Page 41 of True Blue

Even though I don’t like Dawn, and she doesn’t like me, it’s the principle behind it.

But the thing is, I don’t even know if Teddy sees anything wrong with what his father does.

He never treats me like that. He never expects me to serve him. He knows I don’t enjoy cooking, so he will put together dinner for us and pack leftovers for work the next day.

He speaks proudly of my career to his friends, laughing when they rib him about being my sugar baby one day. He treats me with deep respect and is loyal to the bone.

He’s the most wonderful partner. I assume it's all because of the woman sitting next to me.

“June and Robin had always idolized their older sister and modeled themselves after her. Including husbands just like hers. Which is how we got—” Ellie gestures to the kitchen, and then to the living room. “June and Robin’s children were always closer with their father’s parents. They’re my grandkids, and I barely know them. So, Ted and I concentrated on the children we could—Danielle, Stephanie, and Teddy. Especially when I saw how Dawn was with Teddy.”

I raise an eyebrow. “She’s always been like⁠—”

“Since the moment she found out he was a boy,” Ellie says. “June and Robin had their sons, and there was a weird… competition between my daughters. Dawn was jealous. I knew that. So, when she found out about Teddy, it was like the earth shifted.”

“But why?” I ask, bewildered, but also in denial. “Why was a son so important to her?”

“I think you know why, Indie. You’re a smart girl,” Ellie smiles sadly.

I nod.

Ellie smiles fondly now, “Teddy always loved his Grandpop. Ted was Teddy’s favorite person in the world. Those two were attached at the hip.”

I smile at the loving expression on Ellie’s face.

“But it was like a tug of war growing up with them. Judd was always at work, and when he’s home—well, you’ve seen him.”

I have.

Sitting on his recliner in the living room, watching television as he’s waited on hand and foot by Dawn.

“Felt like every time Teddy would come over to our house, we were focused on deprogramming him. He would yell for his sisters to get him a drink or demand one of their toys or a snack, and Ted and I would firmly shut that down. And made sure the girls knew to shut it down, too. ‘You can walk your little bird legs into the kitchen and get it yourself!’”

Ellie and I share a laugh at that, Ellie coughing slightly, which wipes all the humor from my face. “Ellie⁠—”

“Our children are blank slates,” she says, gently cutting me off before I can speak about a doctor’s visit. “And they need to be guided, but ultimately, they’re going to make their own choices. As a parent, you just want to make sure that you give them the tools to choose right. And the humility to apologize when they choose wrong.”

Ellie leans forward, both hands holding mine, and she whispers.

“I’ve done everything I can for Teddy. You are the person he needs now,” Ellie smiles brightly, squeezing my hands. “You are the love of his life, Indie girl. If my damn cancer was good for one thing, it brought you into our lives. And you’ve painted it with so much color.”

“I don’t…” I trail off, feeling uncomfortable.

I don’t know what she sees. I cannot see what she sees, what Teddy sees. I like to think that I am a good girlfriend and that I treat Teddy well.

I’ve heard before that the most romantic way to love someone is to see them, not just look at them.

And I hope that Teddy knows I see him.

For someone who grew up unable to afford gifts for friends, and who didn’t have friends to buy gifts for, it’s become my favorite love language.

For Teddy’s birthday, I bought him a whole new pack of charcoal last month and a brand-new, engraved, leather-bound sketchbook.

I bought him a couple of books on famous artists, their portfolios, and techniques.

His eyes pooled with tears when he opened it at dinner with his friends, and he kissed me hard in front of all of them.

I’ve already bought our flights for London, and I'm excited to surprise him with the first-class tickets. I’ve decided to go all out, especially since I’ll be with Teddy and I want to spoil him a bit.