by Jamie Knight
“Okay, we can go,” I smiled down at my son before turning to Aiden. “We'll follow behind you.”
Chapter Eight - Aiden
I was about to have lunch with Reagan and her kid. For some reason, I was nervous as all hell. It was literally just a lunch. I was going to take them to the local diner. But there I was, freaking out in my car while Reagan followed closely behind me.
“It's not a big deal. Calm down, Harris.”
We got to the diner, and the three of us walked in together. Bobby ran over to a red, vinyl booth with a wooden table before one of the waitresses could seat us. He looked back with an excited smile. The kid practically glowed.
“This is his favorite place to eat out. We have a regular booth,” Reagan explained and then immediately went to join her son. Looked like I picked the restaurant well.
When I got over to the booth, Reagan had already slid in next to Bobby. It was an obvious hint that I was meant to sit on the other side. I took my seat.
“So, what's good here?” I asked, holding up the menu.
I used to come here with Reagan sometimes when we were younger. I wasn't so conceited to think that she came here with Bobby because of our connection to the place. Plus, it had changed quite a lot since we were last here together. It was basically a brand-new restaurant. Only the name was really the same.
“I always get the chocolate chip pancakes. They stack them up and cover them in syrup!” Bobby pantomimed by raising his hands up high and then bringing them down with a bang. “I always ask for extra chocolate chips, and they give me this little bowl,” he made a little circle with his hand, “and fill it with the chocolate chips. It’s the yummiest.”
He was clearly enjoying himself. If the boy wanted chocolate chip pancakes, I was more than prepared to get him his pancakes. There was something about his enthusiasm that warmed my heart.
“Should we ask for a super tall stack? We can put yours on top of mine.”
Bobby’s eyes went beyond wide with excitement, and he practically hopped in his seat. “Yes!” His mother looked scared at the prospect, but the plan was already in motion, and there was no way I was going to take away the joy in that little dude’s eyes. “Can we Momma? Can we?” He was bouncing tall at this point. It was like a sugar rush without the sugar.
Reagan sighed and let her shoulders drop. “Yes, you guys can get whatever you want. My friend is treating us, so it’s really up to him.” She deflected to me, but my mind was already made up.
“Let’s do it, then.”
I called over the waitress and put in two orders for chocolate chip pancakes with the caveat that we wanted them double stacked. She seemed to catch my drift. Reagan ordered the soup of the day, and we waited for our meals. Booby quickly got distracted by the crayons on the table and started drawing a picture.
Reagan seemed to have calmed down. I had calmed down, as well. We were both probably just overthinking this whole thing.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her.
“Good,” she shrugged then glanced down at Bobby’s doodle. She had a proud motherly smile on her face. A sure sign of contentment.
“Really? You seemed a little anxious earlier.”
“Was it that obvious?” She leaned forward and whispered. “I guess it’s been a lot dealing with Bobby’s outbursts.”
“What does he do?”
“Oh, he sometimes gets ahead of himself. He’ll challenge the teachers or pick a fight with one of the students. I know he’s trying to be good, but I don’t know, something’s been going on. I’ve tried to get him to talk, but it’s been an uphill battle so far.”
“He’s got a bit of an attitude?”
She sighed. “That’s one way to put it. This is the second school he’s gotten rude to the teachers. I had him transferred to that one because the counselor is supposed to be one of the best in the state. They’ve been working with Bobby, but it is a slow-going process, given that they have to help all the other students. Also, to be totally honest, sometimes the things Bobby says are true. He’s a smart boy and often says interesting things, but he can be a little snarky. If only he packaged it a little differently.”
“He sounds like someone I know.”
Reagan gave me a funny look. “Who?”
“You. I remember a certain someone getting sassy at times when it wasn’t always appropriate.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, first off, every time I had an attitude is because the situation called for it, and, secondly, if anything, Bobby is more like his father…” she trailed off on that last word, saying it extra slow as if realizing something. She stared right at me, getting almost panicky.
“What does that mean?”
“What does what mean?” Her eyes fled from my face and to the door of the diner. She was trying to backtrack as if I hadn’t just heard her hint very strongly at something.
“You know what I mean, Reagan. Who’s his father?”
“Ummm…” I could sit here for as long as it took. I needed an answer. “Aiden, I —”
“The pancakes are here!” Bobby yelled. The waitress was over a few seconds later and placed a large stack between Bobby and me. Reagan’s French onion soup was next.
“Is there anything else I can get you today?”
“No, we’re fine,” Reagan shook her head. “Thank you.”
The waitress left, so it was back to the three of us. Reagan turned her attention to helping Bobby with his food. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to talk about this in front of him. I didn’t know the whole situation. From the looks of it, Reagan was going about this all alone. I didn’t want to blow into this kid’s life and fuck things up, but I felt like I deserved answers. Somehow, I was going to get them.
Chapter Nine - Reagan
That lunch with Aiden was bizarre and came very close to being a tragedy. I almost let the whole truth out of the bag. I couldn’t believe I was so careless. Bobby was right there. He didn’t know anything about his dad. I had done my best to keep him from feeling bad about the situation, but naturally, he had questions. And they had only been getting more and more frequent. Soon, I was going to have to make some kind of choice before the whole thing blew up in my face.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Huh?” The spoon I was holding in my hand slipped into my almost empty bowl of soup. It was enough to knock me out of whatever trance I was in. It also got a little bit of soup on my scrubs. “Dammit!”
“That’s a bad word.” Bobby gave me the pointed look I always gave him whenever he was being a little heathen.
Aiden wasn’t totally wrong when he said Bobby was like his mother. After spending every day of his life together, the little guy has picked up a few things from me.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll find some way to make up for it.”
“Ice cream?”
I snorted a laugh.
He’d already been treated so much today after getting kicked out of school for bad behavior. I didn’t want Bobby thinking this was what he could expect when he’s done something wrong, but he was a smart boy. I was sure when we had our conversation later tonight, he’d understand what he’d done wrong. And it wouldn’t hurt to have it over a bowl of ice cream.
“Okay, ice cream, but only one scoop tonight since you weren’t a very good boy today.”
“Okay.” He seemed a little down, but I could see a hint of a smile on his lips. Bobby was thinking about the ice cream he was going to eat tonight, I knew it. That child had my entire heart.
“It’s time to drop you off at Grandma’s baby. I have to get back to work.” He nodded.
While I was talking with my son, Aiden got the check. He threw some cash down on the table that was way beyond how much our meal cost. Aiden always liked being generous. I knew his mother wasn’t a fan of his large tips or giving twenties (sometimes bills larger than that) to homeless people. She would say he was throwing money away. I always loo
ked at it as Aiden just paying his good fortune forward. It was something that endeared him to me. I was glad that part of his character remained fully intact.
I made sure we had everything. Bobby was notorious for leaving behind at least one thing. I knew there wouldn’t be any time for me to stop by the diner tonight if my son left the smallest of trinkets. When I was satisfied with my triple check, the three of us walked out together.
“So, you’re taking him to…”
“My mother’s. I texted her before picking him up, so she is expecting us.”
“Oh, I’ll follow behind you guys.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded. Aiden was spending a whole lot of time with Bobby today. I was still processing how to feel about that. He had to suspect something at this point. Why else would he be following the two of us around? Maybe he still wanted to talk, which was a daunting prospect.
We drove to my mother’s house, and I dropped Bobby off. She was a real godsend. Mom was one of the few people who knew how to deal with Bobby’s moods. He still had moments, he had them with everyone, which was why I had to get him from my mother’s that night, but she just knew how to deal with him for the most part.
“Thank you for taking him such short notice. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course! We’re going to have some fun today!”
The two of them went inside, and I turned back around to see Aiden hanging out in his car. Thankfully, he didn’t try to drop off Bobby with me. That would be quite a lot to explain to Mom. I was doing my best to keep the current situation contained. There was a high chance he wouldn’t be here tomorrow, and I wasn’t about to get my whole life wrapped up around him on a whim.
I walked over to his car and put myself in the passenger seat.
“Hey.”
“Thanks for lunch today. Bobby had a lot of fun.”
“I could tell. He really inhaled that stack of pancakes.”
I had no idea how I managed to miss my son eating pancakes like a literal monster, but there was a lot on my mind.
“Yeah, he really loves those pancakes. If he could eat them every day, I’m sure he would.”
“I was hoping we could talk.” Aiden dropped that little statement, and it went right to my chest. I wasn’t ready to talk. I knew that the second he tried in the diner. And, if we were to have this conversation, I’d rather not do it in his car.
“I have to get back to work. My friend is covering for me, but the clinic is always getting busy, and I can’t expect her to work my whole shift like that. I also gotta file some paperwork as well. Long day… ahead.”
It wasn’t a total lie. I was supposed to get myself back to work after picking Bobby up. I was already an hour behind. I knew Marnie wouldn’t mind, but I hated to put her on the spot like that. Plus, being around Aiden made my brain short circuit. I needed some distance from him, so I could think about what to do — with Bobby, with him, with this whole situation.
“Yeah, of course. But we can talk later?”
“Yeah, sure. Later.”
I got out of the car before anything more could be said. I made sure not to look back as I started my car and made my way to the clinic. Maybe it would be better to come clean to Aiden. I wouldn’t have to worry about all of this stuff if everything was out in the open. And, who knows, maybe it would all just be alright. Bobby and Aiden got on so well.
But one, one-hour lunch didn’t mean that he wanted to be a father. And, if I told Aiden, then I would have to tell Bobby. Oh, good God, Bobby! He has been such a handful. I loved my boy, but there was no way to know how he would take the news that Aiden was his father.
I’d never lied to him about his dad, but I hadn’t exactly told the truth either. Whenever he asked questions, I would manage to keep it vague. But he was getting tired of the non-answers. I could tell. It wouldn’t be a good idea to have a father pop out of nowhere. What if it made him even more disruptive? This was the kind of thing that could set him back years. Sure, it would be nice to have Aiden back on my life. Despite what I would tell myself, I still loved the fool. But I had a kid to worry about. I couldn’t just think about my happiness. I had to think about his as well.
And Bobby’s kind of been making progress talking with the counselor. Yeah, there was a setback today, but overall, Bobby had been doing a whole lot better If I threw a wrench in that right now, I’d never forgive myself.
No, I was going to leave things as is. It had been hard, but we were getting by. Bobby and I were going to be just fine, the two of us.
Chapter Ten - Aiden
Reagan never got back to me about having our little chat. I couldn’t keep following her around. Her not wanting to talk to me should have been the hint I needed to get the fuck out of Dodge, but I didn’t want to give up like I did all those years ago. One of my biggest regrets was that I didn’t fight harder for her.
I was on the verge of rushing out and abandoning my entire life to find her after reading that letter, but my mother convinced me that that plan was stupid. It was all right there, in Reagan’s handwriting, how little she wanted to be with me. Mom told me not to throw my life away for someone who didn’t even want me. Those words cut straight through my heart.
But what if she was wrong? Reagan clearly still had some form of feelings for me, or else we wouldn’t have fucked like that in the club.
The other reason why I was more reluctant to give up was because of Bobby. The kid has been on my mind. Signs kept pointing to him being my kid, but Reagan wouldn’t have hidden that from me. I was sure if Bobby was my child, Reagan would have told me long ago.
“What’s bothering you, man?” Darren came over to the bar at Club Taboo and sat next to me.
The club was getting ready to open for the night, so the only people there were other staff members. Darren was a significant investor and a good friend, so I’d typically let him in before operating hours. I hadn’t known he was there that day, though. One of the workers must have let him in.
“What are you talking about?” I sat up straight. I had been leaning onto the bar, nursing my drink. I probably looked depressed.
“Clearly, something is bothering you, Aiden. You look sad, which is very new for you.”
“I don’t know, Darren. I’ve found myself in a very complicated situation, and I’m trying to figure out what to do next.”
“Do you want to tell me what the situation is? Maybe I could help.” He waved to the bartender, who immediately brought him a whiskey on the rocks.
I wasn’t sure what Darren could do, but it wouldn’t hurt to have an outside perspective.
“Do you remember that girl I was talking to the night the club opened?”
“Yeah, I do,” he chuckled. “Sorry if I ruined the vibe going on between you two. Sometimes I just put my foot in my mouth.”
“Trust me, you didn’t ruin anything.” No one could mess things up between Reagan and me as much as Reagan and myself. “Our whole relationship is kind of weird. We dated a little under ten years ago before she just dumped me for another guy, the only thing that explained it was a note she left. I thought I was done with her, but all that shit happened the other night, and I just found out she has a son.”
“She’s got a kid?” Darren asked. He raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of his drink. “That’s pretty serious. Does it have anything to do with you?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “He’s the right age, I guess, but Reagan never contacted me about any kid. I didn’t think she was the type to do that, but I also thought she wouldn’t run off the way she did, so maybe I never really knew her.”
“Have you tried asking her?”
“She always dodges the question. I’m not sure I’m going to get a straight answer out of her.”
Without a straight answer from Reagan, there was no way for me to know. There could be so many reasons why she wasn’t just telling me. The biggest one was that Bobby was
my kid, but she could also be avoiding having to tell me about that guy she left me for. I couldn’t pinpoint what was going on without more information.
“Maybe you could find out without Reagan’s help?”
“How?”
“You could hire a PI. They’d have access to certain files and contacts that you don’t. A PI could get you the answers you’re looking for.”
Hiring a private investigator had never crossed my mind. They’d be better at this stuff than I was, knowing where to look or who to ask. I had been hoping that I could just talk with Reagan, but that didn’t seem like it was going to be a possibility, and I really needed to know if Bobby was my son.
“Yeah, maybe that will work. I don’t know the first thing about finding a PI, though.”
Darren held up his finger while he took out his wallet. “I actually have the guy for you.” He pulled out a business card and handed it to me. “He actually owns an agency with his sister, so you might get one of them or a new PI that they’ve hired. Everyone that works there does top-notch work, so whoever you get will do a stand-up job.”
“Yeah?” I took the card from him, looking it over. “McWeaver, McWeaver, and Associates.”
If Darren was saying they were worth checking out, then I was more than happy to give these guys a try.
“They’re great, I promise.”
“I’ll give them a call.”
Maybe then I could finally have some peace of mind. If Bobby wasn’t mine, I could move on. It probably wouldn’t be the best idea to get involved with Reagan and her kid then. I’d always be thinking of that other guy she left me for.
But Bobby was a pretty great kid. I liked spending time with him at the diner, eating pancakes together. And if he was mine, I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. I had already missed so much.
There was no reason to speculate right then. Once I had my answers, then I figure out what to do. I just needed to give it all a little more time.