The Path To Us: A Single Parent Romance

by Jennifer Van Wyk

  Leaving no room for argument, she holds her hand out and I’m irritated once again when I see Beau hesitantly place his phone in her palm after unlocking the screen. Though I’m not sure what the other option is. It wouldn’t be right to cause a scene right now and I wouldn’t put it past her to do just that.

  As soon as she has his phone, she begins to type away and then sends herself a message so she has his number as well.

  “There. Perfect. I’ll text you.” She smiles brightly like she just won the lottery.

  I have no doubt she’ll use that phone number often.

  Beau takes his phone back and places a hand on my lower back to guide me to my car. Wordlessly, I hand him my keys and we climb inside just as the clouds part and a heavy summer storm falls from the sky.

  “That was close.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You okay?” he asks me, concerned. For me. Meanwhile he’s hurting, too.

  “No. Nothing about today was okay. Chris shouldn’t be gone. My daughter shouldn’t have to live the rest of her life without her father. Those students shouldn’t have had to say goodbye to someone who helped them. I hate that your parents and Max and you had to do this. I want to blame someone and there’s no one to blame. I want to punch something or scream at Chris to watch his health better. I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m irritated.”

  Beau reaches over the console that divides us and pulls me across and onto his lap. “You’re right. Today was the worst.”

  I rest my cheek on his chest and do my best to wrap my arms around him in the small space. “It really was. I just… I can’t believe he’s gone.”

  His arms spasm as he tightens his hold on me. “I can’t either. I’m having trouble making sense of it.”

  “That’s because none of this makes any sense.”

  “I agree with you about wanting to blame someone. It sounds terrible, but I feel like it would be easier for us to understand if he’d have died in an accident. He was too healthy to go the way he did.”

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right. It just goes against all logic, you know?”

  Beau rubs a hand up and down my arm before wiping away some tears that escaped and are trailing down my cheek. With his palm cradling my face, he says in a heartbreakingly sad voice, “I know.” He blows a breath out and I feel the warmth hit my skin. “I know.”

  “It hurts.”

  “Like a son of a bitch,” he agrees.

  For a few minutes we sit together, holding tight. I suddenly understand my daughter’s fear of having someone she loves out of her sight. Out of reach. Because that’s exactly the kind of fear I feel right now.

  “And Lizzy’s a bitch. There, I said it.”

  He chuckles at that and kisses the top of my head. “She is. But she also doesn’t matter. She’s just a woman who’s here to get attention and she’s looking in the wrong place for it. Lizzy’s selfish, remember that. She might have had the wool pulled over our eyes when we were younger but we’re smarter now.”

  “Are we?”

  “We are.”

  I can tell by the look on his face that he knew my question wasn’t about me at all but he’s enough of a gentleman not to call me out.

  Once I’m back in the passenger seat, we head to his parents’ house and spend the next several hours reminiscing by looking at pictures and old home movies while eating pizza we had delivered.

  The entire time Zoey sits next to Beau. Or on his lap. And all I keep thinking is that it’s going to kill her when he goes back home.

  Chapter Seven

  Beau

  “Beau.”

  I sit back against the patio chair, enjoying the sunrise. Normally I wouldn’t call someone before six in the morning, but Grant’s rarely sleeping much past five. “Grant, how’s it going?”

  Through the phone, I hear my boss sigh. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” His voice is gruff and a bit gravelly from years of smoking cigarettes and the occasional cigar and it somehow brings me a bit of comfort.

  I pause before responding, knowing that he’ll see through any sort of lie. Not that I need to, of course I’m not okay. “I’m alright… sort of.”

  “What can I do? Do you need more time off? We’re doing fine here, Beau. You’ve trained everyone to do their jobs without needing to have their hands held.”

  I gasp as if I’m offended. “You saying you don’t need me?”

  He scoffs. “Far from it. I want you back so I don’t have to be in the office so much. I’m pretty sure the fish are missing me.”

  “You mean they miss laughing at you while you sit for hours without a single bite?” I tease with a small grin even though he can’t see me.

  “Didn’t you ever learn you’re supposed to respect your elders?”

  “Must’ve missed that class.”

  I hear a lighter flick and the distinct sound of him inhaling as he lights a cigarette. “How are you, really?”

  “Angry. Irritated. Sad.”

  He makes a sound at the back of his throat then clears it. “Sounds about right. How’s Zoey? The rest of the family? Your parents?”

  “Same as me, though Zoey’s missed the angry and irritated portion. She’s landed pretty solidly on fear of being left by someone else she loves.”

  “Poor thing. I feel awful for that sweet little girl.”

  “Yeah. It’s kind of why I’m calling.”

  “You’re not coming back, are you?”

  I watch a squirrel run through the yard and jump onto a tree trunk, swiftly climbing up. I stand up and walk onto the soft grass. It’s damp from the dew that settled overnight. Slipping a hand into the pocket of my black basketball shorts, I pull out a quarter and spin it through my fingers. Over one, under one. It’s a habit I picked up as a teenager and do it mindlessly for no other reason than I simply enjoy doing it. “I am, but I have a proposition for you.”

  “You want to start your own company.”

  The quarter pauses on top of my middle finger and I flick it in the air and catch it. “Did you become psychic? Why won’t you let me finish a thought?”

  I imagine him shrugging. “I know you. And I’ve been expecting this conversation for a few years.”

  “You have?”

  “Of course I have. You aren’t meant to be an employee, Beau. You’re a natural leader which is one of the reasons I’ve been as successful as I have. But it’s time for you to not just run the crews for me.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “Likely the same thing that you were about to.”

  I start fiddling with the quarter again and say, “Ever thought about expanding?”

  “Honestly? I haven’t. Figured you’d want your own name on the company letter head.”

  Chuckling, I admit, “Yeah, I kind of do. But right now I need to be thinking about other more important things. Like getting back here.”

  “You wanna buy in?” he asks, surprise laced through his voice.

  “I just thought maybe we could hire another crew and start doing some jobs here.”

  The other end of the phone is quiet while he thinks over my suggestion. “I want you as an official partner, Beau. That way when I’m ready to be in Florida permanently you’re in a better standing to buy me out.”

  “Sounds like you have it all planned out.” Grant and most of the entire staff came to the funeral, some to the memorial but as expected, Grant and I didn’t spend time talking about work.

  “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

  The patio door opens and I turn around to see a sleepy Addy coming outside carrying two cups of coffee and looking gorgeous as usual. Even in a pair of baggy bleach stained sweatpants and my old high school football hoodie. Actually, probably because of what she’s wearing. Her blonde hair is pulled up on top of her head in a messy nest and there’s a smudge of mascara under her eyes.

  I take the cup she offers me and she curls up on one of the patio chairs, knees tucked
to her chest as she looks out toward her backyard.

  “I’m not opposed to looking into that,” I tell Grant when I realize I haven’t responded to his last statement.

  “I’ll get some figures ready on my end and give you a call later. Take all the time you need before returning, you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I hear you, Grant.”

  “Praying for your family. Whatever you need, got it?”

  “Thank you. Appreciate it and not gonna lie and say we don’t need it ‘cause we definitely do and we’ve been feeling them. It’s been… a rough few days.”

  “Don’t doubt that. I’ll be in touch,” Grant says quietly.

  We say our goodbyes and I take a seat next to Addy. We sit quietly and drink coffee, enjoying the peace only the early morning brings. Birds chirping and the light breeze rustling the leaves are the only sounds that surround us.

  “She still sleeping?”

  “Yeah. I hope she sleeps ‘til noon.”

  I laugh. “That’s hopeful.”

  “That was Grant? Does he need you back?”

  “He’s ready for me to return but he’s giving me whatever time I need.”

  Addy nods. “He seems like a good man.”

  “He is.”

  “What are you doing today?”

  “Zoey has practice tonight, right?”

  “Well, yeah, but… not sure she wants to keep it up.”

  “Did Chris tell you he asked me to coach?”

  She turns her head and looks at me with surprise and a hint of sadness. “He didn’t, but I’m not surprised he asked. Her coach is awful. I’ve never seen someone take T-ball so seriously in all my life. I feel bad for his wife. She looked so embarrassed when he started yelling at the kids.”

  I grind my teeth together, pissed that Zoey’s been having to deal with it. “It’s such bullshit.”

  “Yup. And I don’t know that I’ll push Zoey to continue because I think it will just add to the sadness.”

  “But I’ll be coaching now. Or, at least that was the plan. We should probably check in with some of the parents, I guess.”

  She shakes her head and rubs her lips together. “Not because of the coach. Because playing was her and Chris’s thing. Their chance to bond.”

  “Shoot. I didn’t think about that.”

  “She told me she doesn’t think it will be as much fun without him.”

  “Then don’t force it,” I tell her with a shrug. “It’s T-ball. Not anything she can’t just skip.”

  “But isn’t that teaching her that she can quit when things are hard?”

  I give her a look and set down my cup on the ground before leaning my elbows on my knees and grasping her hand in mine. “She just lost her dad. She gets a free pass, babe. T-ball didn’t get hard, her life just got flipped upside down. She’s also young enough that she’s not going to realize you’re letting her quit something. This is about her mommy understanding what she’s going through. It’s T-ball. If she wants to not do it this year, let her. If she wants to pick it up next year, great. If not, I repeat, it’s T-ball.”

  She blows out a shaky breath and blinks away the moisture gathering in her beautiful eyes. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Giving me the answer I needed to hear.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I lean over and kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be okay,” I promise, though I don’t believe it myself.

  “Liar.”

  The way she calls me out makes me laugh lowly. “How about this, then. We’ll eventually get there.”

  She nods and leans back in her chair.

  We sit quietly for a few minutes, listening to the peace that early morning brings. “It’s going to be a pretty day,” she remarks.

  “It is.”

  After a little while longer, she asks, “What are your plans?”

  “For today?”

  She turns to face me and gives me a look that says I know what she meant. “Not just today.”

  I settle back in my chair and drum my fingers on the arm rest. “Grant and I are sitting down to talk about it when I go back.”

  “Which is when?”

  “Probably next week. I’m not in a rush, and Grant understands it will be a bit.”

  “It’s good that he’s understanding.”

  He’s definitely that. He’s a good guy, which is why I don’t want to just leave his company. His offer of buying into his already established business is humbling beyond measure.

  “I think I’ll head to Mom and Dad’s today to spend some time with them.”

  “Have you guys discussed what they’re doing with his house yet?”

  “Not yet. That’s not something any of us are willing to tackle.”

  She nods in understanding. “Later. There’s no rush, right?”

  “Right. Max and I are going to keep paying on the mortgage until a decision is made. He had a good life insurance plan that I think will cover what he still owed on the house which is only about half of what we think it’s worth. He left everything to you and Zoey, but had me as executor of his estate. He was prepared.”

  “I didn’t even think about that,” she whispers. “There are so many things…”

  I can see her wheels turning and the panic setting in. What she doesn’t know, though, is that Chris wasn’t just prepared, he was incredibly responsible when it came to the future. The week after Zoey was born, he met with a financial advisor and got everything set up so that if something were to happen to him, Addy and Zoey would be set for life. I had asked him why it was so important to him and he didn’t have an answer other than wanting to do what was right for his family.

  Chris loved Zoey more than anything in the world, but Addy was a close second. “It’s okay, Addy. You don’t have to think about anything right now. Just take care of his daughter. That’s your only responsibility. We’ve got the rest of it under control.”

  “Okay.”

  “You need to go to the flower shop today?”

  “Yeah, I do. If nothing else but to check in and catch up on bills.”

  “Want me to spend the day with Zoey or what did you have planned for her?”

  “You don’t have to do that. She can come to the shop with me.”

  “That’s not why I’m offering.”

  “Thank you. And, yeah, she’d probably rather do that. I’ll need to figure something out permanently for her this summer because it’s not fair for your mom.”

  “You don’t think my mom wants to watch her while you’re working?” My mom loves being both grandma and babysitter for Zoey. And it’s not as if Addy or Chris expected it. It worked well because my mom doesn’t work outside of the home and she wanted to be there. Chris had always had a bit of an irrational fear of Zoey going to a daycare, so Grandma it was.

  She shrugs and looks down into her coffee cup. “I don’t know… I feel like such a burden. Or like I’m taking advantage.” That’s nothing new. She’s always felt that way, though not because of anything other than her head getting in the way. That’s Addy, though. She grew up with a single mom who was determined to do everything herself and it trained Addy to do the same. She has a hard time accepting help, but an even harder time understanding that sometimes help from others is necessary. I’ve also learned that nothing I say right now will change the fact that she thinks she’s taking more than giving, but in reality, it’s not a competition. Plus, my mom doesn’t feel like spending time with her only grandchild is anything but a blessing. “I’m sorry,” she says, clearly frustrated with herself, especially when she starts crying again. Addy pulls the sleeve of her — my — hoodie over her thumb and wipes away the tears. “I don’t know why I can’t stop crying and I definitely don’t know what I would do without you or your family.”

  “You won’t have to find out. And don’t call them my family. You should know by now that they’re your family, too.”

  “I know.”

  I stand u
p and stretch my arms above my head, the sun now fully in the sky and warming up the air. “Let’s start some breakfast. I’m starving.”

  “Makes sense. You haven’t eaten since your midnight snack,” she teases.

  I pat my stomach. “I’m a growing boy.”

  She rolls her eyes and stands, brushing past me to go into the house. “You passed that stage a long time ago.”

  “I can’t help that I have a big appetite.”

  She shakes her head. “You’re inhuman.”

  “Why is that?” I reach around her and slide open the patio door and wait for her to step inside.

  “Because! You eat enough for three men and still look like that!”

  I don’t even try to hide my grin. “You like the way I look?” I ask, teasing.

  She does another eye roll but doesn’t answer. “Aren’t you full enough from all that ego?”

  Inside the house, we begin getting some breakfast ready for the two of us but since Zoey’s still sleeping and Addy doesn’t want to wake her, just the two of us eat some scrambled eggs.

  “I’m going to shower if you don’t mind?” Addy asks while rinsing her plate.

  “Of course not. When do you need to be at the flower shop?”

  “No set time. I’ll get ready and head in after Zoey wakes up. I’ll only be gone for a couple hours.”

  “Take your time and do what you need.”

  She nods and walks down the hallway to her bedroom and I settle in on the couch with my phone and another cup of coffee. If I know Grant, and I do, I know he’ll have already sent me an email with some preliminary numbers for what he’s thinking if I buy into his business.

  Propping my feet up on the coffee table, I cross my ankles and open my email app, taking a drink of coffee as I let my messages download. Two minutes ago, Grant sent an email with an attachment so I click on it and wait the few seconds for it to open.

  I’m not entirely surprised by the numbers he sent me considering that I’ve worked side by side with him for several years and had a firsthand look at most of his accounting.

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I pull up the calculator app on my phone and start running a few numbers. I think I should be able to manage the proposal he’s shooting me. Of course, this is just preliminary and not official, but it’s close enough that I have an idea of what I need to bring to the bank.