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I felt seasick.
I couldn’t believe Cruz gave Rob such a warm welcome after everything we’d shared these past ten days.
“Please stop calling him Uncle Cruz. He is not your uncle.”
“Is that what we’re focusing on right now?” Bear wheeled both our suitcases to our door, sulking.
“Let me do the speaking when we get there,” I told him.
“Why? He was a jerk to me, too, remember?”
“Trust me, I do, but this needs to be handled with subtlety.”
“Mom, you and subtlety can’t even coexist in the same universe.”
My stomach felt like someone had filled it with stones before I even reached the threshold of my door.
Bear was right beside me, and when Rob took him in for the first time—this carbon copy of himself when he was thirteen—he stumbled backward from the impact. As if Bear’s face alone wounded him in some way.
“Jesus Christ.” He put his hand over his mouth. His eyes were two, bright green moons.
“Yup.” Bear popped the P, completely disregarding my request that he wouldn’t speak. “It’s called genetics, Dad. Look it up on the internet.”
“I’m sorry I called, Bear. I just…” Rob was trying to find the right words.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Bear let out a metallic laugh. “Be sorry you haven’t been here for thirteen years, jackass. See you on the flip side. I’ll be inside if you need me, Mom.”
With that, Bear kissed my cheek, pushed the screen door open, and stormed in with our suitcases.
I’d never loved that kid more.
I turned to Rob with a scowl. “I cannot believe you called him.”
Though, actually, I could. What else could I expect from a selfish, narcissitic bas…card?
“You left me no choice,” Rob said pliantly, his shoulders sagging. “You wouldn’t take any of my calls.”
“I ought to sue you.” Sue, strangle, shoot, whatever.
“I have the right to see him,” Rob reminded me sensibly.
Cruz stood next to Rob, like a useless albeit beautiful houseplant.
“How was your cruise?” Rob tried diversion as a strategy.
Great, I rode your best friend.
“None of your business.” I gritted my teeth. “This is the last unannounced visit you ever pay me, you got that, Gussman?”
“I worked on your front yard while you weren’t here. And wrote you a check. I’m going to start paying child support from now on. Here.” Rob reached into his pocket, fishing out a crumpled piece of paper.
I took it, tore it in front of his eyes, and made a show of throwing the shreds in the air like confetti, thinking it wasn’t as pleasant as people made it look like in the movies, since I really did need the money and also would now need to clean up the mess of paper bits afterwards.
“You’ll pay me child support. But the court will decide what sum you’re going to pay and it’s all going to be official. We’re not pretending you’re doing me any favors.” And, because I hated that Cruz was watching this entire ordeal, I turned to my spring fling. “Well? You had your show for today. Thank you for the ride. Why don’t you go along to your clinic now, Dr. Costello?”
Cruz’s eyes darkened. I knew I was being needlessly mouthy, but I had no other choice.
