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He nodded as if he weren’t surprised at all. “That makes things easier,” he said, moving a few steps around the corn bin.
“Makes what easier?”
“Visiting Carly,” Bobby said. “I miss her.”
Anita wanted to laugh. Or cry. “How long has that been going on?”
He cocked his head. “What? Missing my daughter? I’ve missed her since the day we parted ways.”
Anita folded her arms. “Carly hasn’t seen you in ten years, Bobby. And don’t tell me a couple of cruddy birthday cards count.”
For the first time, he looked uncomfortable. His brows tugged together as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Things have been very busy and complicated. I’m sure you understand.”
“Not really.” Anita’s mind raced as she wondered what Bobby was really about. Was he going to contact Carly, then ditch her again? Would it be better if there were no contact at all? Anita didn’t have the legal right to keep them apart since they technically had joint custody, although he’d never taken his half seriously.
“I’ve never skipped child support,” he continued. “So you can’t paint me as a deadbeat dad.”
Anita had so many responses to that, but she only spoke one of them. “Carly doesn’t even know you, and you don’t know her. So I guess that speaks for itself.”
Bobby’s gaze shifted to the floor. Had she really gotten through to him? And if he missed their daughter so much, why had he been so AWOL? When he raised his gaze, she saw a flash of who he used to be when they were younger. She pushed back any affectionate memories.
“Look, when I was with Gloria and her kids, things were tricky. If I even brought up visiting Carly, I’d get the cold shoulder for days. And when I came to visit my parents, she came too. I could have at least sent more cards, but I kept hoping I could visit in person.”
Anita stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was sincere. Was she supposed to believe that Gloria was so cruel as to keep a man from his kid?
Bobby lifted a hand. He still wore his wedding ring. “Look, why don’t I give you my parents’ number. You can talk to Carly, and if she wants to see me, have her call me. That way we can go by her schedule.”
It actually sounded kind of fair. Anita would never keep Carly away from her own father, but there were definitely going to be emotions. And she would support her daughter’s decision; she was old enough to know her own mind.
“All right.”
Bobby’s expression brightened, and his smile returned. “Great. Let me find something to write the number on.” He fished a wallet out of his back pocket.
“It’s fine,” Anita said. “I already know that number. Unless it’s changed?”
He paused. “No, it’s the same. In fact, nothing about their house has changed. Not the furniture, not the faded pink flamingos in the flower beds, and not the bent red flag on the mailbox.”
Anita shared a smile with him, something she didn’t know was still possible. “How are they? Still healthy?” It was a personal question, she knew, but she wanted as much information about Bobby and his family as possible before turning Carly over to them.
“Mom’s great. Staying busy as usual fussing over everything and everyone. Dad has diabetes now, so he’s trying to adjust to that. He’s not much for exercise, so Mom’s trying to get him to take walks about the neighborhood when it’s not raining.”
“What about mall walking?”
“Mall walking?” He stared at her as if she’d suddenly broken out into a foreign language.
“Yes, it’s popular with seniors,” Anita said. “The malls open extra early for people who want to walk the mall. The stores aren’t open yet, but you don’t have to worry about weather issues.”
“Interesting,” he said. “I had no idea.”
She shrugged. “Your dad might like it.”
“Thanks, I’ll tell him about it.” Bobby paused. “I might be the one driving them to the mall. Neither of them like to drive too far out of town.”
“I understand.”
Bobby seemed to run out of steam, or conversation. He suddenly looked antsy, shifting from one foot to the other. “I’ve got to get back home.” He nodded to the basket at his feet with a few groceries inside. “Mom is waiting.”
A surreal moment to be sure, since when they were in high school, the last place Bobby spent any time was home. His parents were strict and conventional and stuffy. They’d never liked Anita—an artist—but she also knew that their divorce was completely disgraceful in their eyes.
