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Him calling me sweetness helps. It lets me know he’s thinking about our time together and hopefully not regretting it.
I take a shower and get ready for the day, uncertain about what to do. I texted Weston last night about the tickets and he filled me in on what his schedule is like today, or I’d go see him. My parents are working, but I could go spend a few days with them. They’d want to know why I’m not working this week though, and what would I say? The ex showed up?
Maybe I’ll see if Scarlett or Pappy are at the lodge, and if they’re not around, I could go see Sofie or Ruby. I could even stop by the hospital and say hi to Marlow, maybe catch her around her lunch break. I could go skiing. It’s the perfect day for it. Fluffy snow and not brutally cold.
Wherever I end up, I’m going to have fun. I can’t sit around here thinking about Sutton, Owen, and Tracy. I pack an extra sweater and my ski gloves in a backpack, along with my laptop, and head to my car…just as the three of them are walking out the back door. It probably looks like I planned this, but I had no idea what time it was. I’m kicking myself for not being more aware.
“Felicity!” Owen runs over and hugs me.
“Hey, Ace. How are you today?”
“Good. I’ve missed you. I didn’t see you last nightortoday. Will I see you tonight?”
“I’ve missed you too. I’ll be off for the next few days. Have lots of fun this week, okay?”
“But where are you going?” His face falls.
“I might go see my parents or something, I’m not sure yet. But you’re going to be so busy, you’ll have lots to tell me about when we see each other again.”
He hugs me again even tighter. Tracy calls him, and he looks a bit forlorn as he walks to the car. I wish I knew why he doesn’t seem happier that she’s here. Most kids would be so excited to see their mom. It’d probably be best if I did go away for a few days and let them all have this time together.
Sutton waves and I return it, and everyone moves toward their cars. The space where I park is to the side of the garage, and Sutton keeps the driveway and my area clear of snow, so there’s more room. Tracy and Owen pull out first and Sutton goes next, but instead of going down the driveway, he pulls up next to my car and lowers the window. I do the same and wait for him to say something.
“Hey.” He smiles and some of my worry fades just like that. “I’m sorry yesterday didn’t go as I’d hoped.”
“It’s okay. Is everything all right?”
His jaw tightens and a look crosses over his face…and some of the worry is right back.
“Tracy has been pushing for Owen to go to Arizona with her. She wasn’t supposed to be here until the weekend, and she showed up with no warning and wants him to miss school and go home with her for a few days. I asked her not to talk about it with him, but she did anyway, so we all had to talk about it last night. He does not want to do it. Not yet. Not without me.”
I nod, unsure of what to say. I have too many questions to know where to start.
“Sometimes I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing or not.” He rubs his hand over his face and looks out his frontwindshield. “For most of his life, I’ve begged her to spend more time with him, to make it easier for him when he’s with her, and she hasn’t. After he was born and she didn’t bond with him, she concluded that she’s not cut out to be a mother, and I’ve tried not to force it, but I’ve also wanted her to make an effort. Now that she’s divorced again, she’s lonely and thinks Owen should want to be with her more.”
I try not to flinch when he says that about her not feeling cut out to be a mother. That’sheartbreaking. It kills me for Owen especially, but for Sutton too, and even for Tracy.
Sutton looks at me, and his eyes are anguished.
“He cries every time he talks about having to go to her house. This happened when she lived right here, so you can imagine how he feels about going to Arizona.”
He lets out a ragged exhale and my heart pinches. I wish I could hug him.
“I agree with her—that a boy should be with his mother. But these aren’t normal circumstances. It feels wrong to force him into being with her when it makes him miserable.”
“Do you know why it makes him miserable?” I ask.
“When she was married to Jeff, Owen said Jeff spent more time with him than Tracy did.” He lifts a shoulder. “Maybe now that Jeff’s gone, she’ll be able to focus on Owen more.”
“Can you go with Owen to Arizona?”
“Not this week, but that’s what I was suggesting we do this summer. I don’t want to take him out of school and disrupt his life by having him fly back and forth every other weekend.”
“I’m sorry, Sutton. It sounds really complicated.”
He nods and winces. “Yeah, it always has been with her.”
“Am I making it worse? For Owen? For her?”
