by J. P. Comeau
"I'm sure he will too, and that's an even bigger reason for you to reach out to him. He cares about you, Annie. I think you should give it another shot.”
If I told Richard that I wanted to be with him, I was terrified of what his answer would be, especially since he had become a full-time father.
As Julianna continued talking, I watched as a father pushed his daughter on the swing. She looked to be about Addison’s age, too. He was just pushing her, back and forth, as she kicked her legs in the air. I pictured myself standing in front of her, telling her to kick higher while Daddy pushed her from behind.
“What’s Richard’s address?”
Julianna paused for a moment before whispering something to Jake. As soon as she gave it to me, I tossed the hotdog wrapper in the trash and ran from the park. "I'll call you back. I love you."
Julianna giggled. "GOOD LUCK!!"
I hailed a cab, got inside, and told the driver where to go. I could feel my heart drop into my stomach along the way. Soon I would see Richard. Whatever he said, that would be the final decision. We could end up a happy family, or I would get closure and move on with my life.
The cab pulled up to his building, and I took a deep breath. I could feel sweat forming on the palms of my hands as I hit the elevator button, but there was no turning back.
I rode the elevator to his floor, walked to his door, and waited for a few moments. I could hear Richard and Addison laughing together, probably playing with a toy or watching cartoons. It instantly warmed my heart, and I realized that regardless of what he said, I had made the right decision about going to his home.
I knocked on the door and waited. Richard finally opened, and our eyes met.
He looked sexier than ever, his grey streaks running through his hair and ripped chest showing in a tight t-shirt. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and I wanted nothing more than to hug him. To tell him that I couldn’t go through life without Addison and him.
When neither of us spoke for a few minutes, he smiled and said, "Annie? What, I mean, what are you doing here in New York City?”
24
Richard
I never expected to see Annie standing at my door, but there she was, looking more beautiful than I’d ever seen. She was wearing a pale pink tweed business skirt and jacket, with pearl earrings and a matching necklace. Her delicate feet were inside of pearl-white heels, and her lengthy, black hair was pulled back in a bun. Seeing her again was like bringing the pictures on my phone to life. Between her surprise visit and having full custody of Addison, I couldn't have been happier.
It was impossible to ignore the awkward tension between us, though. I had no idea what Annie had been up to, or if she had even been thinking about me. I had a million things that I wanted to say to her at that moment, but I couldn’t find the words.
As though she were answering my unanswered questions, Annie took it upon herself to speak first.
“I had a meeting with an investor,” she said.
“Julianna gave me your address, and I hope that’s alright. Anyway, I couldn’t leave without seeing you first.”
I wanted to tell her that it was more than alright and that she could never upset me.
“Annie?”
I stepped to the side upon hearing Addison say her name, and that gave her plenty of room to run to the door with her arms stretched out. Annie bent down and scooped her up, hugging her as I watched both of them with a big smile on my face. The best part was that it wasn’t just Addison who was excited to see Annie, either.
Annie’s face lit up when their eyes met.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Annie said.
“Where have you been, Annie?”
Annie eyed me but kept on smiling, careful not to reveal too much to Addison. “Well, I’ve been working like crazy, but I’m here now.”
Addison gave her another big hug before Annie put her down. “I live with Daddy now. Mommy didn't want me anymore, but that's alright because I have a big room with lots of toys to play with!"
"That sounds like a lot of fun," Annie said, careful not to say anything negative about Heather.
"Daddy, can Annie stay for dinner?”Annie didn’t look me in the eyes when Addison asked that question. Instead, she pretended to search for something in her purse. “Please, Daddy? Please?”
I laughed a little bit and nodded. “Of course, Annie can.”
Addison screamed 'yay' and then ran to her bedroom to get some toys.
“Are you sure, Richard?”
I put my hands up and nodded at Annie. “Please don’t apologize. I’m glad you’re here, too. How did you know I was in New York City, though?”
“Well, Crystal told me that you flew out here for work. I’m not sure how she found out, although people in River Valley do like to gossip.”
That was an understatement. Despite my best attempts at sneaking away without too many people finding out, Heather knew before Danielle had told her lawyer.
“To say the least,” I replied, admiring every inch of her.
“Annie, do you like to paint?”
Both of us turned to look at Addison, who was standing there holding her art supplies. I watched as the two of them sat on the floor and started painting. Even though she was wearing what appeared to be an expensive outfit, Annie didn’t hesitate to get her fingers dirty. Unlike Heather, who didn't want Addison to eat sauce anywhere near her designer outfits. I watched Annie as she taught her how to paint different shapes and the importance of using different brushes. I hadn’t painted a day in my life, so it was nice having an adult figure around to give Addison some tips.
I went into the kitchen to make dinner, confident that I could trust Annie to take care of Addison. Since she loved pizza so much, I was making that along with a simple tossed salad. Ever since I had gained full custody of Addison, we had spent a lot of time getting to know each other. It wasn’t a big surprise that she loved pizza since most kids her age did, and I was sure that Annie wanted a break from all of her protein bars.
Something felt right about making dinner while they were in the other room. It felt like we were an actual family, and I could hear the excitement in Addison’s voice at having a mother figure in the house. Annie brought out the best in her, whereas she was miserable with Heather. It seemed as though she was born to be a mother.
I peeked into the living room on a few occasions, just to check on them and couldn't help but smile each time. Addison and Annie, with their arms around each other, made each other laugh and were just overall having a great time.
My only concern was of things not working out between Annie and I. There was no denying that Annie was a good fit for Addison, but romantic relationships were complicated. Hell, I hadn’t been in a serious one in years because of how nasty the break-up was with Heather. As much as I loved and cared about Annie, statistically speaking, there was a good chance that we wouldn’t make it.
I knew that I’d bounce back, but no way could I put Addison through that again. She had been through so much with Heather and Michael. Even though I’d never met him, I suspected that he wasn’t a good role model either.
Any man who would marry Heather had some serious mental health issues.
When dinner was ready, we all sat down at the dining room table. Addison talked non-stop about how good the pizza was, and Annie agreed. She told her about all of her new toys and how much she loved her new home.
“This is different than River Valley, isn’t it Addison?”
“It sure is,” she replied. “I like River Valley too. The people in California are nice.”
“What about the people here in New York City?”
Addison shrugged her shoulders at me. “They’re always in a hurry to be somewhere.”
Annie and I burst out laughing. I pointed at Addison. "But, the hotdogs are amazing."
"I had one earlier today, and for a second, I thought about making a protein bar that tasted like one."
Addison and I both
scrunched our faces, which caused Annie to shake her head. "It wasn't my best business idea."
"She loves hotdogs," I said, chuckling.
After dinner, all three of us went back out in the living room. Annie and Addison resumed painting, and I watched in between watching the football game on television. Something came to life whenever Annie was around Addison. I had seen it at the lake, too. It was like she had finally found someone she could look up to as a mother.
I also had to admit that my penthouse felt like more of a home with Annie in it.
About an hour later, I turned off the television and decided it was time for Addison to go to bed. It was a little bit earlier than usual, but I needed to discuss things with Annie.
“Ok, sweetie. It’s time for bed now.”
Addison pouted her lips at me.
“But Annie is here,” she said. “Can’t I stay up a little bit later?”
“I’m sorry, honey, but you have an early day tomorrow. Say goodnight to Annie.”
Addison realized that she wouldn’t win that time, and so she gave Annie a hug and a kiss and then went into her bedroom.
“I’ll tidy up out here,” Annie said, giving me the go-ahead to tuck Addison in.
I turned around and went toward her room, but before going inside, I looked back at Annie. At that moment, as she piled all of the toys in the bin, she looked exactly like a mother.
Addison insisted that I read her a bedtime story. By the time I came back out, Annie was staring out of the living room window. She heard my footsteps and quickly turned around.
“Before you say anything,” Annie said, “just let me talk.”
I put my hands in my pockets and nodded.
“First of all, to say that I’m in love with you would be putting it lightly. But not only do I love you, Richard, but I also love your daughter. It doesn’t matter that I’ve only spent two days with Addison up until now. I understand that you’re nervous because you want what’s best for her. But Richard, I desperately want to be a part of what’s best for her.”
"I was worried that you'd feel overwhelmed at becoming a mom so quickly," I said, "and bail on Addison. She's the one I'm worried about."
Annie walked closer to me. "If I thought for one second that I couldn't do this for the rest of my life, then I would bow out. As a woman, I would never want to put a young girl through the pain of losing two mothers."
It suddenly dawned on me that I had been naive as to how perfect Annie was for the job of being Addison’s mother. Hearing her say those words with such brutal honesty was everything I needed to hear. I knew that she would be a fantastic mother to my daughter and the partner I needed in my life.
“I love you, Annie!”
She ran over to me, and I kissed her deeply. Feeling her lips on mine again was like experiencing heaven, and I never wanted to let her go.
That is until I heard a giggle from behind me.
Annie and I pulled away and saw Addison peering out of her doorway. Just as I was about to put her back to bed, she came running over to us. “Does this mean Annie is going to stay with us, Daddy?”
I looked at Annie and then back at Addison, took each of their hands, and smiled. “Yes, Addison. Annie is now a part of our family.”
Epilogue
Annie
One Year Later
Julianna and I sat on the big white couch in the living room, both of us anxiously awaiting the results of our pregnancy tests. We hadn't planned on getting pregnant at the same time, though. She had raced down to my yoga studio a few days before, worried that she hadn't gotten her period. Since I hadn't gotten mine either, we decided to take pregnancy tests together.
Richard and I were living at his father’s cottage on the lake while getting our mansion redecorated. I moved in with him as soon as we flew back from New York City, but his taste was a bit too industrial for my liking. So he gave me the go-ahead to make it a tad more feminine. Except for his man-cave, of course.
He never heard from Heather after she gave him full custody of Addison. And Addison never brought her biological mother up after he and I got back together. Just like Caley, Addison was highly intuitive and mature for such a young girl. Maybe one day, Heather would come around and want to see her daughter again, but Richard and I had our doubts.
Even though I still owned the yoga studio, I rented out the loft to Crystal. It was perfect for her, too. She loved being able to roll out of bed and go to work. Plus, on days that I was running late, which often happened since becoming a mother to Addison, I could have Crystal start class for me.
Jake and Julianna were spending the day with us at the lake for the Fourth of July. Addison loved living there, and she was nothing short of a water baby. We often had to pull her out of the lake. Richard promised to build her a pond of her own back at our mansion. In between taking on more responsibility at his father's company, he met with landscapers who specialized in man-made ponds and lakes.
“I hope they’re both positive,” Julianna said to me.
It would be my first and her third baby, and the thought of both of us being pregnant at the same time was exciting. The two of us had always been so close.
“Imagine if we go into delivery on the same date,” I said. “Our children will be cousins with the same birthday!”
Jake and Richard were outside at the lake, getting everything ready for the barbecue later on that day. Just like Julianna and me, Jake and Richard were exceptionally close. He often told me how his life had changed for the better since Jake moved back home. They were constantly doing guy things together, such as working on their cars and even fishing.
Addison had become quite close to Caley. The two of them had a lot of playdates. More so at our place than Julianna and Jake’s because of the lake.
Jude was finally learning how to walk, and the older he got, the more he looked just like Jake. If I ever had a son, I knew he’d have their classic Truman features.
I looked out at the kids through the window, smiling as Addison and Caley started playing on the swings. Jude was just sitting on a blanket, babbling to himself while Jake kept an eye on him.
“Caley has been so good with Addison,” I said.
“She’s happy to have a family member that’s about her age,” Julianna replied.
I got up and went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with some coffee.
“Is this decaf? You know, just in case.”
I laughed and nodded. “Yes, but I read that pregnant women are allowed one cup of coffee per day. There’s no way I’m going nine months without caffeine, Julianna.”
I scrolled through the notifications on my tablet and immediately opened an email from our interior designer. Even though I wasn’t sure that I was pregnant, Richard and I wanted to move forward with building a nursery. We had given the designer some ideas, but he liked to check in from time to time.
“I always get anxious waiting for these damn tests,” Julianna said, nervously sipping her coffee.
“Relax,” I replied. “I’m sure you’re pregnant. Since Richard is so much older, I’m the one who should be worried.”
“Are you kidding me? Richard might be in his forties, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. He takes good care of himself, Annie.”
She was right. Richard had the body of a Greek god.
Addison and Caley burst through the door and came running into the cottage.
“Mommy, can Caley and I play with water guns?”
“Yes,” I said, “but only if you promise to hit Daddy.”
They both ran away, giggling. “This should be fun.”
My holistic lifestyle line was booming, too. The investor had made triple his money back, and to keep expanding, he had joined my company. Since we had been trying to get pregnant, I launched holistic food just for women who are expecting. The food had ingredients expecting mothers needed more of, and pregnant women across the country were leaving rave reviews.
The most popular protein bar flavor was pickles and ice cream, which was more common in the pregnancy craving department then I actually thought it would be. I really thought it was just a saying.
I had also started a pregnancy yoga class. It had the most significant enrollment out of all of my classes, and one woman had even gone into labor while doing yoga.
Richard and his father had taken his company across the ocean, and little by little, they had expanded into different countries. Just like Jake, he had been working from home most of the time to be with his family.
Julianna put her coffee mug down and went into the bathroom.
“We still have another few minutes,” I shouted at her.
“Sometimes, these things work fast,” she said, waving her hand at me.
I rolled my eyes and went back to the email from the interior designer. He had asked me about a blue and white pattern that I wanted on one wall and suggested that we hold off until we know the gender. I wrote back that it was a soft enough blue for either a boy or a girl, plus I wasn’t big on gender stereotypes.
I stood up and walked over to the window, and watched Caley and Addison squirt their dads with water guns. Everybody was having so much fun outside. Even though I considered Addison to be my daughter, I instinctively put my hand over my stomach. I wondered if I’d have a baby of my own in a year.
“We’re pregnant!” Julianna screamed so loud that everyone outside stopped playing. “We’re pregnant! We’re pregnant! We’re pregnant!”
She came running over to me, and we hugged each other tightly, crying into each other’s shoulders. Jake and Richard came running in.
“Annie,” he said with tears in his eyes, “is it true?”
I turned to him with emotions high, and he picked me up. Jake looked surprised as Julianna showed him the test.
“I didn’t even know we were trying,” he said, shocked, “but this is wonderful!”
All of us burst out laughing.
We spent the rest of the day outside, talking about being pregnant at the same time, boating, grilling, throwing frisbees around, and just having a good time. Addison was adorable when she helped Jude walk a few steps, gently picking him back up and having him do it again.