The woman wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m going to be honest, I said some of the worst, most hateful things that have ever come out of my mouth. None of it’s worth repeating, but I’ll be the first to tell you even I think it was unforgivable. Finally, Martin had enough of it. He went and sat in the main room where I couldn’t be alone with him. I remember even that set me off to the point that I could’ve killed him.”
Her expression became serious. “I mean, seriously, I could’ve really killed him. As they were leaving, I shot him as many hateful looks as possible, at least when Peter wasn’t looking. Even in that state, I knew I needed to keep Peter out of the loop with my plans to get rid of the vagrant. So, I wasn’t surprised, in fact, I was elated the next day to find out Peter and Martin had split up. When I hung up the phone with Peter, I even danced around the room. At least until my head almost split open with pain. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in a hospital bed several weeks later. When I finally came to and could function like a real human being, the rift between Peter and Martin must have been too great for him to cross. I never heard what he did or if he even tried to contact Martin, and I was too embarrassed to do anything about it myself. I didn’t recover quickly, in fact, it took months for me to regain even the basic of functions. Now looking back, I wish I’d gone to see Martin as soon as I could walk or at least when I was released to drive, and apologized. But, as you know, I didn’t. So here we sit now.”
I was completely caught up in the story. “That’s sad and painful to listen to, Mrs. Reed. I can’t imagine what it was like for any of you.”
“Excruciating for all parties I can assure you, but that doesn’t let me off the hook. In fact, I totally understand why everyone would hate me, but, Mr. Kovachich, did I say your name correctly?” I nodded to encourage her to go on with her story.
“I need my son back. I feel like I’ve lost so much from that tumor. I’m glad… I really am, that I was lucky enough that my tumor wasn’t malignant or that it hasn’t returned, which the doctors told me it could and probably would. I almost… sometimes I wish it’d taken me. I don’t know what I’m going to do without Peter in my life.”
The tears flowed freely. I could tell the older woman across from me was anguished from the events that happened between her and her son.
“Can I offer some advice?” I asked.
She nodded but didn’t respond.
“If you go into that office today and allow yourself to be as vulnerable as you’ve been with me, I’m sure Martin will see your sincerity. I fear your confidence and straight-forward manner might be something that would keep him from listening to you. As you are right now, seeing how you hurt for what the tumor caused you to do, that is what he needs to see and hear.”
She nodded again then stood to excuse herself. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit and get my wits about me.” We arranged a time to meet, and she left me where I sat.
I stayed in the restaurant for a long time and thought about how I’d feel if my mom, or my dad, for that matter, ever worked this hard to make up for something they’d done. The thought almost amused me. I couldn’t imagine either of them cared enough about me to even try. Hell, even after my dad broke my arm, he never apologized or even looked remorseful. I could only imagine how her son must have felt, but he had to also know this woman would do anything for him. Hell, she was doing something big for him in coming here. I just hoped he ended up seeing it for the generosity it was.
__________
The meeting between Martin and Mrs. Reed went better than I expected.
When we first walked in, Martin was angry. “I’m calling security,” he said. His boss even came over to intervene.
Matilda burst into tears. “You’ve every right, Martin, what I said to you was inexcusable. We can leave, I just wanted you to know how sorry I am.”
When we turned, he said, “No, stop, if you’re really sorry, I’ve got a moment.”
Mrs. Reed had taken my advice and allowed herself to be vulnerable and sincere in her apology.
She basically explained to Martin what she’d told me in the restaurant and before we left, Martin hugged her.
Throughout their exchange, tears slipped down the older woman’s face. She told him about how the tumor had taken over. She also admitted she didn’t like him, but that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her being overprotective of Peter.
When I glanced over at the man we’d come so far to meet, I noticed a tear had slipped down his face as well.
“You’ll never understand how much this means to me,” he told her. “I’ve agonized about how all that happened, internalized it, and I’ve even pushed people away who love me and who I love in return.”
She smiled. “I see you’re getting married.”
His face lit up, and I could see love written all over him. Apparently, so could Mrs. Reed.
“I am, he’s a restaurateur. He’s a good guy too,” Martin replied.
After a bit more conversation, Mrs. Reed stood and drew Martin into her arms. “I wish you and your new man all the best, Martin. Despite what I said to you, you are a wonderful man.”
He smiled at her. “That the best wedding gift I’ve gotten thus far. Believe it or not, this will help a lot in letting go of the past so I can move on.”
Mrs. Reed wanted to see a picture of Elian. I wanted to protest, but when she saw his picture, she smiled. “He’s really a looker, huh?” she said.
Martin had a goofy grin on his face at that point, which clearly showed just how much he was in love with the guy. If I’d been brave enough, and this hadn’t been a moment between Mrs. Reed and Martin, I’d have wanted to know whether he’d felt that same kind of giddy love for Mrs. Reed’s son. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my place to ask such things, so I kept those thoughts and questions to myself.
As we rode back to the hotel, I let Mrs. Reed lean over, giving her a side hug as she cried all the way back. Before we got out of the cab, she said, “He really loves that new guy, you can tell. I guess I couldn’t see that kind of love in him before because of the tumor, but I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for taking that away from Peter.”
“Oh, don’t be upset. If your Peter found a love like him once, I’m sure he’ll find it again. Just give him space and time.”
We got out of the taxi and went to sit in the lobby before we retired to our separate rooms.
I found a vending machine, bought us both a soda, and went over to sit next to her. “I only have one last bit of advice for you,” I said. “You need to let Peter know what you’ve done and the sooner the better. In fact, I suggest you call him tonight before he finds out from someone else. If I were your son, I’d take this as meddling, and I’d be irate, so you should plan on that being a possible response. But in the long run, what you did today was really awesome.” I could feel myself becoming emotional after the day’s events. “It was healing for him, and I think for you too and believe it or not, it touched me pretty deeply as well, so even if Peter gets really angry with you, remember you did the right thing, okay?”
She looked at me again and patted my hand. “Thank you, Trevor.” That was the first time she’d used my actual name.
“You are the reason I got through this, and I’ll never forget your support. Now, enough of all this, I want to hear about that little person I heard that time I called you.”
I must have gotten googly eyes because she laughed at me. “You got it bad, son,” she replied. “How old is the little one?”
I smiled in spite of myself. Since Lisa had left Luka with me, I’d steadily fallen deeper and deeper in love with my son.
“He’s three months old now,” I told her. “I know I’m biased, but I think he’s the most beautiful baby that’s ever lived. His eyes are so blue Frank Sinatra has nothing on him, and I’m holding out that he’s going to be a crooner himself. If you heard the lungs on that boy, you’d know what I mean. He’s like his mom in that
way, no patience whatsoever.”
“So, are you and his mother still close?”
I must’ve shown my sadness because Mrs. Reed patted my hand. “Broke up, huh?”
“No, not really. His mom and I were best friends, and little Luka is the result of a night of binge drinking and bad decisions. When she found out she was pregnant, she shut me out of her life. I only saw her for a moment while she dropped Luka off for me to take custody.”
“You miss her?” she asked.
“Yeah, we were really close, and I regret that she isn’t getting to watch Luka grow up.”
“When Peter’s dad died, I felt so betrayed. Every day I thought how much he was missing with Peter. But whether Lisa comes back or not, that baby will know you love him, and that’s good enough, even on the hard days, don’t forget that.”
I saw the sincerity in Mrs. Reed’s face. She loved her son and must’ve been a great mother. I wished I could meet her son just to find out what kind of person he was. If this woman across from me was any indication, he’d be one of the good ones.
Emotionally, I think both Mrs. Reed and I were too tired to keep up a conversation for much longer. “I think it’s time you go crack that bottle of Champagne,” I told her, and she winked at me.
“I think I’m going to do just that. Do you want to join me?” she asked.
“No, I’m beat, and I have to be on a flight out by five o’clock in the morning. When I get home, I’ll be on Luka duty again, which means I’ve got to be on my toes.”
Mrs. Reed laughed. “You better take advantage of a full night’s sleep while you can!”
We parted company, and Mrs. Reed gave me a hug before turning in. It would likely be the last time I’d see her as she was leaving on a later flight than me. I was also sure the moment I put my head on a pillow, I’d be done until morning.
As I stripped and got into bed, I realized it was still only six o’clock, I chuckled at how much my life had changed since Luka came into it.
Aunt Doris said Luka was probably messed up by Lisa’s leaving. Babies can hear their mom’s heartbeats while developing, and studies have shown that a baby can recognize their mom compared to others. We both agreed, Luka was going through separation anxiety. Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t mean the lack of sleep didn’t weigh on us both.
On one occasion, Aunt Doris proposed we tell my mom about Luka if for no other reason than to have another person to come help with him during the night. Then we both looked at each other and shook our heads at the same time.
Aunt Doris chuckled. “No, that would be worse, then we’d have to hear both your mom and Luka yelling at us.”
She was right. We’d agreed when Luka first arrived that until he got settled, it was best not to tell my parents about him. Besides, they didn’t want to be around me anyway, and I sure as hell didn’t want to deal with a newborn and the childishness of my parents.
So, the two of us did what we could to endure raising a very grumpy infant who clearly missed his mama.
__________
I woke up earlier than my alarm the next morning, and my heart ached to get my son back in my arms. I rushed home from the airport just in time to rescue Aunt Doris from what appeared to be a mental breakdown.
“He didn’t sleep, huh?”
“Not even a wink,” she sighed. “Glad you’re home.” She kissed me on the temple then disappeared to her room. “You’ve got Luka duty for the rest of the weekend,” she said as she climbed the stairs.
Luka settled almost immediately after I picked him up and fed him his morning bottle. I was so thankful I’d gotten a full night’s sleep but felt really bad for Aunt Doris. As Luka dozed in my arms, I couldn’t help but stare at him. Would there be a time when he refused to talk to me like Mrs. Reed’s son refused to talk to her?
It was then I realized if I was ever in that same situation, I’d go to the ends of the earth to clean up anything I’d done and to reconcile with him, just as she’d done for Peter. Even in the short time I’d had him, Luka meant everything to me, and I’d do anything in my power to keep him happy and healthy.
__________
On Monday morning, I planned to spend the day working from home. Aunt Doris hadn’t recovered from my night in Fort Lauderdale, so I still had Luka duty. Unfortunately, it all went downhill when, at eight o’clock, the office called telling me I had an angry customer in my office, and I needed to deal with him.
I couldn’t imagine who was angry enough with me to turn up at my office, demanding to see me. Heck, the only case besides Mrs. Reed’s was a missing person’s case my boss was working on. But all I’d done for that was the research. The other case was a divorce, but since both the husband and wife had been cheating on each other, they’d decided to split mutually. Unless the husband had decided he wasn’t happy after all, I had no idea who’d be at my office creating such a ruckus.
I agreed to be in the office by nine, but I told my boss I had to bring Luka with me since I couldn’t get a sitter at such short notice. Luckily, my boss had fallen for little Luka and quickly agreed to baby duty while I navigated all the drama.
I arrived a couple minutes after nine having had to rush through a shower, dress like a professional, dress Luka, pack him and the baby carrier into the taxi, unpack him and get into the office. Geez, hauling a baby around was a hell of a lot of work. No wonder most new moms appear to be ready to commit hara-kiri at any moment.
When I got to the office, the secretary met me and took Luka off my hands. “You need to go right in. The guy refuses to leave until you show up.”
“Really?” I asked. “Who is he?”
She just shrugged and began playing with Luka, totally ignoring me.
I just sighed. I’d gotten used to the expression that came over some people’s faces when I walked into a room with Luka. It was almost like I completely disappeared.
I started turning toward the waiting room when the secretary looked up at me like she’d just remembered she was at work. “Oh, I put him in your office. He was too irate to be out in the lobby where other clients might hear him.”
I just shook my head, not knowing who the hell could’ve been that angry. I wondered if maybe I needed to have some back up with me before going in.
I stopped at my supervisor’s office and asked if I needed back up. Linda, my supervisor, just smiled. “No, you’ll be fine, but he’s plenty mad.”
“Who is he?” I asked.
“Not exactly sure, but he’s really nice to look at.”
I shook my head. “Seriously, I’m not gonna get back-up because he’s hot?” I asked, and she chuckled.
I stomped toward my office, keen to get this over and done with. The sooner I was done, the sooner I could get Luka back home and actually get some work done. Hell, I got paid mostly on commission, and I had expenses coming up. Seriously, after traipsing all over Florida to help Mrs. Reed, I was way behind on the work I needed to finish up my other cases.
I stopped at my office door, drew in a deep breath, and walked in.
The man stood up slowly. He was obviously still angry, but now I understood what Linda meant. The man was drop-dead gorgeous. Tall, with bronze skin, perfectly beautiful hair, and even with the scowl, he could’ve been on the cover of a magazine.
“Can I help you, sir?” I asked, trying to keep my tongue from falling out of my mouth.
“Are you the little instigator that dragged my mother down to Florida to stir up shit that needed to be left the fuck alone?”
I was totally taken aback, and it took me a few minutes to figure out what the hell he was talking about. “Excuse me?”
“You, I’m asking you. Did you just come back from Florida where you took my mother, Matilda Reed, to Fort Lauderdale to get all up in the middle of a shit storm with my ex?”
It finally dawned on me what he was talking about, but before I could get all the way into the office, I heard the all too familiar wail of my son.
�
��Hold that thought,” I said as I turned to go pick Luka up from whoever had offended his sensibilities. That particular wail was his most angry one, and if anyone but me tried to appease him, it’d just pissed him off more.
I rushed over to where the secretary was handing Luka off to Linda. Both women’s faces were filled with terror, and I laughed as I took him from them. “Y’all look like you’re about to be attacked by a lion or something.”
“Wow, he has some lungs!” Linda said.
“Oh, you have no idea,” I replied. “I’ll just take him with me. The guy is Mrs. Reed’s son. Maybe holding a baby will prevent me from getting busted in the face.”
Linda yelled out behind me. “Ask him if he’s single!” Since Luka was still wailing, I just pretended like I didn’t hear her.
“I’m so sorry, I had to bring my son in with me. Today’s a work from home day,” I said as I walked into the office and threw the baby bag onto my desk. I was rummaging through it looking for Luka’s bottle, praying he wouldn’t get so worked up he wouldn’t take it. I hadn’t paid attention to Peter since coming back in.
Peter
Mom had called me Friday night and told me what she’d done. I was mortified. It was bad enough that Martin had endured everything he had from us, but it was so much worse that we kept popping back up in his life like a bad penny. No, worse, a bad penny with a venereal disease.
I yelled at my mom on the phone, hung up on her, then called her back the next day when she said she’d be back home and yelled at her again. Uncharacteristically, she stoically allowed me to blow off steam instead of chastising me about respecting my elders or not talking to her with respect.
Of course, that made my anger that much worse. Damn, if she didn’t know I was correct, what the hell was she thinking?
When I’d finished blowing my top, she simply said, “I love you, honey, and I’m sorry you’re upset. Martin took it well if you want to know. Call me when you’re ready to talk.”
Another Chance With Love (Chance Series Book 2) Page 3