“That’s awful. I wonder what she wants. Has she said anything to him?”
“Oh yeah. She says she wants him back. She wants Trinity back too. It took her six years to realize that she is ready to be a wife and a mother again. Can you believe it? How can she do that to him? The woman is obviously not all right in the head. Reed told her that there was no way that he wanted her back after what she did.”
“And how are things going between the two of you? You looked very close at the wedding.”
I blushed. “Yeah, we are. Things are going well. We’re together, sort of. I mean, we’re being careful because of Trinity. We wanted to first see how things were going to pan out between us before getting her involved. But I really like him, Cam. And I think he really likes me. The two of us just get along so well. There’s something between us that I have never felt with anyone else before.”
Camille sighed heavily and took a glass of her champagne. She looked deep in thought. I frowned.
“What’s going on? Why the heavy sigh?”
She shook her head. “It’s just that I’ve been trying to get you to fall in love for a very long time. You’ve always been so difficult with men. And don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing. It’s good to hold out for the right one. But now that you’ve finally met someone, he comes with all this baggage. Having a child is fine. He’s a great father, and that’s pretty clear for all to see. It says a lot about who he is as a person. But this whole thing with the ex-wife worries me. She doesn’t sound mentally stable, to be honest. I’m just worried that you are going to be stuck in the middle of a really nasty situation. I just don’t want to see you getting hurt.”
“I don’t want to get hurt, either. And I don’t want to make things worse by being there. But at the same time, it’s not like I can just walk away.”
“Just promise me you’ll be careful, Kennedy. Promise me you’ll also think about your own well-being in all of this.”
I sighed. “I promise, Cam.”
I spent the next few hours with Camille, testing out the food hamper and then sitting down with their team to discuss what worked and what didn’t work with the picnic idea. It ended up being a lot of fun, and it helped keep my mind off what was going on with Reed. It was exactly what I needed for the day. When I left, I gave Camille a big hug, and she reminded me once again to be careful and to look after myself.
I got home and tried to busy myself around the apartment. I spent an hour cleaning and listening to music to help keep my mind off of what was happening. It helped, but the moment I stopped cleaning I was back to thinking about Reed again. I just couldn’t stop wondering if Camille was right. Was I being silly to get so involved with Reed and his family? It was a messy situation and probably something that they needed to figure out without me. But how could I suddenly walk away from Trinity? I thought of her little face, and how it always lit up when I was around.
“My friends all have mothers,” she’d said to me recently during one of our drawing sessions. The art always seemed to bring out a contemplative side out of her. “And this one girl, Susie, she’s not my friend really, but she told me that there was something wrong with me for only having a father. She said I was an orphan.”
“No, you’re not! You have your father. And he’s amazing,” I’d replied. Kids could be mean, I remember thinking.
“Yeah, that’s what I said. And anyway, you didn’t have a mom or a dad, and there’s nothing wrong with you. Plus, I have you now, and you’re the coolest.”
I smiled thinking about the conversation. Nobody had ever made me feel as special as she had. I supposed that was what it felt like to have a child. I didn’t realize how powerful it could be. There was no way I could leave her. Not after that conversation. Not after I had promised her that I would always be in her life. No matter what happened with myself and Reed, and no matter what happened with Reed and his ex-wife, I was going to be there for Trinity. She came first.
I hadn’t heard from Reed in a while, so I decided to call him and see how he was coping with everything. He wasn’t used to having someone that he could just call up, and he sometimes forgot that he could do that with me. For six years he had kept everything to himself.
“Hey, handsome,” I said when he answered the phone.
“Ken, this is a nice surprise. Good day?”
“Actually, great day. I had a picnic with Camille. We were testing out some wedding ideas for her clients. I love that she included me in on it. I got to test out a picnic hamper and champagne. I’m not complaining.”
“Sounds like fun! And it also sounds like the kind of wedding I would want to go to.”
“That’s what I said to her. I think most people would find this better than normal weddings.”
“I wonder if Peter and Petunia would enjoy it?” he said and laughed.
I chuckled. “Oh, you know what they’re like. They love weddings.”
“It’s nice to hear your voice, Ken,” he said. “And it’s really good to laugh again.”
“Are you okay?”
He sighed. “I’m okay I guess. I’m just worried about what Angela is going to do. It’s been stressing me out quite a bit. All I can think about is whether or not I should say something to Trinity. Right now, I’m leaning on not saying anything to her. I’m still hoping Angela will just go away. I know she’s Trinity’s real mother, but she hasn’t been a mother at all to her. And I know she’s only to break my daughter’s heart. I don’t know, Ken, am I being a bad father?”
“Are you kidding me? You’re the best father there is. Look, there’s no right or wrong here. You must just do whatever it is that you feel is best for both you and Trinity. Don’t worry; it’s all going to be fine. But if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that you are an amazing father. Trinity knows that too. And I promise to be there for you through it all, no matter what happens. And I’m not leaving Trinity, that I promise you. She’s my number one priority in all of this, no matter what happens.”
I wasn’t sure when my job of a personal chef had turned into something more, but it had. And it wasn’t about the food anymore. I loved Trinity more and more each day, and I wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
“Thank you, Ken. I can’t tell you how much that means to me right now. I needed to hear that. You’re the calm in this very crazy storm. I miss you.”
I chuckled. “You miss me? You saw me yesterday.”
“I still miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
“Want to come over tomorrow night? For dinner.”
“I’d love to. You cooking?”
He laughed. “How do eggs on toast sound? Or oats? Or pancakes?”
I laughed. “Or how about I cook for you?”
“I’m inviting you over for dinner, though. That doesn’t seem right.”
“It’s my job,” I said. “And anyway, I’d love to cook for the two of you.”
“You just don’t want my cooking, do you?” he teased.
“That might be part of the reason,” I said and laughed. “But, I’ll be there.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Reed
I couldn’t wait for Kennedy to come over for dinner. I needed to distract myself from my own mind. When Kennedy was around, I always felt better about the decisions I had made over the years as a father. She made me feel like I had done well. But the moment she was away, the doubts began to creep in again, and the only thing I could think of was Angela telling me that I was a bad father. In a way, she was right. After all, I had spent a lot of time over the years working. Poor Trinity had grown up without a mother, and instead of spending all my time with her, I’d hired a nanny to look after her. Linda wasn’t a bad person, and she’d been a good nanny for the most part, but she wasn’t family. Trinity needed a family. She needed me. My work was important, and it was a very demanding job, but I probably didn’t have to work as hard as I always said I did. Working hard had just been an excuse.
I sho
ok my head. I was sitting in the living room with Trinity, and the two of us were drawing. Kennedy had told me once that Trinity was at her most thoughtful when she was creating art, and now I could see why she’d said it. Trinity would draw, and then talk about things that I sometimes felt were so deep for her little six-year-old self. She definitely got her contemplative nature from me. She was probably so used to seeing me lost in thought too.
“Did you always want to be a neurosurgeon?” she asked. She pronounced it ‘noorow,’ which was incredibly sweet.
I smiled. “When I was very little, I thought I was going to be a writer because I loved reading so much. But then, when I tried to write, I saw that I was a much better reader than I was a writer. Then one day I went to my friend’s house and I met his father, who was a doctor. He had all these books on the brain and the body lying around and I would spend hours paging through them. One day, he sat me down and told me all about what he did for a living. He told me that he could see I showed great interest in it and that I should do my best to become a doctor myself one day. He said that the world always needed good doctors. And I guess that stuck with me forever. And here I am today.”
She smiled, still drawing. “That’s nice. Do you think the world needs good wedding planners and artists?”
I grinned. “Oh yeah, the world definitely needs more of those.”
“Good,” she said thoughtfully. “Daddy, did you also get married? Did you have a wedding like the one that we went to?”
I stopped drawing. I was frozen in place. Of all the times to have a conversation about Angela, now that she was back was not the best time. I wonder if she had heard me talking to Kennedy about it without really realizing? It was a strange coincidence that she suddenly brought it up.
“Uh, yes, I had a wedding. I wore a suit and tie and everything.”
She looked up, “Did I have a mommy too? Is that who you married?”
I gulped. This was it. The moment of truth. I couldn’t lie to her now that she had asked me outright. I sighed and nodded.
“Darling, I’m going to tell you a little story about your mom and me. I’m glad you’ve asked me. The only reason I haven’t talked to you about it before is because I was doing my best to be a good father to you, and I really hope I have done a good enough job.”
“You have,” she said.
“Thank you, my angel. Well, once upon a time I met a young lady named Angela. She was my girlfriend, and then one day I asked her to marry me. We got married in a big church, and I wore a nice suit, and she wore a long white dress just like the bride at the wedding we went to with you. And then, one day, she had you. But she was very tired, and she needed a vacation. So she left, and she didn’t come back.”
“Where did she go?”
I thought of sugar coating the whole thing, but I figured the best way to go about this was to keep things as simple and as honest as possible. If I lied too much, it would one day come and bite me. I could avoid not telling her that her mother was back in town, but I couldn’t fabricate the rest. If she asked me pointedly if I had seen Angela lately, I would tell her. Otherwise I would leave it alone.
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Were you sad?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. I was very sad. But I was also very lucky.”
“You were?”
“Well, yeah, I mean, she might have left me, but I still had you. And you were the one thing that got me through it all. You made me happier than anyone could ever have made me. I don’t know why she left, but the only thing that mattered to me was to make sure that you were happy. And I’ve had the best time of my life bringing you up. You were the cutest baby ever. I used to sit here with you, right on that sofa over there, and watch you fall asleep every night.”
She thought about this for a while, and I wondered if she was going to ask any more questions about Angela. But she seemed satisfied.
“I wish Kennedy was my mommy,” she said instead.
I smiled. “So, you like her that much, huh?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “I like her so much. She’s so much fun, and clever. And she makes the best food. And she told me that she would be my best friend for life.”
“I have a feeling that Kennedy sticks to her promises, don’t you?”
“Yes. She’s not a liar.”
“No, she’s certainly not. And guess what?” I said.
“What?”
“She’s coming for dinner tonight. She’s going to make us something delicious.”
“But it’s Sunday!”
“I know! Aren’t we lucky?”
“So lucky!” she said, and I grinned. I really was lucky.
When Kennedy came in later that day, I told her about the discussion with Trinity when Trinity was out of earshot.
“Wow, so she actually asked about her. How’s that for timing!” Kennedy said.
“Tell me about it. I’m kind of glad, though. I mean, I didn’t tell her yet that her mother is actually back on the scene. But I’m glad I got the chance to tell her a little bit about the situation. I thought she’d be more upset, to be honest, but maybe she’s just gotten used to not having her mother around. I have a feeling that if she’d asked me about this a few months ago, it would’ve been a different story. Having you around has definitely been a huge positive in her life.”
Kennedy smiled. “Mine too.”
“Kennedy! I can’t believe you’re here on a Sunday! Daddy told me, and I was so shocked. I had no idea. He says you are cooking for us!” Trinity said as she came running into the room again. “And look at the drawings I did with my daddy today. He’s actually getting a lot better, don’t you think?”
Kennedy took the drawings and examined them. “Hey, these are very good. Trin, as usual, you’re an artist of note.”
“Of note?”
“It means you’re very good.”
She beamed. “I’m an artist and a wedding planner of note,” she said, and we all burst out laughing.
“Yes, you are! Trin, would you like to help me cook today?”
“YES! What are we having?”
“I was thinking hearty spaghetti and meatballs would go down well today. You can help me roll all the little balls if you like. Daddy can sit with us and drink wine while we cook.”
I grinned. “Now this is something I could get used to. But, I think I want to help too. I need to start learning a few more things in the kitchen. I might never be as good as you, but I think everyone should at least know how to make a spaghetti and meatballs dish, don’t you think?”
Kennedy beamed. “Really? Cool, hey, after this I might be able to start my own cooking classes.”
“You know,” I said, “that’s actually not a bad idea. You should seriously consider that. You could do one for kids and one for adults. I think you’d be great at that.”
“I’ve never thought of that before. I was actually just kidding when I said that, but now I’m thinking that it doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all.”
“Does that mean you’ll leave us?” Trinity asked, suddenly serious and somber.
“Trin, I’m always going to be in your life, remember?”
She smiled. “I remember.”
The three of us spent the next hour cooking together. I wasn’t sure if I was more of a help or a hindrance, but I was having fun with them, regardless. Kennedy promised to write the steps down when we were done.
“And then,” she said, “as your homework, I want you to one day make this for me.”
“Oh dear. That might not be a great idea.”
“We can have backup pizza on hand just in case,” Kennedy said. “But I think you’ll do fine. What do you think, Trinity? Do you think your dad could make this without my help?”
Trinity looked at me and giggled. “I don’t know.”
“Trin! Where’s your confidence in me?”
“I’ll help you, Dad,” she said.
I laughed. “Okay, that’s a good
idea. We can cook for Kennedy for a change. And Ken, I’d advise you drink a lot of wine beforehand. And I mean a lot! Everything tastes nice when you’ve had wine.”
Once we were all seated at the table, I tucked in.
“This is amazing! I can’t believe how good I am,” I said boastfully as I took a bit bite of the meatball.
“You didn’t really do much,” Trinity pointed out.
Kennedy laughed. “Yeah, you can’t fool us. Your turn is coming up soon mister.”
“Oh well, it was worth a try. But seriously, this is amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Kennedy said. “Do you like it too, Trin?”
“It’s my new favorite meal,” she said, and Kennedy and I both laughed. Every time Kennedy cooked something new, it became Trinity’s favorite meal.
“So, it’s your last week of vacation coming up, Trin. And I’ve decided it would be nice to spend as much time with you as possible. Would you like that?”
“Yes!”
“Good, because I was thinking of taking the week off.”
“What? Are you serious? A whole week?” Kennedy asked.
“A week! Really, Daddy?”
“Really. I deserve some time off. The rest of the staff have been telling me for ages that I work too hard. I have more leave owed to me than most people there, so I think it’s about time I finally start taking their advice.”
“YAY!” Trinity yelled.
“How do you feel about going to Disney World?” I said to Trinity. Then I looked at Kennedy and smiled, “You too, of course.”
“DISNEY WORLD!” Trinity screamed. “Yes please!”
“And you?” I asked Kennedy.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind if you just want to take Trinity,” Kennedy said.
“No, please come too, Kennedy. Please!” Trinity pleaded.
“I really want you to come. I want to spend the week with both you. I feel like we deserve the break and we deserve to go out and have a bit of fun.”
Kennedy smiled. “Oh, I’m definitely in!”
“YAY!” Trinity yelled.
I smiled at them. It was nice to see that I had made Trinity so happy. And the idea of getting as far away from Angela as possible was very appealing to me. Maybe the distance would help me figure things out, or at least show her that I had no interest in having her back in my life. Perhaps when we came back, everything could finally go back to normal.
Dirty Daddy_The Maxwell Family Page 15