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“He opened the door, thinking it was you. She asked who was holding her baby. He kept telling her she needed to leave because of a restraining order. She said she missed him. He had to threaten to call the law. That’s pretty much it. Oh. She had a black eye and a gash on her face.”
His nana’s eyes light up and she blows my mind with a chuckle. “Sounds like someone finally gave her what she was dishing out.”
“Fuck!” FC shouts, startling Sawyer enough that he cries.
“Go check on him will you, dear?” she asks as she rocks Sawyer.
I take the opportunity to get away from the crying baby, who surprisingly makes me nervous. FC paces around the living room, but stops when he sees me.
“She’s fucking crazy,” he says. “Her mom said she was able to convince her to give up her rights in the first place because it would be Lila’s way of showing me she cared enough about Sawyer to put him first. But Lila got a new boyfriend and when that didn’t pan out because he’s as bad as she is, she thought she’d come back to me and I’d accept her since she proved how much she loved my son by giving him up.”
This FC is the same one who would come to my apartment because he needed to get away from Lila. He’s tense, irritated, and no happiness can be found. My heart and soul ache at seeing him like this, especially compared to how happy he was only a short while ago. I walk over and hug him, stopping him from his pacing. His arms dangle down by his sides for a few seconds before he hugs me back.
“This is not how our new relationship is supposed to go,” he whispers, hugging me tighter. “I’m sorry we’re not going out tonight, but I don’t want to leave him with her out there somewhere.” He pauses. “Fuck, I need a drink.”
“What you need is this hug. And don’t worry about it,” I tell him. “She can’t be that much of a problem when you’ve already won. Sawyer is yours; there’s nothing she can do about that now. You have a restraining order, so if she violates it again, all you have to do is report her and she’ll get in trouble.”
“Problem is I don’t want to deal with her at all. She’s supposed to be out of our lives.” His voice is tortured and troubled once again; I hate hearing it. “One reason I waited until she was gone to tell you about everything was because I didn’t want the entire situation stressing you out. To add any anxiety on you, and now she’s back.” He sighs heavily.
“I’ll be okay, FC.”
He pulls back to look at me, pushing my hair behind my ear. “You’re telling me your heart isn’t going nuts?” He places a hand over my chest, which confirms on his own that he’s correct. “You’ve been having a hard time lately; I don’t want to add to that. I don’t want to make it worse. Your mental health is too important.”
“But do you know what’s just as important?” I ask. His brows raise in question. “Us. Being together. I don’t want anything to stand in our way again. We’re stronger than that, FC. We’ve only just begun; don’t think of cutting me loose.”
His arms tighten around me. “I’m not,” he vehemently swears. “I’m just worried.”
That’s understandable.
“Everything okay in here?”
We turn to face Nana who holds Sawyer’s hand. He pulls away from her and walks as fast as he can over to FC, who picks him up and hugs him as if he hasn’t seen him in months.
“It will be,” FC says.
“I’ll start dinner. Are you still staying or do you want to go out?”
“We’re not going anywhere. And you don’t have to cook, Nana.”
She waves him off and starts for the kitchen. FC shakes his head with a smile, disappears to his room to get dressed before returning, and sits down on the floor with Sawyer. Do I stay with FC or help Nana? Instinctively feeling as if FC needs some time with Sawyer, I head to the kitchen.
Nana immediately orders me around, for which I’m thankful. It’s better to get orders than to awkwardly stand around and wonder what to help with or to ask. While we’re working togeth
er, she asks me questions.
“I’m glad you’re here, Idaline,” she says quietly, as if she doesn’t want FC to overhear. “Do you two have a game plan to make this relationship work? Because if I know FC, there will definitely be a relationship with you. He’s waited too long to be with you not to.”
My heart warms at hearing such things, even though FC essentially told me the same thing. “I’m moving here. It’ll be official once I can find a job and an apartment in order to move my things here.”
She smiles. “Good. I’m available any time you two want to go out for a date. I love my grandson and my great-grandson. What does your family think about all of this?”
At this, I glance away. My family doesn’t know I’m here. Not even my grandpa. It was that much of an impulsive decision to come for FC.
“Idaline?” Nana pushes. “Please tell me someone knows you’re here, dear.”
“Idaline?” I swivel around to face FC. “Your folks don’t know you’re here?” His face bunches into a frown. “Why?”
My gaze flicks between his worried and upset stare to Nana’s curious one. What am I supposed to say? “I’ll tell them eventually,” I find myself saying.
