by Ivy Jordan
I do as instructed and get the water going then wait for it to come to a boil before adding the pasta. While it cooks, I grate the cheese Serena hands me. We’re talking and laughing, and it hits me that this could be my life, and I don’t hate the idea of it. In fact, I really, really like the idea of it.
When the pasta is cooked, I drain the water and set the pot on a potholder on the counter. Serena adds the pancetta, and I add the grated Romano. She adds an egg and some pepper and then tosses the mixture together.
“Alan!” she calls out. “Go wash your hands, please!”
I hear his little feet scamper down the hall and into the bathroom as she sets the table. I pour glasses of water for the two of us and an apple juice for Alan and bring those to the table. Alan scampers into the dining room and climbs into his chair at the table. Serena ruffles his hair affectionately, and he ducks away from her touch. She just shakes her head and laughs the most beautiful laugh. I watch them, feeling my heart swell. She puts food on his plate and when she turns to sit down, I grab her, spin her to me, and claim her lips with mine.
When we pull apart, she looks up at me, a little breathless and cheeks flushed. “What was that for?” she asks quietly.
“I...” I falter for the right words because what I want to say feels too soon. “I just got caught up in the moment. Watching you with Alan. Thank you for letting me be a part of both of your lives.”
“Thank you for having us in yours,” she smiles and tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. It makes me want to kiss her again, but she pushes me toward my chair at the table and we both sit. I fill my plate and pass her the bowl so she can serve herself, as well. As we dig in, Alan begins to tell us about what he did at school, and I find myself engaged in the back and forth.
I’ve been away from my own family for so long, only seeing them a few times a year for the last twenty years. I had no idea how much I crave this sense of family and belonging until Serena re-entered my life. It feels so right, and I understand my conversation with Tyler from earlier in the day that much better. This is where I want to be, where my heart wants to be. I need to talk to Serena and make my feelings clear, and hope her feelings will be the same. Hope she meant what she whispered to me.
Serena gives Alan a bath while I clean up from dinner, washing the dishes and putting the leftovers away in the fridge. When I’m finished, I venture down the hall to Alan’s bedroom. I lean against the door and listen to Serena read Alan a story. When he looks up and sees me, he smiles.
“Now Cade reads me a story,” he insists, grabbing a book from Serena’s small stack and holding it out to me.
I step into the room as Serena stands, and I take the spot she left beside him on the bed. Alan hands me the book Goodnight Moon and snuggles up beside me as I flip open the pages and begin to read. “In the great green room, there was a telephone. And a red balloon.”
I glance up at Serena, who watches us intently. Her eyes are glistening, and I see her wipe away a tear. When I finish, I hug Alan and tell him goodnight. She smiles, and I stand as we trade places once more. She whispers to her son and kisses him goodnight. She turns out the light by his bed, and I follow her out of the room and back to the living room.
We settle on the couch, Serena under my arm, and we sit in silence together. It’s nice just to sit with her, and I think about telling her how I feel. I even try to say the words, but I can't find them. Eventually, I clear my throat and she looks up at me.
“Can I ask you something?” I start.
“Anything.”
“Why were you crying when I was reading to Alan?” Serena sits up and turns on the couch, sitting cross-legged so she’s facing me. I turn my body to face her as well and reach for her hands, holding them in mine as she searches for the words.
“I was more overwhelmed than I thought I would be watching you with Alan. He’s never had a man in his life other than my dad, and we don’t see my parents as much as we used to since they moved.”
“Hasn’t his dad ever wanted to meet him?”
She looks away from me. “It’s complicated, Cade. He wasn’t involved when I was pregnant and…it’s just been the two of us for so long that it just kind of hit me what Alan has been missing out on.”
I pull her to me and readjust so she’s sitting in my lap so I can hold her. “Alan is lucky to have a mom like you. And his dad, whoever he is, he’d have to be a complete moron for not wanting to know Alan. Your son is amazing, Serena, and that is all because of you.”
“Thank you, Cade,” she whispers, resting her head on my shoulder. “That means a lot.”
“You mean a lot to me. You and Alan. I mean that.”
“I know. You mean a lot to me, too.”
I grab her face in my hands and kiss her forehead tenderly. “I’ve never felt what I feel for you, Serena. Never. You make me happy, and I feel grounded and content. And, it has nothing to do with how fantastic you are in bed,” I wink at her to lighten how serious my words are.
She blushes and giggles, burying her face in my neck. Her lips press warmly to my skin, and I squeeze her to me.
“I am in this for the long haul, Serena. I know some people might think I’m crazy for getting involved with you because you have such a young son, but the truth is, I’d be crazy not to want to be involved. You are amazing, Serena Jacobs. Simply amazing, and I’m lucky that you let me be a part of your life.”
“I’m the lucky one, Cade. You could be with anyone. I mean, you’re a superstar athlete, and I’m an astrophysicist. Who would have ever thought we’d be here?”
I laugh. “We’re Penny and Leonard, except I'm Penny and you’re Leonard.”
She laughs, shakes her head at me, and moves off my lap and back to the spot beside me. “Do you want to watch a movie?”
“A movie sounds great, as long as it involves you curled up next to me.”
Chapter 28
Serena
“Oh, honey,” Gus says, one hand on his popped-out hip. “No!” he cries out dramatically.
I shake my head laughing. “What?” We’re a month into the semester, and I have never had a teaching assistant like Gus before. He’s whip smart, but he’s also funny and makes my life easier, which is a huge plus. He has been helping lead some of the research labs, and we’ve been going over some upcoming activities. We’re almost done for the day, and I had just mentioned that I was planning to head home to clean the house since I had the rest of the afternoon to myself when Gus had made a noise of horror.
“For real, how often do you get an afternoon all to yourself? You can tell me, we’re just girlfriends here,” he says as he sits down across from me and leans forward.
“It’s not often,” I admit, “but I like cleaning. It’s calming.”
“How about you come with me? I’m meeting Tommy at our favorite wine bar.”
“It’s not even two in the afternoon!”
“So? It’s five o’clock somewhere. Come on, Serena, it’ll be fun. Besides, I want to get you drunk so you can tell me all about how you know that hunk of man meat, Cade Thomas.”
“How do you know who Cade is?”
“Um, hello, spandex pants. Also, my sister is a huge Condors fan and made me watch every Sunday growing up. As it should turn out, I kind of like football, and I still watch every Sunday. So, are you coming or what?”
“One drink,” I give in.
***
One drink turns into three glasses of wine and lots of gossiping with Gus and Tommy, and it ends up being the best possible way to spend my free afternoon. I don’t normally socialize with my teaching assistants, but Gus is someone I also mentor and expect one day soon to be a colleague, so I make the exception for him. Plus, his boyfriend is a total sweetheart.
Gus and Tommy both are easy to get along with, and we laugh nearly the entire time we are out. Tommy is also a student at USC and working on his Masters of Landscape Architecture. He’s a few inches shorter than Gus and olive skinned with d
ark hair and dark eyes, whereas Gus is fair skinned, blue-eyed, and has the most gorgeous strawberry blond hair. Tommy is incredibly witty and shoots back at every one of Gus’s one liners with comebacks of his own. Just listening to them is kind of fantastic on its own.
“So, tell us about Cade. How did you meet?” Gus asks.
“He’s just a friend,” I reply dismissively.
“Who is Cade?” Tommy asks.
“Cade Thomas, the football player,” Gus answers.
“You know I don’t pay any attention when you watch football. That’s when I do my best landscape planning.”
Gus pulls out his phone and after several minutes, flips his phone around, showing him pictures of Cade from google. “That is Cade Thomas, and Serena knows him.”
“You know him?” Tommy whispers, taking the phone from Gus and zooming in on one of the shirtless pictures.
“He’s a friend,” I repeat.
“She’s evasive, which means they are so more than just friends,” Gus adds giving me a knowing glance. “He used to date Josephine Lowell.”
Tommy rolls his eyes. “She is so fake. That wide-eyed innocent act isn’t fooling anybody. That girl is a straight up diva. And not the Celine Dion kind, either. Is it serious?”
Both men peer at me, waiting for my answer, and I sigh, giving into their looks. “Yes, it’s serious,” I tell them. Gus gasps as both he and Tommy lean forward expectantly. “We met a few years ago, but it was extremely short lived. I had no idea at the time who he even was. And then, last semester, he showed up in one of my lectures after he saw me on TV doing an interview and decided to seek me out. I had figured out who he was about two months after we met, so when he showed up last year, I didn’t really trust him, and I certainly didn’t think he was looking for anything other than a notch in his bedpost. But he swore he had only good intentions and I agreed to dinner and it’s gone from there.”
“Has he met Alan?” Gus inquires.
“Who is Alan?” Tommy asks.
“My three-year-old son,” I tell him. “And yes, Cade has met him. He’s great with kids. Sometimes just he and I go out, but other times it’s the three of us.”
“That is so sweet!” Gus gushes with a smile.
“And, he’s this spectacular looking in real life?” Tommy asks, gesturing towards the phone.
“Better,” I smirk.
Gus laughs and lifts his glass. “To Cade Thomas and his spectacular everything,” he offers.
“Cheers,” Tommy and I laugh along with him as we dissolve into giggles.
***
When I get home from my afternoon with Tommy and Gus, I change into an old t-shirt and sweatpants and pull my hair into a messy pony tail to tackle a few projects around the house. Ashley is picking Alan up from daycare for their monthly “date” night, so I have a few more hours to myself. Ash teaches a kid’s art class at her studio and after, she and Alan grab dinner before she brings him home.
I decide to tackle the kitchen first, which is in desperate of a good scrubbing. I’ve been home for maybe a half hour when there is a pounding at my front door, so I set down my sponge and take off my gloves as I head to answer the door.
When I pull the door open, I am stunned at the sight of Josephine Lowell on my doorstep. She is perfectly made up with her long blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders. What are obviously expensive designer jeans leave little to the imagination and an equally expensive-looking top matches the sky-high heels on her perfectly manicured feet.
Josephine looks me up and down with disdain, and I become incredibly self-conscious about my ratty clothes. She walks past me without an invitation, and I turn to gawk at her as she looks around my house. I look outside where a town car and a driver sit in my driveway before shutting the front door.
“Um, can I get you anything, water, tea, coffee?” I ask politely.
“No, I won’t be staying long,” she replied icily.
“Okay then, how can I help you?”
“Do you know who I am?” she demands.
I remember what Tommy said earlier about her being a diva so the next words out of my mouth are a lie. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”
I am not surprised when her face contorts angrily and her face reddens. “I am Josephine Lowell, the love of Cade’s life.”
I try to contain the laughter that bubbles up inside me, but a snort escapes, and Josephine glares at me. “I’m so sorry,” I apologize. “You were saying?”
She steps towards me. “You need to stay the hell away from Cade.”
I tilt my head and make a face like I’m thinking about her suggestion, then I simply look her in the eyes and say, “No.”
“No?!” she shrieks.
“No,” I repeat. “Cade is an adult who is capable of his own decisions, and while you may think he is the love of your life, he certainly does not think you are the love of his life.”
“Oh, and you think you are?” Her disdain for me is palpable, and I know Tommy is right. Despite the good girl, innocent act she puts on, Josephine is a diva and definitely not the Celine Dion kind.
“I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is that he’s a big boy and he makes his own decisions. If he doesn’t want to see me anymore, then he can tell me that himself.”
“Cade doesn’t know what he wants; that’s why he’s been slumming it with you. I know what he needs and he needs me, so you need to back off.”
“No,” I tell her again. “If anyone needs to back off, it’s you, Josephine.”
“Do you see where you live? Now compare that to Cade’s house. Look at how you’re dressed and then look at me. You’re not even in the same league, honey. I’m an A-list celebrity. Everyone knows my name. You’re just, ugh, you.”
“Just me seems like more than enough for Cade.”
“He’ll get bored and come back to me, he always does.”
“Not this time.”
She laughs in my face. “You’re not even that pretty. Cade needs a beautiful woman on his arm. That’s me.”
“I don’t need your validation. Personally, I don’t see what Hollywood sees in you. You’re ugly on the inside, and it shows on the outside.”
She screams and rushes toward me, but I move to the left and she stumbles. She catches herself and straightens, turning to face me again with venom in her eyes. “You are not good enough for him. You will never be good enough for him. This is a fantasy and the sooner you realize that and dump him, the better off you’ll be.”
“I will say this again since you clearly can’t seem to comprehend simple words. Cade is an adult, Josephine, and he’s adult enough to make his own choices. He chose me. It’s not my fault that he didn’t choose you. That’s on you.”
She takes two steps toward me and attempts to level me with her stare. “I will ruin your life if you don’t leave him. I will not warn you again. If you don’t dump him tonight, I will make sure you regret it. Do you understand me?”
I smile. “I hear your words, but you need to understand this: I will not break up with Cade because you’re butt hurt he dumped you. So, you can take your delusions and get the hell out of my house. Now.” I push past her and swing open the front door. She stomps her foot and lets out a growl of frustration before charging out the door. The driver hurries out of the car to open her door, and she looks back at me.
“Last chance,” she says to me. “Forget about him or regret it.”
I paste a big, fake smile on my face and wave. “Nice talking to you! Hope I never see you again!” I call out before slamming the door shut.
I lean back against the closed door and notice my heart racing, adrenaline coursing through me. Who does she think she is, the Queen of freakin’ England? I can’t believe her nerve. When my breathing and pulse return to normal, I head back to the kitchen, grab my phone, and try to call Cade. No answer, so I send a quick text to Cade asking if he’s free to stop by tonight. After I send, I dial a different number.
“You are not going to believe what just happened,” I start when Gus answers the phone. “Put me on speaker and grab Tommy.”
Chapter 29
Cade
After a lunch meeting with my agent, I swing by the office of my accountant to go over a few things before heading for the gym to get in a workout. I’m heading out to my car when I pull out my phone to check for missed calls or messages, only to see Serena’s name on the display. I missed her call during my workout, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my face as I return her call.
“Hey, sorry I missed you; I was at the gym,” I say when she answers.
“No worries. Are you busy?”
“Not now. What’s up, how was your day?”
“Mostly uneventful. I went out with Gus and his boyfriend, Tommy, for a couple hours after I finished at the office this afternoon. It was nice to get out and talk about something other than Legos.”
I chuckle. “That does sound nice.”
“I don’t normally socialize with my TAs outside of school, but Gus is different. I have no doubt he’ll be working alongside me some day.”
“That’s cool. What else did you do with your free time?”
“Why don’t I tell you about that when you get here? Ashley has Alan until after dinner, so I was about to make dinner for myself. I have enough for you to join me.”
“That sounds great,” I say. “I’ll see you in about thirty, okay?”
“Perfect. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
I hang up and set my phone aside as I get into my truck. There was something evasive in Serena’s words, and I wonder what might be going on. I have a mild panic attack thinking she’s going to break up with me, but I just as quickly push the irrational thought aside. Everything is great between us, and I saw her the night before. What could have possibly gone wrong in less than twenty-four hours to change that? But even still, I stop at a flower shop to grab a bouquet of daisies before I make it to Serena’s house. Just in case.
When Serena opens her door, my smile stretches ear to ear. “Hey, baby,” I say, stepping inside and pulling her to me, holding the flowers behind my back. “I missed you all day.”