Meeting her for the first time was certainly an experience.
“Yes, the wall looks great.”
“Did you?—”
“Hey!” Fallon says brightly, a smile stretching across her face as she rushes into the lobby of Vetted Paws and waves. “Hey Sorren.”
“Fallon.” He smiles, giving her a side hug and then releasing her as she turns back toward me.
“Are you free tonight? Briggs said he wants to see you. I think his sister is driving him a little bananas.”
“Oh, umm…yeah, I mean…sure.”
Fallon narrows her eyes at me, pieces of her strawberry blonde hair falling loose from her ponytail before she points a finger at me. “What is it?” Fallon and I may be long since divorced but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten all my tells.
Shit.
“I, uh…”
“He either had a date orhasone,” Sorren replies helpfully.
“What? Really?!” She squeals, looking between the both of us for confirmation. “That’s great!” Her enthusiasm is so genuine it almost outweighs the guilt creeping in over disappointing Briggs. “Don’t make that face.”
“I’m not making a face.”
“Yes, you are. That’s yourI can’t put myself before anyone elseface.”
“Huh,” Sorren says, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side. “You’re right; that’s definitely the face.”
“That isnotthe face. There’s no face. My face is fine.”
“Defensive,” Sorren teases and I’m tempted to throw something at him. But I don’t because I’m an adult.
Or whatever.
And we don’t need another hole in the wall.
“So did you go on a date or is the date upcoming?”
“It’s tonight.”
“Yes!” Fallon squeals, doing a little dance that seems completely unnecessary. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
“Because I have a kid and responsibilities and?—”
“And a family that supports you so you don’t have to do the parenting thing all by yourself,” she says pointedly before gentling her tone. “This is important, Tanner. We want you to be happy.”
“Iamhappy,” I protest but instead of dropping it, Fallon’s expression turns sad.
“Are you? Are you really? I worry about you being all alone in your house when Briggs is with me.”
“I’m fine,” I tell her, aware that no one in the room, including me, believes that.
“We’ll take Briggs. Instead of his sister annoying him he can chase his cousins around,” Sorren offers and Fallon smiles.
“I’ll ask him but I’ll bet it’s a yes.” Turning back to me, she says, “I want to know how it goes.”
“Do I have to?” I whine, my eyebrows shooting up my forehead when they both answeryesin unison.
