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Stacey wants to come by to take the boys out to dinner. Is that okay?
I turn off the stove burner. And I remind myself that this is also a good thing—that whatever is going on between Stacey and Connor, whatever issues they had or have—she’s always going to be the boys’ mother.
I grew up with a parent who didn’t want me or my brother and sisters, who had no interest in us. I never want Connor’s boys to know what that feels like.
So I text him back.
Yep—sounds good.
Fifteen minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.
Stacey is cool and stiff. “Hello.”
“Hi.” I give her a smile, because I have no reason not to. What Connor and I have is beautiful and solid and this woman is no threat to that. He’s my boyfriend, and I’m in his house taking care of his kids because that’s where he wants—needs—me to be. “Please, come in.”
Rosie remembers Stacey—she trots into the foyer with her tail wagging furiously and her eyes wide.
“Hi Rosie-girl. I’ve missed you!” Stacey drops to her knees, letting the dog lick her face while she pets her behind her ears.
The boys’ reaction to their mom is noticeably less enthusiastic. I told them she was coming. Spencer seemed excited at first, but then he changed his tune—following Brayden’s lead. And now they drag their feet into the foyer, with matching expressions fit for a hostage video.
Stacey greets them with a big smile, but there’s an almost desperate tightness to her features that says she’s aware she’s skating on thin ice. That she has things to make up for and this is step one.
“Hey, guys!” she says. “I thought we could go to that burger place you like—Diesel and Duke? Daniel, you can even get that double soda thing with the extra sugar?”
Connor’s always said that Brayden’s the easy one, but that doesn’t seem to apply where his mother’s concerned.
“My name is Brayden. You’re the only one who calls me Daniel.”
“I know. I love the name Daniel.” Stacey reaches for him, but he steps back. Slowly, she lowers her hand. “I love it so much we named you it twice.”
He crosses his arms. “I’m not hungry. Thanks for coming by, but I don’t want to go to dinner.”
Then he turns around and marches up the stairs.
Spencer seems torn—his soft brown eyes follow his brother, then turn back to his mom. Eventually, he sighs. “Sorry, Mom.”
And he darts up the stairs too.
Stacey and I stand there for a moment, awkward and silent, and then I raise my finger.
“Give me one minute.”
After I knock on his door and walk into Brayden’s room, he immediately hits me with a “Don’t make us go with her.”
I hold up my hands.
“I’m not going to make you do anything—that’s not really my style.” I sit down in his desk chair, swiveling. “I did want to tell you a story, though.”
He gives me the distrustful eyes.
“What story?”
“About my dad. See, I had a dad who made a lot of mistakes over the years. Like your mom. That’s why she’s here—because she realizes she’s made mistakes by not seeing you guys enough and she wants to make up for that. My dad was like that too . . . only he never realized it was a mistake. It’s been . . . over ten years since I’ve seen him . . . and he still hasn’t realized it. He probably never will.”
Brayden frowns. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“But she wouldn’t be here if Aaron didn’t get hurt.”
I nod slowly. “Sometimes it takes a bad thing happening to make us realize what’s important. The people who are important to us.”
“If your dad came here and wanted to see you after all that time,” Brayden asks, “would you see him?”
And I give him the straight, unvarnished truth.
“I would. Because he’s my dad, the only one I’m ever going to have.” I look down at my hands. “Maybe that makes me a pushover. Maybe that makes me an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Spencer gripes, like he’s insulted on my behalf.
“Your mom’s always going to be your mom. And she’s here because she really does love you. You get that, right?”
“You love us,” Spence insists in his sweet little voice, making my heart squeeze so hard.
I move from the desk chair to crouch down in front of them.
“I do. I love you. I love you, and I love Aaron and your dad. So much. But you know what I’ve learned in my thirty years?”
“What?”
I brush his hair out of his eyes.
“You can never, ever, have too many people around who love you.”
* * *
Dinner is a go. The boys put on clean shirts and their shoes and head downstairs and out to their mom’s car.
Halfway out the door, Stacey pauses and turns back to me.
“Thank you, Violet. Really.”
