by J. P. Comeau
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said, but she started to cry.
“You just love the whores, don’t you? Maybe that’s why you’re still working for your dad. It’s easy money that gives you plenty of time for all of those strippers!”
Richard was about to talk to her, but Heather quickly went around him and snatched Addison from my arms. “Sign the papers and hand over the cash, because I’m done with this nonsense!”
Richard and I watched Annie drive away, and her tires left a cloud of dust from the dirt on the road. When it cleared, I looked down at the Barbie I’d gotten her.
It was covered in dirt.
“Richard, look-“ He held up his hand, then started packing up everything he had brought.
“Your front left tire is low,” he said in a low voice. “Let me take you home, and I’ll have someone fix it and drop it off to you.”
The car ride back to my place was extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet. As we got closer to my loft, his body seemed to be a bit less tense and at ease.
We got outside and walked to my door, but he stopped me from finding my keys.
“We need to talk,” he said.
He took my hand and walked me over to a bench, where we both sat down.
“About Addison?”
Richard let out a sigh, then put his hand on the back of my head. “Annie, as much as I care for you, this just isn’t the time for a relationship. I can’t be worried about you becoming a mother when I haven’t even fully become a father. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
I fought back the tears as I struggled to say something, but it took me a minute. “Richard, Addison, and I got along so well today. She’s not the problem, and I can deal with Heather. I’ll just lay low while this whole thing blows over.”
But Richard just shook his head. “It’s not that easy, Annie. Heather is more vindictive than you realize. I’m pushing for joint custody, which means that she’ll always be in my life. Heather and Addison will always be a problem, and it’s just too much for me to handle right now.”
Somehow I kept myself from crying. I simply nodded, stood up, and went upstairs to my loft. It wasn’t until I locked my front door that I broke down crying, chastising myself for letting my guard down yet again. I had proven myself to be a good mother figure, and Addison’s mother had to ruin it for me. I understood where Richard was coming from, but as I crawled into a ball on my sofa, I didn’t know how I was going to recover.
18
_____
RICHARD
I was in no mood to go into the office that morning. Luckily everything that I needed to do was at my home office, so I made some breakfast and sat down to work in my pajamas. I tried to focus on a purchase agreement for a piece of property, but my mind kept going back to Annie. When it came to working, I had no problems making a decision.
Yet, I kept wondering if I’d made the right decision by ending our relationship.
My phone went off with a text message, and I jumped up, hoping that it was from her. But it was from my father, and he wanted to see me that morning.
I let out a sigh, finished my breakfast, and headed into the office. I didn’t even bother to change out of my sweats and a t-shirt. Screw it. I was the boss' son and had earned the right to an occasional off day.
My father was sitting behind his large desk when I walked into his office. He made a face at my choice of clothing.
“Is everything alright, son?” He looked genuinely worried about my wellbeing, as though it weren’t just my choice of clothing.
“I’m sorry, Dad. Just not feeling well this morning, but I should have put on something more appropriate.” I rested my hand on my chin, then stared down at the floor.
“No, I’m not talking about your clothing. Although it is a different work look for you. I feel like you’ve been distracted by something lately.”
“I suppose that I have been a bit out of my element lately,” I said, “although everything is moving forward with that farmland deal. I’m in touch with some prospective buyers, all of them local, and they’re all experienced farmers. I remembered what you said about keeping it local whenever possible.”
“That’s great, Richard, but you’ve seemed out of it in every meeting we’ve had lately. I asked Gavin if he knew of anything that could be bothering you, and I got the sense that he was keeping a secret.”
Thank God Gavin kept his mouth shut.
I wanted my father to find out about Addison from me. “Maybe it’s just the extra workload, but please don’t let that stop you from giving me more. I’ll get used to it eventually.”
My father shook his head and took off his glasses. He wasn’t buying my lies.“You’ve been carrying the same workload for years. It’s just a higher level of responsibility now, Richard.”
I let out a sigh, ran my hands through my beard, and found the courage to face my father. If I could tell Annie about my love child, then I could say it to him.
“There is something that I’ve been keeping from you,” I said. “First of all, Heather is back in town. Second of all, she informed me that I have a daughter. Third, she’s demanding back child support even though she didn’t tell me until a few days ago. She’s also, demanding a large, lump-sum payment. Which will probably pay for her wedding to some guy named Michael.”
I waited for him to chastise me. To tell me that I should never have had sex before marriage. To give me the story, yet again, about how he and my mother waited for their wedding night. My nerves were a complete mess, and I realized it might be harder than telling Annie.
“Wow, Richard. I’m both surprised and happy. What’s her name?”
My mouth fell open, blown away by his reaction. “You’re not mad, Dad?”
He laughed. “Why would I be mad about having a granddaughter? And look, you’re a grown man. What you do in your romantic relationships is your business, son. I’m aware that the times have changed.”
“Thank you, Dad! You have no idea how worried I was to tell you about her. Especially, since I think Heather is trying to blackmail me. To make it look as though I’m some careless father who’d rather fool around with strippers than see his daughter.”
My father held up his hands and shook his head. “I don’t need the specifics, son.”
I laughed a little bit. “Those days are behind me, Dad. Besides, they were more of a reaction to our breakup than who I am as a person.”
He looked relieved.
I told him all about Addison, then went into the legal issues surrounding custody and back child support payments.
“So why are you just now finding out that she was pregnant?”
“Heather probably didn’t tell me because she was worried I’d make her stay in River Valley since she was carrying our child. Honestly, though, I really don't know for sure. She has yet to tell me. Regardless though, I refuse to give her the money that she’s asking for.”
My father nodded, then leaned over the table toward me. “Who’s your lawyer?”
“Danielle Estrem, the one our family has been using for decades.”
“Danielle is a good attorney, but there are a few other ones that might be better, Richard. I know of one who is ruthless and cutthroat. He’ll make sure that you don’t get screwed over.”
“That’s okay, Dad. Danielle has been going above and beyond for me. She had me take a paternity test, even though I knew it wasn’t necessary.” I pulled my phone out and showed him pictures of Addison, and his face lit up.
She even looked like him.
“No,” he said, fighting back the tears. “There’s no doubt that Addison is a Truman.”
He turned around to wipe his face clean. Showing emotion wasn’t something that my father often did, and it was heartwarming to see him happy over his new granddaughter.
“But that’s good that you took a paternity test, Richard. All custody cases should have one done. Has she met Annie yet?”
My f
ather thought Annie was a good match for me, and I’d hoped he’d understand why I broke it off. “Well, I invited Annie to the lake this past weekend, and she met Addison, but then Heather showed up, and it all went to shit.”
My father’s face became cold, the way it always did before he made a big decision for the company. “What happened?”
I told him everything. That Annie and Addison were getting along so well. How I’d been suspicious of being followed around town by a black SUV. That Heather screamed at Annie and me in front of Addison. And how I had to break things off.
“So naturally, I’m in a bit of a funk right now. I don’t know what to do, especially since Heather wants complete custody.”
My father shook his head. “No, Richard. I can tell that you’re in love with Addison, so you make sure that Danielle gets you at least joint custody. Don’t let that bitch ruin your life yet again, and you tell me if you need anything. Do you understand?”
I smiled and nodded at my dad.
He leaned back, smacking his lips. “As for Annie, that sure sucks. Are you sure that you made the right decision, son?”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, trying to get her image out of my mind. It was impossible.
“I hate that she’s not in my life anymore, but yes, I made the right decision. I barely have time to take care of myself, let alone be in a relationship.”
Dad nodded. It was a problem he and my mother had while Jake and I were growing up. We’d sometimes hear them arguing in their bedroom, and my mom would be complaining that he was never home. Children need a good home life and parents who had a strong bond.
“Well, like I said, just let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes, thank you. I just need some time to think right now, that’s all.”
“If you’re looking to get away and clear your mind for a while, why not head out to New York? We have an upcoming meeting with a few bankers out there tomorrow. I was planning a virtual meeting with them, but it would be great if you showed up to represent the family in person. You can just stay in my penthouse. There’s no reason all of this legal stuff with Heather can’t be worked out over the phone while you’re gone. Unless you plan on seeing Addison, that is.”
I let out a huff. “Are you kidding me? Over these past few weeks, I’ve only seen her a handful of times. I doubt I’ll get to see her until this custody crap is over with anyway, so yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
He nodded, then handed over some paperwork for the meeting. We went over a few specifics, and I realized that I’d have to leave River Valley immediately. I picked up a few things from my office at my parent's house, got back in my car, and sped back to my mansion.
I also spotted the black SUV a few times along the way, but it didn’t follow me all the way home. Good. Let Heather believe that I’m holed up in my mansion. If anything suspicious happened, I’d get a notification on my phone and have her arrested for trespassing.
Then I’d practically be guaranteed custody of Addison.
After I got home, I quickly packed up my stuff and then booked a flight. Except for Annie, there was nothing I loved more than coming back to my mansion. But I needed a change of scenery if I was going to make the right decision when it came to Addison. Being in that big house, alone, only made me think of the nights Annie and I had spent together. And the more I thought about Annie, the more I wanted to take her back.
I had a driver take me to the airport, and I instructed him to take the backroads when leaving the property. Heather always complained about how windy they were, so I knew she wouldn’t see me going.
I used the quiet flight to center myself. Specifically thinking about where I wanted to see my life in five years.
It made me think about the five-year business plans that our company used before buying a piece of property. What did we want it to look like in five years? What would be needed to reach that goal? Would any changes need to be made to our current business plan?
In five years, I wanted to be a family with Annie and Addison. Maybe even have another child or two.
Having Heather stalk me made me paranoid, and I instinctively checked my surroundings after landing at J.F.K. International Airport. Of course, she wasn’t there, though. She was back in River Valley, being a shitty mother to Addison while begging for money from Michael.
A town car brought me to my father’s penthouse in downtown Manhattan. It was on the fifty-third floor and had breathtaking views of the nightlife below. I watched as young, single people mingled and flirted with people their age. A few families were getting out from a late-night Broadway show, and the taxicabs dotted the streets with bursts of yellow.
It was beautiful, and a vast difference from my usual surroundings, but River Valley had my heart. Even more than my hometown, however, Addison and Annie had my heart, too.
I ordered some food and then plopped down on the sofa, wondering what Annie and Addison were doing at that moment. Addison was probably doing something so that Heather didn’t have to interact with her. Annie was probably working on her lifestyle line.
I pulled up her profile on social media, to see if she had posted any updates since I broke up with her, but there was nothing. It didn’t even show that she had been online since it happened. That told me everything I needed to know.
She had tried not to cry in front of me that night, but I saw the tears forming in her eyes. I also knew that it wasn’t the first time a man had broken her heart. The moment I knew that I was in love with her, I vowed that I would never break her heart.
And yet I did.
Hurting Annie was the last thing I wanted to do. It wasn’t just that, Heather would always be a problem in our relationship, and I was worried about Addison. After everything she had gone through with her mother, I didn’t want to take a chance on what would happen if Annie and I broke up. She would get attached to another mother figure, only to have her heartbroken all over again.
I may have just become a father, but my instincts told me to protect Addison at all costs. That was something I was willing to do, even if it meant making a sacrifice in my own life.
19
_____
ANNIE
TWO DAYS LATER
“Great session today, everybody.” I stood up after my final yoga class of the day, eager to be alone for a while.
I’d hoped that none of my students suspected that something was wrong with me, but I was never good at hiding my true feelings.
After all of my students left the room, I headed out to the reception area and saw Crystal standing behind the front desk. She was conversing with a new student about the types of yoga we offered. I had been avoiding Crystal the past few days, ignoring her text messages and rushing past her at work. I tried to sneak past the desk and out the front door, but they finished talking before I could leave.
“Annie!”
I turned around and looked at her, unable to produce a smile. My long, black hair was tied up in a bun, and I was wearing hot pink yoga pants with a black racerback top. I wanted nothing more than just to put on a pair of sweatpants and crawl into bed.
Crystal ran over to me, sensing that I was about to leave.
“Hey,” I whispered while clutching my bottle of water.
“Are you mad at me or something?”
“Oh God, no, of course not Crystal! I’m so sorry. It’s just been a terrible few days.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “So what happened this weekend? Did you meet Richard’s daughter?”
I nodded. “Yes, we went to the lake. It was fun.”
“Then why do you seem so depressed, Annie? This isn’t you.”
“Richard broke up with me.”
Crystal wrapped her arms around me so tightly that it almost hurt. “Annie, I am so sorry! I’m just so surprised! I mean, everything was going great between you two.”
I broke down, crying into her neck. Crystal had been my best friend for a long time, and when the t
iming was right, I planned on telling her everything.
“Thank you," I said in between sobs.
I didn’t pull away until I was done crying, thankful that I had opted out of wearing mascara that day. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked at me. “What happened, Annie?”
I just shook my head, thinking back over our day at the lake. Everything was perfect with all three of us, just splashing around in the water. It really felt as though we were a family.
“I can’t talk about that yet,” I said.
“I’m sorry. It’s just if a guy is willing to introduce you to his daughter, it seems odd that he’d break up with you so soon.”
I nodded, realizing that she was right. That was what I’d been thinking, too. Julianna had gone through the same thing with Jake, only introducing Caley to him when she was sure.
I reminded myself that they had also broken up. Except Jake and Julianna got back together and even got married. “I’ll tell you some other time, okay? I have to work on a few things upstairs.”
Crystal nodded, but she could tell that something was worse than what I was saying. She reached out and grabbed my arm, worry on her face. “Annie, what’s going on? Did Richard hurt you?”
I looked into my best friend's eyes, and a part of me wanted to tell her everything. I had put my faith in another dead-end relationship, and being there for Richard didn’t matter. I should have followed my intuition and never gone out with him after the night before Jake and Juliana’s wedding.
One day I would tell her, but when the timing was right.
“I can’t get into it right now, Crystal. It’s too much to think about, and I do have to get some work done. Are you okay to run the studio this afternoon?” She nodded but still had a concerned look in her eyes. “Okay. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
As I turned to walk away, Crystal said, “You and Richard are good for each other, Annie. Just give it time.”
That’s what I loved about Crystal. Even when she didn’t know everything about a situation, she somehow knew exactly what to say. And that little bit of hope was what I needed to hold onto at that moment.