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“Not now. Maybe later.” There was a possibility my mom would be in one of them, and I needed to be alone where no one could see me cry. Seeing her would bring everything to the surface.
With a nod, Ryan set the box on top of the first one and left the room.
The next few boxes contained toys we’d prized as kids. Cars and trucks for Jake, dolls and their dresses for me. After debating whether to donate or keep them, I chucked the ones that were in poor shape, and kept the best ones to possibly pass on to our children, even though Jake was adamant about not wanting any.
I could only hope Jake and I had a happier future ahead of us than our pasts indicated.
I spent a couple of hours going through the boxes they brought down. Then Ryan took out the accumulating garbage bags.
Ryan returned with a fresh glass of lemonade. “Are you sure you’re okay with Corey helping you at the store?”
I stood, wiping the sweat from my forehead before taking the glass. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Ryan’s jaw tightened. “He broke into your store.”
I huffed out a laugh. “To be fair, I left it unlocked.”
Ryan took a step toward me like he wanted me to listen carefully. “He entered without permission.”
“I get that. But I also don’t think I have anything to worry about. He didn’t take anything. He didn’t hurt me. He’s twelve years old, and he was going through something.” Corey’s mom, Tiffany, recently sent him to live with Ryan. It meant a new school, new town, new friends. It had been a difficult transition. I felt for him because I knew how it felt to feel like your mother abandoned you.
Ryan shook his head.
“Corey’s a good kid. He just needs to know he has a permanent place with you.”
Ryan shifted on his feet, considering me. “You feel a kinship to him because of your past.”
“I do.” Ryan saw firsthand how it was for us when my mom would show up and then leave. It made Jake angry, but I fell apart. I’d wait at the window for her to come back.
“I can see that.”
“Tiffany sent him to live with you?” I’d heard a little from Jake. Ryan and I didn’t usually have heart-to-hearts.
He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “Tiffany said she couldn’t handle him anymore.”
“How do you think that feels to Corey?”
Ryan shook his head. “Not great.”
Sympathy for Corey flowed through my body. “His mother sent him away.”
“This is my chance to be the dad he needs me to be, but how do I do that when I’m not exactly the most upstanding guy?”
I wasn’t sure about that. Sure, he’d caused trouble in his youth, but he’d never gotten into anyrealtrouble. Ryan was a pro at skirting that line. Just enough to stay in school, to graduate, and to avoid arrest.
I tipped my head to the side, considering him. “Has he ever lived with you for an extended period of time?”
“Just short visits during the school year and a couple weeks in the summer. Those times were fun, not the daily routines in his life. I never had to remind him to do his homework or stay out of trouble.”
“I get that.” He was scared. I could sense it in his expression, his jerky movements. Ryan was usually so confident and sure of himself, but he was questioning his ability to be a good dad. My heart contracted in response. It was endearing, and I wanted to help him.
“When do you want him to start?” Ryan asked.
“Tomorrow’s fine. I need to clean out that apartment, rip up the carpet, and paint.” My friend, Zoe, had recently moved out of the apartment, and Nana wanted it to have a facelift before we rented it again.
“Your store is within walking distance to his school. I’ll pick him up whenever he’s done.”
I tipped my head to the side. “I don’t want to interfere with homework or practice.”
