Sweethearts Old

by Rachel A Andersen

  “Oh, that Marissa. How is she?”

  Apparently, he hadn’t needed to explain. “Fine. We met up at the reunion a few weeks ago. She’s got a little boy a little older than Tabitha.”

  “Good for her. I’m sure she’s an excellent mother. Give her my regards when you talk to her again.”

  Declan swallowed a lump in his throat. “I’d be happy to, but I’m not sure I’m going to talk to her again.”

  “Because you think it’s too soon after Angie’s death to find love again?”

  He let the plastic dish in his hands clatter into the sink. The way she’d said that was too natural for his liking. “Excuse me?”

  “Declan, sweetheart, I’m no fool. I know Marissa was the one that got away. Angie was great, and I loved her, but I never got the feeling that things were really over between you and Marissa.”

  “Well, they were, Mom.”

  The tea kettle only started to whistle before his mother presumably removed it from the burner. “If you say so, sweetheart.”

  Maybe it was the stress of being a single parent in the middle of October with parent-teacher conferences around the corner. Maybe it was the charged argument he’d had with Marissa over a stupid donut party, of all things. Maybe it was just the way an adult child’s relationship developed with his mother. Maybe it was all of it.

  All he knew was that if he wasn’t careful, all of this frustration and irritation would boil over like that tea kettle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. I just—”

  “You just what, Mom?”

  She sighed as metal chinked against ceramic, probably his mother’s spoon in her teacup. “I always got the impression that until Angie showed up, you were waiting for Marissa to come to her senses.”

  Declan reeled back. “I had at least three relationships between Marissa and Angie, Mom.”

  “And all three were over in less than three months.”

  Declan shook his head, his mind struggling to comprehend what his mother was suggesting. “I loved Angie with my whole heart.”

  She swallowed, and her voice was as calm as if they were discussing the weather or lukewarm reviews of a recently released movie. “I’m not saying that you didn’t, sweetheart. But your heart was broken before you met her. Maybe life’s giving you a chance to put that piece of your heart back where it belongs.”

  “What makes you think Marissa’s not married?”

  “Is she?”

  Declan growled. “No, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, you know.”

  “Of course not, but if she was married, would you be this agitated about it?”

  Declan huffed and returned to loading the dishwasher with vigor. “Well, we agreed that it was time to end things. For good. The last thing my kids and I need right now is someone who’s just going to walk out of our lives when push comes to shove.”

  “That’s a little unfair, don’t you think?”

  Declan glared at his phone. “Whose side are you on?”

  He sounded like a teenager, and it irritated him. He was usually calm and level-headed enough to convince himself he was an adult, but maybe at the core, he was just an impulsive kid with a 401k and enormous personal and professional responsibilities.

  The long-suffering of his mother’s tone also grated on his nerves. It was impossible to be mad at someone who didn’t yell. Well, impossible if one didn’t want to feel guilty about it. “Believe it or not, I’m on your side, son. Given the state of your heart, I don’t want you to accidentally make the same mistake you made twenty years ago.”

  He rubbed his eyes, knowing that the only way to get through this conversation was to let his mother say whatever she needed to get off her chest and then do whatever he thought was really best. “And what mistake was that?”

  “You let her go without a fight.”

  FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS, no matter what he was doing, his mind wandered back to his mother’s words. What did she mean that he’d let Marissa go without a fight? What did she think he should have done? What else could he have done?

  Whenever he wasn’t wondering what his mother meant, he was thinking of Angie and what she’d think of how long after her death it had taken him to get infatuated with another woman? An ex-girlfriend, no less.

  It had given him a low-level headache for almost a week as his head and his heart warred with one another. But now, it was Monday night, and he had a choice to make.

  He got the kids settled with their dinner before he followed his mother-in-law into the entry. “Helen, I was thinking of taking the kids for breakfast tomorrow before school and work.”

  “I’m sure they’d love that. Any particular reason?”

  Doubt still niggled at the back of his mind, but he managed a smile, anyway. “Not really. I just thought it was about time we started making some good memories again.”

  He toyed with his wedding ring, and the action seemed to catch Helen’s attention. “Something on your mind?”

  The possibility of confiding in Helen about meeting Marissa in the morning with his kids just agitated his thoughts all the more.

  He shook his head. “I’ll bring Laney by your house on my way to work, okay?”

  She squeezed his arm in support as he opened the door. “Sounds good.”

  HER EYES NARROWED AND her arms crossed, Tabitha stared at Declan as he buckled Luke and Laney into their car seats. “Why are we eating donuts for breakfast, Daddy?”

  “Don’t you like donuts?”

  Luke pumped his fists. “Yeah.”

  Declan tapped his fist against his son’s with a smile. “Thanks, kid. I can always count on you.”

  Tabitha puffed out a loud exhale, her hands up in the air in exasperation. “Sure, I like donuts, Daddy, but you never take us to get them. You just bring them home.”

  “I want one with sprinkles.”

  Declan smiled at his son. “We’re not there yet.”

  He caught Tabitha’s scowl. At one time, she’d been a carefree child. Since her mother had gotten sick, however, she’d developed a perpetual frown. He wanted to believe it was just a phase, that it would pass on its own, but he wasn’t so sure.

  “Okay, kid, I’ll level with you. I have a friend, and she and her son invited us to have donuts with them this morning before school. It’s been a long time since we did anything fun, so I thought maybe we could go.”

  From the way Tabitha’s expression darkened, Declan had a feeling she’d caught the pronoun. “A girlfriend?”

  He didn’t dignify the question with an answer. “Her son’s about your age, Tabs, and he’s going through a rough time at school. I thought we could help cheer him up.”

  “Does he like race cars, Daddy?”

  Declan shrugged. “I don’t know, kiddo. That’s a great question. Why don’t you ask Aiden when we get there?”

  “So you can talk to Aiden’s mom alone?”

  Declan turned his attention back to Tabitha. “Tabs, we’re going to eat donuts. We’re going to meet some new friends. Doesn’t any of that sound exciting or happy?”

  Tabitha rolled her eyes.

  At least Laney, with her thoughtful blue eyes, was smiling at the prospect. “Everybody buckled?”

  Only Luke and Laney responded with verbal affirmation, but Declan could see in the rearview mirror Tabitha’s booster seat was buckled. “Off we go.”

  DECLAN CAUGHT SIGHT of Marissa and Aiden the moment they stepped through the door, the donut in Aiden’s hands flying through the air as Marissa laughed at some story he told. Despite all the questions he had about whether they’d be welcome after the argument he’d had with her five days earlier, something warmed in his chest at the sight of them. A worry he hadn’t even realized he carried quelled.

  “Sprinkles, Daddy, sprinkles!”

  Declan’s attention went back to his own little boy, and he walked his brood to the counter where each of them chose a donut and a drink. Then Luke tugged on his pan
ts. “Where’s your friend, Daddy?”

  The table filled with retirees chuckled and smiled at the boy’s question as Declan guided them over to the table where Marissa and Aiden sat.

  Only now did Declan’s heart pound wildly and without rhythm.

  “Declan?” Aiden dropped his donut onto a napkin as he raced over to greet them. “Mom said you weren’t coming.”

  Declan found Marissa’s gaze, unsurprised to see the question in them but pleased when it softened into a smile. She even mouthed the words, I’m sorry.

  He didn’t hesitate. Me, too.

  Though he balanced Laney in one arm and the tray with their order in the other, Aiden dragged him to the table. Tabitha, dutiful daughter that she was, joined them a moment later with a high chair for Tabitha.

  As they approached the table, Aiden waved between himself and Marissa. “I’m Aiden and this is my mom, Marissa. She went to high school with your dad.”

  Tabitha eyed her father with suspicion, but he ignored her and gestured to his kids. “These are my kids: Tabitha, Luke, and Laney.”

  Marissa grinned as she waved at the toddler. With a shy smile, Laney waved back.

  Luke wasted no time sitting beside Aiden and launching into a thousand questions about the older boy’s interests. Once again, donuts were whizzing in the air as the boys acted out some epic space battle.

  Surprisingly, Tabitha took the seat beside Marissa, leaving Declan and Laney facing the window.

  Marissa offered Tabitha her hand. “Hi, Tabitha. Your dad’s told me a lot about you.”

  Tabitha didn’t take Marissa’s hand, only pressed both hands to her glazed, lemon-filled donut. Only then did she look up at Marissa with a look that seemed too practiced to be sincere. “Oh, I’m sorry. My fingers are sticky.”

  Declan let his eyes drift closed. So much for hoping Tabitha would give this a shot. The girl had probably taken the seat beside Marissa in a preemptive move, to keep Declan from taking it.

  Marissa just withdrew her hand and took a sip of her milk. “That’s okay.”

  Declan tore up Laney’s glazed donut and handed one piece to her. “So, Riss, what are you and Aiden going to be for Halloween?”

  “Marissa, did you know that I’m going to be the Blue Fairy in our school musical?”

  Though Marissa’s mouth was open to answer Declan’s question, she turned her attention to the child. “Wow, congratulations. You must be very proud of yourself.”

  Declan eyed his daughter as he took a bite of his breakfast sandwich. “So proud you didn’t mention it until now.”

  Tabitha shrugged, not looking up from her donut. “I forgot.”

  Marissa caught his eye and shook her head ever so slightly. She must have read the frustration on his face.

  Oh well, he could apologize later.

  “Aiden?”

  The eight-year-old glanced up at Marissa. “Yeah, Mom?”

  “Declan wanted to know what you were going to be for Halloween.”

  Luke looked between Marissa, Declan, and Aiden, waiting for the other boy’s response.

  “I’m going to be a superhero. So’s Mom.”

  Declan raised an eyebrow at Marissa, whose cheeks turned a light pink. He wondered which superhero she was going to be, what her costume would look like.

  Marissa turned to Tabitha. “What about you, kiddo? What are you going to be for Halloween?”

  Tabitha didn’t answer Marissa, just waited several long seconds before she turned to Declan. “Can I go to the bathroom?”

  Declan exchanged a glance with Marissa. She seemed to catch his meaning and nodded. “Why don’t we go together, Tabitha? Just us girls.”

  Tabitha looked up at the other woman with a look that expressed her extreme displeasure. “I’m old enough I can go by myself, thanks.”

  “Tabs, I just want you to be safe.”

  Tabitha threw him a laser-glare. “So you send a stranger with me to the bathroom?”

  Declan sighed and looked at Marissa. “Can you watch Laney and Luke?”

  “Of course.”

  He stood and reached for his daughter’s hand. She pouted and crossed her arms. “I don’t need to go now.”

  An alarm on Marissa’s watch caught her attention, and she offered Declan an apologetic smile. “I need to take Aiden to school now.”

  Declan nodded. “It’s probably best if we head that direction, as well.”

  They herded their kids out of the booth, trying to wipe up the messes which had come with the sticky breakfast. Once, he caught Marissa offering him a smile, which seemed to say how glad she was to have a partner in the middle of all the chaos.

  It was the kind of look Angie might have sent his direction. He turned back to his task before he grabbed Laney out of the high chair and headed toward the car.

  From inside the store, he unlocked and opened the van doors with his key fob.

  “Go ahead, Aiden.” Marissa nodded her son ahead as she handed him the keys to her van. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Luke raced after Aiden, too excited about his new friend to be disappointed by the brief excursion to the donut place.

  Declan set Laney on the floor beside Tabitha. “Can you help her get in the car and get buckled? I’ll just be a minute.”

  Tabitha shot a withering look between the adults before she grabbed the baby’s hand and walked out the door.

  Declan breathed a sigh of relief. Alone at last.

  “You were right.”

  Declan looked into Marissa’s dark brown eyes. “That’s funny because I was about to apologize because I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said all those things. I guess I had a few more issues with how things ended twenty years ago than I thought, and instead of taking some space and telling you how I felt, I yelled at you.”

  “It didn’t help that I was doing to you what I did twenty years ago, trying to protect myself from getting hurt.”

  “I don’t like it when we argue. Never have.”

  She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Neither do I.”

  He looked at where her hand held his, those conflicting feelings raging inside again. “Friends again?”

  She nodded. “Friends.”

  He exhaled and opened his arms for an embrace which she took, albeit a little hesitantly.

  “Hey, Mr. Pierce!”

  Declan stepped away from Marissa as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. “Yes, Aiden?”

  “I’ve got a football game on Saturday if you want to come. I just remembered.”

  Declan glanced over at Marissa, who shrugged. “How about this, kid? I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.”

  The boy’s shoulders slumped. “That means no, doesn’t it?”

  Declan’s heart squeezed, and he crouched down in front of the boy, fully aware that his own son stood right behind Aiden with rapt attention. “That means that when I get home tonight, I will check my calendar. If I can make it, I’ll be there.”

  Aiden threw his arms around Declan’s neck with the same intensity he’d gotten from Luke after Angie had passed away. This boy had experienced loss. Lots of it.

  Declan smiled as he held the eight-year-old. “Go on, kid. Get in the car.”

  As Declan stood, Luke raced over to him. “Can I come, too, Daddy? Please? I’ll be good.”

  He turned one last smile to Marissa before he walked back to his van. He was walking on air until he saw the fury on Tabitha’s face. From the way her fists shook and her eyes filled with angry tears, a patch of her skin inching ever closer to scarlet, she had seen it all.

  Oh boy.

  “WHEN WE GO TO THE GAME on Saturday, can I wear my speedster costume?”

  Declan sighed as he drove to the school. “I don’t know, Luke. I don’t even know if we’re able to go on Saturday.”

  “Why not, Dad? Don’t you want to see your girlfriend again?”

  Declan readjusted the rearview mirror so he could catch his daughter’s eye.
“You don’t have to like Marissa, but I will ask that you be respectful of her and me. Got it, Tabs?”

  Tabitha huffed as she looked out the window. “Bet Mom wouldn’t have let you go to get donuts with Marissa.”

  Declan had to fight the impulse to pull the car over so he could have words with his daughter right there on the side of the road.

  Luke hardly waited a moment before he continued singing his new friend’s praise. “Aiden’s so funny. He says—”

  “Who cares what stupid Aiden says? Daddy likes him more than he likes you.”

  Laney threw her sippy cup onto the ground and started crying, agitated by the tension in the car and by the strident sounds of Tabitha’s anger.

  Declan pulled to a stop at the traffic light only a block away from the school. “Tabitha, enough.”

  Luke turned wide eyes to his father in the rearview mirror as Tabitha crossed her arms with large tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “Is that true?”

  “Of course not, kiddo. Your sister’s just angry about something she saw at the donut shop. That’s all.”

  They drove in tense silence before Declan parked in a spot outside the office. “Luke, kiddo, you okay?”

  His normally vivacious boy wiped at his eyes, his aura depressed. “Yeah.”

  “Come here.”

  The boy took Declan’s proffered hug, leaning his cheek on Declan’s shoulder the way he had as an infant. “I think it’s great you found a friend. I think Aiden enjoyed meeting you, too.”

  Luke straightened as a shy smile lifted the corners of his lips.

  Declan tousled the boy’s blond hair. “You know you’re my pal, right?”

  “Can I go to school now?”

  Declan nodded. “Have a wonderful day.”

  Tabitha tried to slip out the door behind him, but Declan caught her by the elbow. “You stay a little longer, young lady.”

  She pursed her lips and avoided looking at him, disgusted by the very look of him. “I’m not going to apologize.”

  He guided his daughter into the front seat. “Tabs, we gotta talk.”