Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“He’s long gone,” she says. “I heard the door open and close last night, and I just thought he was leaving. I never, ever …” she says, rubbing her hands over her face. “I never expected him to take his equipment. It’s hockey equipment. The TV was a given. The iPad was like waving candy in front of a kid.” My stomach burns as she says this, and my hands clench at my sides. “But this …” She shakes her head. “I never expected this.”
“I have an extra bag of equipment at the rink,” I say.
“I can’t have you do that.” She shakes her head. “This is not your problem.”
“No, you’re right, it isn’t,” I say, and I step closer to her, “but I can help, and I’m going to.”
She shakes her head and bites her lower lip, looking off into the distance. “I never wanted him to see what his father was really like. I wanted to shield and protect him, and I knew deep down that eventually there would come a day when I’d have to answer his questions, but I never ever wanted him to find out like this.”
“Are you two still together?” I ask, and I hold my breath waiting.
“God, no,” she says without missing a beat. “We haven’t been together since I walked in on him fucking our landlady when Dylan was three years old. And even before then.”
I take a deep inhale and let it out and then put my hands on my hips. “We should really get going, or you’ll be late to work,” I say, and she looks down and then up.
“I got fired,” she says, and I stand here with my mouth open. “Two days ago. But I got another job at the church two streets over.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask. “You went through all that alone.”
“Not the first time,” she says, and then mumbles, “and not going to be the last time.”
“Justin!” Dylan yells from the back seat, and I look over my shoulder. “I’m starving.”
Caroline laughs. “Not twenty minutes ago, he told me he wasn’t hungry.”
“Why don’t we get breakfast, and then I can drop you off at work before we go to the rink?”
“I would like that,” she says and then looks down. “I’d also really like to have a second to talk to you,” she rambles. “I mean, I know we are talking now, but you need to know that I’m a good person. I’m a good mom. At the end of the day, I don’t want him to suffer for my choices.”
“I would never think you aren’t a good person, let alone a good mom,” I reassure her. “Now before he starts honking the horn, let’s get some breakfast.” I hold out my hand for her to walk in front of me, and she looks down and smiles. Her hair falls in her face, and she tucks it behind her ear. We walk side by side, and I open the door for her. She smiles shyly, and I can swear my heart skipped a beat.
Breakfast is different than it was a couple of days ago. I still see her eyes roam over the menu and take it upon myself to order for us all, and at the end of the meal, I’m happy to see that she actually ate.
“I can walk to work,” she says when we walk to the truck. “It’s two streets over, and you’ll probably get stuck in traffic,” she says and then grabs Dylan and hugs him. “Have a great day.”
He hugs her and looks up at her, and I know that in a couple of years, he will tower over her. “I will.”
“We should go out.” My mouth opens before my brain can register what it’s saying. “To celebrate the new job.”
“I couldn’t,” she says at the same time Dylan says, “Yes! Can we go somewhere nice?”
“We can go anywhere you want,” I say with a smile. “What is your favorite?”
“Pizza and spaghetti,” he answers without thinking about it.
“I know a great place. I’ll pick you up after the rink. I’ll call you,” I say, and I see her face fall.
“Um,” she starts and then looks down and then up again. “I’ll give you the number to my work.” I look at her. “I can’t have my phone at work, so use this one in case something happens.”
I hand her my phone. “Put it in there for me.” I turn and open the door. “Dylan, let’s go.”
“Bye, Mom,” he says, getting into the back seat and buckling himself.
“I’ll see you later,” I say, hoping that she doesn’t realize she is still holding my phone, but I don’t have luck this morning. While she is typing, something must happen because she shoves the phone back at me.
“Here is your phone. I put the name under Caroline work,” she says, and then she waves at Dylan and walks away. I watch her when my phone buzzes in my hand. I look down and see an unknown number, and the text.