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Chapter Six
Ava
Ava returned to Brooklyn to what felt like a peanut-sized apartment after being in Brock’s ocean-side mansion in Oldport, Rhode Island. She carefully yanked on the refrigerator door handle held on by duct tape and reached for the orange juice, recalling the odd weekend. The ceremony turned out rather romantic, so much so she almost shed a sentimental tear. But she’d controlled her emotions. And no one called her a crybaby since the third grade.
While the newlyweds were a week into their honeymoon in Paris, Ava had a few shitty interviews. She’d do better on the next one. Of course, it didn’t help that Wesley Scott sent the contract he’d promised, adding that Todd and Brock looked it over and both agreed it was beyond fair.
That guy! What nerve. She’d said no. She needed a permanent position.
“Thanks, Mom.” Jack smiled at her over his cereal bowl when she set his juice glass on the kitchen table.
She dropped her frown, replacing it with a grin. “You bet.” Jack had the same green eyes as hers, with flecks of amber. His sandy-colored hair laid soft against his brow.
Since the day she told Jack that she would be retiring from the army, his excitement had warmed her heart. Every day she’d been home with him, he’d looked at her with such love and reverence.
Loving her boy was never the problem. It was tricky, being away from him so much and relying on others for his care. If she’d been given the choice at his birth whether she should leave her infant for the army, would she have chosen otherwise? Back then, she didn’t question Master Sergeant Baxter. But ten years had passed. Jack had grown up. And he didn’t blame her for being away so long like she blamed herself. Ava was tough as nails today, but back then… She hated thinking of herself as weak. But more than that, she hated that someone controlled her. Told her what to do. Told her that going into the army was for her own good. Maybe it was. But that didn’t change how she felt when she looked at Jack. His hopeful face lit up every time she entered the room. He expected so much from her. How could she live up to it?
Caring for Jack had its challenges and disciplining her kid tested her patience. He struggled some in school, and she counted the days until it let out. The thought of summer break sounded marvelous—except she wouldn’t get a break. She had to find and secure a position. And moving wouldn’t be easy. Besides all that, she would have to say goodbye to her mother, Connie. And all too soon.
She returned the juice carton to the refrigerator, pausing to gaze at the picture held on by a circular bare magnet where whatever had been attached to it was long gone. The photo of her parents and Jack at a restaurant made her sad. The cake in front of Jack had eight candles. She couldn’t make every occasion, and missing his birthday left deep scars.
Having Connie help her with this transition seemed crucial on one hand but on the other, Ava was capable of being Jack’s mother. Still, Connie had raised him and would soon be vanishing from his life.
Connie planned to only hang around for about two more weeks before moving to Italy. Although her mom deserved to live out her dreams—returning to her hometown, moving in with her recently widowed sister, and reconnecting with her roots—Ava couldn’t help but feel slightly abandoned. And Ava couldn’t imagine how it would affect Jack.
As frustration burned in her gut over every little thing that seemed to pile up, she wondered whether she might have been hasty in declining Wesley’s offer. Ten weeks of luxury and getting to fly again… Maybe the time away would allow her and Jack to reconnect and bond.
She planned to relocate for the right job. Getting hired by a hospital for medical transport would be a great option, but she thoroughly sucked at interviewing. She’d had interviews a few weeks ago but got passed over. And she didn’t have a good feeling about the ones this past week. The generous salary Wesley offered could set them up, get them into a better apartment in a decent neighborhood with better schools.
“What is that on your back?”
Ava froze, realizing her shirt was loose-fitting and her hair sat gathered on the top of her head in a bun, exposing the area she’d kept hidden all week. “Nothing.”
“It can’t be a tattoo. You’re afraid of needles.”
“I’m not afraid of needles.” She shot her son a look, hoping she seemed convincing.
“Then itisa tattoo. Wow, so cool, Mom. I can’t believe you got a tat.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s cool.” Ava had looked at it over her shoulder in the mirror dozens of times since getting it. It healed fast and she admired the artistic design. The only problem… It would always remind her of Wesley. And she already thought of him way too much. With Todd and Brock married, she might even see him at future functions.Would that be so bad?
“Why a circle?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you get a circle tattoo?”
She shook the hypnotic vision of Wesley’s sexy smile and penetrating topaz-colored gaze from her mind. “I don’t know.”
“Hey, I’ve seen that before. It’s from the elemental dragon game,” said Jack with wonder on his face. “Did you know that, Mom?”
“Um, yep.Dragon Rock. It’s cool-looking, right?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Hey, watch your language.”
Jack nodded but seemed to have something brewing in his thoughts. “Mom, I have a school project. I gotta write about someone famous. I picked Wesley Scott, the guy who invented that game.”
