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“Actually, I’ll be fine. Don’t call. I mean, you don’t have to, unless Parker wants to. If you see he’s fine, just keep on doing whatever it is you’re doing,” he suddenly added, changing his mind.
“Are you sure?” she asked, eyeing him weirdly.
She tried to read him, but she couldn’t. He was a book she wouldn’t be able to open so easily. He seemed to be all over the place, behaving in an increasingly puzzling way, even bordering on scary and anxious. But, at the same time, she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was a man, freshly divorced, starting a new job, trying to keep the little remnants of his old life intact. Then, there was his son. The love he had for him was almost tangible. She could feel it in every word he used to talk about him, and she was sure this man would do anything for his family, even lay down his life if he had to.
All of a sudden, the thought made her sad. That was what she herself always wanted: a man who would value family over anything else, but she kept meeting one asshole after another. She was even pissed off at his ex for not recognizing what a prize she had when she married Hyde McGallan.
Rene would allow herself to think about this for a few seconds, then she would remind herself that she was being unfair. She didn’t know what happened. She had no idea who was wrong, who made the mistake that destroyed everything. She couldn’t judge either of them. It just wasn’t fair, without hearing both sides, which was something she was sure she’d never get to do anyway. So, she would just stop thinking about it and focus on why she was here in the first place.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I’m sorry I’m like this…” he added, with a sorrowful tone in his voice. “I’m nervous about the new job, and also, because of Parker…”
“For Parker you’ve got nothing to worry about,” she assured him with a disarming smile. “And, besides…”
Before she could continue, a sleepy toddler walked out of a neighboring r
oom, dragging his bare little feet against the carpeted floor. In his left hand, a limp teddy bear lay, while he was rubbing his eyes with his right hand. His blonde curls made it seem as if he had a haystack on his head. He took a few steps, then stopped right before them.
He looked at his dad, then at Rene. He yawned, without putting his hand over his mouth. Then, gazed at his dad again, in his eyes an equal mixture of sleepiness and curiosity.
“Well, good morning there, champ,” Hyde smiled, picking the boy up in his arms.
The boy was smiling. He had the cutest little gap between his two front teeth. He hugged the teddy tight, finding safety in his father’s loving arms.
“This is Rene,” Hyde explained, speaking softly to the boy. “She will be watching you while I’m at work, remember?”
But, Parker didn’t reply. He just eyed Rene, as if he was trying to figure out whether he liked her or not, and whether she would be allowed to stay with him or not - as if the whole thing depended on him. Rene found this amusing.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Parker,” she took the lead, knowing this initial impression would be the corner stone on which she would build the foundations of her professional relationship with this little boy and his father.
“You know,” she continued, fumbling in her tote bag, which still hung loosely on her left shoulder, “your dad mentioned that you have a fantastic microscope.”
Instead of a reply, Parker just nodded. That coy smile was still on his face and she could see the flicker of curiosity in his eyes. He wanted to know if she had some new ideas for his microscope.
“I have this book on biology,” she continued, taking a big book out of her bag, “and in it, we can read about all sorts of animals, plants and insects. We could even go out in the garden, find some and then see what they look like underneath the lens of your awesome microscope.”
She tried to say this with as much enthusiasm as she could, without it sounding fake. Kids could always tell when someone was exaggerating. They were smart like that, even though not many people gave them the credit they deserved.
“Really?” he finally voiced his curiosity, and Rene could see the satisfied smile on his father’s face.
“Of course,” Hyde nodded, kissing his son on the cheek. “She promised me you’d do all kinds of cool and interesting stuff, and when I get back home, you’ll tell me all about it. What do you say?”
“A-OK!” Parker gave his dad a high five, then Hyde put him down.
“Have fun you two!” he greeted them quickly, kissing Parker on the forehead, then rushing out the door.
The following five hours passed incredibly quickly and Rene was surprised to hear the key in the lock. Hyde walked in, and for one second, she could see the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders. But, the moment he saw his son, his expression changed. A warm, happy glow washed over him and there was no sign of that sadness that was there a mere second ago.
Rene watched as Parker left the train set they were playing with, and rushed to jump into his father’s arms. He did it with such force, that both of them almost fell, stumbling backwards.
“Whoa there, cowboy,” Hyde said, laughing, his fingers digging gently into the boy’s body as he tried to make sure they didn’t fall.
Parker’s face hid in his father’s neck. The sight was priceless and Rene almost felt like she didn’t belong there. This moment belonged to Hyde and his son. Right then, as if sensing her feeling of displacement, Hyde smiled at her, lifting himself up, with his boy in his arms.
“So, I take it that all went well?” Hyde asked, carrying Parker into the living room.
Rene silently followed after them. She was mesmerized by the magic of the moment, the feeling of pure happiness that had nothing to do with her. Hyde and his son created it all on their own, inside their little private universe. A part of her was a little jealous that she didn’t have anyone who would be so happy to see her. By this point, she had hoped she would, but fate had decided otherwise.
“Maybe you should let him tell you,” Rene smiled as she replied.
