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Hudson
I should be concentrating on Theresa right now. She’s talking about a problem student in her class, and my entire attention should be on her, but it’s not. I can’t stop wondering where Palmer has been going when she disappears. I was with Matt this morning for training, and he asked me about her, so I know she’s not spending her entire day with him. It makes her disappearances more of a mystery, though. Could she be seeing someone else?
Could the writing be coming naturally at some other guy’s place?
If so, I can’t believe Buzz Wheel hasn’t reported anything. A Bailey finding love is always a priority on that stupid app.
“Hudson!” Theresa waves her hand in front of my face. “Where are you? Because you sure aren’t at this table.”
“Sorry.” I pick up my beer and take a sip. “Go on.”
“No, it’s just getting me all riled up anyway. Is something going on?” She picks up her fork and stabs some lettuce onto it. We went out for pizza, but she demanded we get a salad too, for nutrition’s sake, but she’s only eating salad, and I’m only eating pizza.
“Nothing’s going on.” I would never tell her I’m hung up on who Palmer is spending her time with unless I wanted us to have a fight.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
She gives me a look that clearly says she doesn’t believe me and continues to eat her salad. “How is Adley doing?”
“Good,” I say, not wanting to broach that topic either.
“And Matt? Training?”
“Good.”
She puts her fork down, lifts her napkin from her lap, and wipes her mouth. She replaces the napkin, leans back in her chair, folds her hands together in her lap, and stares at me. She’s mad. “Is that the only word in your vocabulary tonight? It’s Friday night, and finally, neither of us has our children, and instead of having an actual conversation when we’ve barely talked these last three days, you’re answering everything with one-word answers.”
She has a point. I wish I was into tonight, but I’m not. I’m not sure I can be honest about all of Adley’s questions without causing a fight. Theresa is so sensitive these days, though it wasn’t like that when we first started dating. Then again, she’s divorced and surely her daughter has had questions of her own. Maybe she’s the perfect person to talk to about this.
“Adley is questioning Palmer’s and my relationship.” There.
Theresa shrugs. “Well, it is unusual.”
Fucking hell. I should have kept my mouth shut.
“Theresa.” I sigh.
She raises her hand. “Sorry, okay, okay. She’s in preschool now, and other kids are sharing stories about their home lives. She’s going to think she’s different.”
“Are you kidding me? Only a third of marriages work in this country now. There has to be parents who live separately in her class.” I pick up another piece of pizza.
“Yeah, but they’re divorced. You and Palmer were never married, and you get along like…well, I mean, you’re friends.”
“Which should be a good thing, no?”
She nods. “It is, but all Adley understands is it’s different. Either parents are married and live together, or they’re divorced and live apart.”
“Palmer and I live apart.”
Her head rocks back and forth. “Yes, but you stop by each other’s houses all the time. I guarantee you’re over there or she’s at your house on days that aren’t your days. There’s probably been times you’ve eaten together when one of you didn’t have to be there.”
I shake my head in frustration. “I see all that as a good thing.”
She chuckles. “You’re confusing what’s good for Adley and what is making her feel different from the other kids. I mean, when Riley is at my ex’s, I talk to her once or if she needs to talk to me. Otherwise she’s with him, and I see her when we exchange back.”
My stomach twists at the thought of Palmer and me being like that. We’ve never had papers drawn up. We just talk to each other and make plans. “God, it sounds like…”
