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“I’ll try to get him here earlier. The next two weeks I’m off of work and helping my mother at the marina. You close at five so I’ll probably be here close to that time. Once I return to work I’ll drop him off as early as you open and will get him before five.”
“Return to work?” she asked. She had no clue what was going on or what he was doing. She could see some of that on the paperwork when he left but figured she might as well ask now. “Will you be reachable if needed?”
“Always,” he said. “I work remotely. I can work anywhere. It’s not a problem. I suppose that made it easier to come here and do this. I’m only a phone call away at all times.”
“That’s good,” she said. “Do you want to go see the room that Max will be staying in? We keep the infants separated from the PreK. There is a toddler room too.”
“How many kids are in there?” he asked. “I should have found out more, but I was pressed for time and wasn’t sure I could find someone to watch Max for me.”
“Max is the fourth kid in the infant room. There is one aide full time in there. The toddler room has six kids right now, two aides, but one of the aides will move into the infant room if needed at times to help out. PreK is twenty kids. Two aides. I float along all the rooms but spend most of my time with the older kids.”
“You said you wanted to be a teacher,” he said.
“You said a lot of things you didn’t end up doing too,” she said.
He frowned at her. “I believe I’ve done everything I said I was going to.”
More daggers to her heart. “You said you wouldn’t return.”
“Youth making stupid statements. We both knew I’d come back. My family is here. I’ve visited over the years.”
She hadn’t known that he had. She shouldn’t be spiteful either. He was right. He was close to his mother and wouldn’t want to never see her again. Maybe he felt with his father gone it was easier.
Or he did have a child. He seemed good with his son, but he was always a nice person when they were younger. Respectful to adults and customers. The only person he’d ever had a bad word to say about was his father and she felt that was deserved at times.
She’d never be with someone that was a jerk.
Which was why it hurt so much when he’d been cruel about their breakup.
“True.” She looked down at Max who was still more aware of the toy phone in his hand than the awkward conversation between past lovers. First lovers. “Are you ready to meet more kids?” she asked Max. “Has he been around any other kids? What is his daycare situation back home? Wherever home may be.”
“Outside of Boston,” he said. “A coworker’s wife watches Max. She has two of her own kids, but they are a little older. One is in school, the other not yet.”
“That’s good,” she said. “You mentioned a routine and that helps also.”
She opened the door and walked out with Max in her arms. The child didn’t seem to notice that he couldn’t see his father behind him.
Ren moved faster to get next to her, but Max was intent on his toy.
“It’s almost like I’m not even here,” he said, frowning.
“Don’t be hurt. Be happy. I’m sure once he realizes you are leaving he’ll be upset. I find most parents are conflicted. If their child isn’t upset they are hurt, if the child is upset they feel guilty.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I hate the tears and had them with his other sitter. It took about a week for Max to stop crying when I left. My mother watched him yesterday for a few hours while I set up the house I rented. He cried when I left, but my mother said only for five minutes.”
“You’re not staying with your mother?” she asked.
“No. I’m a little too old to stay that long with my mother. Not only that, I don’t want to disrupt her life. Babies make noises and messes. It’s been a long time since she’s been subjected to that.”
“I don’t think she’d mind,” she said.
Her parents had Willow dropped off at their house by her brother Zane’s ex when she was a baby. They raised their granddaughter while Zane finished his last tour in the army, then came home.
From then on, Zara had Willow just as much as her mother did. There were times she felt like Willow was her child, and though her brother was married now and Willow was in school full time, there was some hurt that her niece was calling Lily Mom.
She had to get over it. She loved her sister-in-law and was thrilled her brother was so happy. He deserved it.
Just because she was feeling sorry for herself over being single wasn’t anyone’s business.
