school have to do. You'll be doing it in two years, so you'll understand then.”

“I don't like boring!”

“But you'll be so smart when you grow up that it won't be boring at all. But for silly people like me, it's very, very boring. I'd much rather hang out with Lou and his daddy.”

Mark lifted an eyebrow. He automatically tended to like people who were good with his kid, and he already felt himself warming up to Jinyoung. He didn't think he really had any reason to worry about being replaced; Jinyoung wasn't so much trying to be a second father, but like a cool older brother or uncle.

“Since your mommy's still busy, your daddy and I will pack up your cookies while we're waiting for her.” Jinyoung gestured Mark over to the counter where there was a Tupperware container set aside for the gingerbread men. Mark joined Jinyoung in stacking them inside while Lou continued playing with his half-eaten cookie at the table.

“So you're in college?” Mark asked.

Jinyoung nodded. “I want to be a kindergarten teacher, so I thought being a mother's helper would be good practice. Working for Allison was the first job I got, and I've been having a great time. Lou's a really amazing kid.”

Mark nodded, smiling. “He is, isn't he?”

“I'm glad I got to meet you. He talks about you all the time, and I can tell he loves you a lot. I was actually kind of worried about stepping into a job where the family had just experienced a divorce since things can be really tense, but he seems to be doing great.”

Mark shrugged. “We prioritize him as much as we can.”

“That's great. Really, I can tell that he feels a lot of love from his family, so I think he'll be fine. He always says he has a lot of fun when he goes to your house.”

“I'm glad to hear it. I've got a small apartment, so his room's not as big as it is here. My house seems like it's about seventy percent toys, since I have no idea where I should put any of them.”

Jinyoung grinned. “I bet your friends think that's funny when they come over to visit.”

“Hence why I don't invite them. It's not your normal twenty-eight year old's place.”

“I think decorating for three-year-olds is much, much cuter.” Jinyoung cleared his throat. “Um, I don't want to sound forward or anything, but as I said, I'm really getting along with Lou... so if you ever need any help looking after him during the weekend, I could give you my card...”

Mark considered his offer for a moment. He normally didn't make plans on the weekend, not just because of Lou, but because he didn't actually want to go out to begin with, so he'd never needed a babysitter before. He enjoyed all the alone time the weekend gave him to spend with Lou too, so he didn't particularly needed a helper either.

But.

He couldn't help but think having someone like Jinyoung around would be good for Lou. As young as Mark and Allison were, they were still supposed to be the authority figures in Lou's life, and there weren't any young adults or kids in their life to play with Lou on a friendly level. Mark's family lived in another state, and Allison was an only child.

And anyways, he didn't have to say yes or no right now, or even call Jinyoung for help in the end if he never needed it. All he needed to do was take the kid's card.

“Sure, why not,” Mark said. “You never know what might come up.”

“Exactly,” Jinyoung said. He dug into his wallet and pulled out a business card for Mark with his name and phone number on it. Jinyoung Park.

Mark was just sliding the card into his wallet when Allison stuck her head into the kitchen. “Is that Mark I hear?”

Mark gave her a wave. “How's the article?”

“Finished, thank God. It was a close call, but I just made deadline. Sorry I wasn't there to greet you, but I see you met Jinyoung.”

“Mommy, we made cookies!” Lou yelled from the table.

“Let's use our inside voice, baby, okay? But don't those cookies look yummy! Am I allowed to have one?”

Jinyoung handed her one of the icing smothered ones Lou had made to spare her from the cinnamon assault. Allison bit into it, eyes widening in exaggerated delight. “This is so good!”

“I made it!” Lou said proudly, pointing to his hat. “I'm a chef!”

“A really, really good one, too!” Allison turned to Jinyoung. “Would you mind looking after Lou for another minute? I'd like to have a word with Mark before he leaves.”

“Sure, that's fine,” Jinyoung said. He crossed the room and helped Lou out of his booster. “Who wants get his shoes and socks on so he can go visit Daddy's?”

“Me! Me!” Lou cheered. Mark watched them regretfully as they left for the foyer. He wished he could go with them. Things were okay between him and Allison, but a private chat could still be a bad thing if it involved arguing over finances or something along those lines.

“How are you doing?” Allison asked, grabbing a sponge and starting to wipe down the counter. “You haven't managed to catch a cold again this winter?”

“Not yet, but you know me. I always seem to before it's over.”

“Are you going to your work Christmas party this year? I remember it's on the weekend, so I wanted to know if you needed me to watch Lou extra at the end of the month.”

“I think I'll skip. I'm not one for small talking people. Anyways, they're having it on Christmas Eve, and you'll be looking after Lou that day.”

She nodded. “I'm almost surprised you haven't started seeing that girl from the office. Lucy, was it? She was after you even when we were together, so I have to assume it got worse. God, I hated her.”

“I'm not her biggest fan myself,” Mark chuckled. “Don't worry, dating isn't really a priority for me.”

Allison shifted uncomfortably for a moment, staring at a small smear of cinnamon on the counter. “Um,” she said.

“You're seeing someone?” Mark guessed.

She nodded. “Just for the past few months. He hasn't met Lou yet, and I just wanted to assure you that I will talk to you before anything like that happens. You'll always be my son's father, and I intend to respect that, okay?”

Mark took a deep breath. He knew this was bound to happen, but it still spooked him. What if Lou got a step-father, one who was a lot cooler and a better father than Mark was? “Well,” he said finally. “Thanks for telling me.”

“I know it's tricky,” Allison said heavily. “God knows I'm always worrying about you falling in love and introducing him to a new woman. And I'd be doubly jealous if someone was able to win your heart when I wasn't.”

“Allie-”

She waved her hands. “But it's okay if you want to date. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and date someone and insist that you can't. Let's just do this comfortably, okay? Lou can still have a good relationship with any new partner of ours without it destroying his relationship with us. Like I said, I'll be sure to tell you before Lou meets the new boyfriend. I just wanted to give a warning that it could be on the horizon.”

“Thank you.” Mark met her eyes, smiling genuinely. “I hope he's really great guy, and a lot better than me.”

Allison smiled sheepishly. “He's a pretty great guy, but I wouldn't even know how to begin comparing him to you. He's...well, he's a true original.”

“I'm sure I'll meet him eventually?”

“Yeah. It's weird to say this, but I think you two will like each other. Just a hunch. But anyways, you're probably eager to get home, right?”

Mark nodded. “Yeah, we should get going. Have a nice weekend, Allie.”

“You, too. And I better not hear anything when Lou comes back about you spoiling him too much.”

“Can't make any promises about that.”

After saying goodbye to Allison, Mark headed to the foyer. Jinyoung was waiting for him with Lou in his arms.

“Thanks for your help today,” Mark said, hefting Lou up against his waist as Jinyoung passed him over. “We'll be sure to enjoy the cookies, minus the cinnamon ones.”

Jinyoung made a face. “Funny. It was nice to meet you, Mark.” He bent down to look into Lou's eyes. “Have fun with Daddy, okay, champ?”

Lou nodded. “Bye bye, Jinny!”

“Nice to meet you,” Mark said, smiling. “Take care with your boring homework.”

“I'll do my best. Until we meet again!”

As Mark loaded up Lou into the car, he wondered to himself just how soon that would be.