“I just want to see if things with Steve, my new man, and me could be really serious before I bring in all the baby-daddy drama, you know? I think sometimes Gannett still holds out hope that I’ll change my mindand seek out some sort of reconciliation. I don’t want that jealousy looming over my new relationship, I guess.”
“Have the girls met him?”
She grimaces. “Does that make me a bad person if I say yes? I mean, in my head I wanted that to happen a lot further down the line, but I just—I don’t know—don’t get much free time that doesn’t involve the girls, and I wouldn’t be able to see Steve at all if I didn’t introduce them so early on.”
“I can understand that. Things moved rather quickly here too, if I’m being honest. Like, within a matter of months Caleb was practically living here full-time. Luckily, he and Cameron have meshed so well within the life Brody, Marcus, and I had for ourselves here…”
She sighs. “I still worry sometimes that it makes me a bad mom.”
I dip my head and meet her gaze. “No, it makes you human. No one’s perfect. If you ever need a babysitter or anything though, I’m just a phone call away.”
She worries her bottom lip. “Thanks, but I think word would get back to Gannett that I’ve pawned off the girls to others while they’re in my care, and that would just incite more trouble there, since he would squabble about why I didn’t let him have more custody of them.”
“And you’re still worried about his drinking,” I say rather than ask, because I know her, and it’s not a question.
“I do. He’s spendingsomuch time down at the pub, Lauren. He says he doesn’t drink when he has the girls, but I’ve trusted him before, and that only led to more secrets and lies. He’d think he was covering his tracks well, but I saw all the signs… I can’t risk having our girls go through that. I want them to have a relationship with their father that they can wholeheartedly believe in.”
“Mumma?” Terra asks, skittering out of Brody’s room. “Can me an’ Tati have a sleepover here tonight? Brody’s got new Legos!”
“Oh, hun, not tonight, sweetie. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and both Lauren and I have a lot to do to get ready for it…”
She pouts and stomps back into Brody’s room, where we can both hear her mutter, “Mom says wecan’t, Tati. She’s too busy with Thanksgivin’ an’ stuff.”
I smirk as Cameron pops back into the kitchen, rifling through the pantry for a snack. “I actually have someone who has agreed to peel all the potatoes so my load is a little bit lighter.”
Cameron chuckles. “Gonna rope Brody into helping me too.”
“Iheardthat!” Brody yells from his room.
“Cochlear check, ayyyye!” Cameron teases back. Then, he grins at me. “They’re working. Solid investment.”
“Then why do they magically cut out whenever I remind him about his chores?” I deadpan.
Cam laughs. “That’s not a cochlear issue, that’s just a kid thing. Trust me, I was there once.”
“Just like thinking you’re an adult before you really are must be a teenager thing.”
He pops his shoulder. “S’what you get to look forward to.”
Sarah’s expression towards all this is one of awe. She blinks at me. “I gotta say, Lauren, I really love this for you.”
“What?” Cameron asks, his mouth full of his favorite white cheddar popcorn. “The fact that she fell for someone whose kid loves peeling potatoes?”
Sarah laughs. “No, that she has this blended family that gets along so well.”
Cam beams, crumbs of popcorn stuck to his bottom lip. “S’alright,” he hums. “Untilsomeonekeepspranking me,” he adds, a little louder.
Truthfully—and I’d never tell this to Cameron—but I’ve been helping Brody carry out some of his harmless pranks. Not only is it heartwarming to see my son actually getting to be a kid, but it shows me that he’s bonded with Cameron on a brotherly level. I no longer fret about the age gap between the boys because I know Brody looks up to Cameron like a mentor. Besides, seeing Cameron dish it right back isalsoheartwarming. I get to watch him remember how to be a kid again too.
Sarah turns to me again once Cameron heads back to his room. “Lauren, I have known you since I sold you this house over a decade ago. You are my best friend, so I mean this with so much love. You are the happiest I’ve seen you—ever. Girl, I watched you gush all over telling me about how much you love both your men, and while I can’t say as I would ever be able to see myself being polyamorous, I can completely see how it could work. Heck, how itisworking.”
“That’s why I don’t understand why it’s looked at as being so taboo. We’re literally just existingnormally,just as a throuple as opposed to a couple.”
“And, just because I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this, explain that to me again? The three of you have your own separate relationships, but then you also love each other as a whole unit too?”
I nod. “I’m not seeing men who are clones of one another, they each bring something different to the table for me. Marcus with his comfort and security. Caleb and his desire to bring excitement and something new into the mix.”
“And they’re together too? Sorry, tell me if I’m being too nosy.”
