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“Oh dear,” Molly said, glancing with trepidation at the letter Linc held.
While they read it, Max held Lexi’s hand and tried to keep his leg from bouncing with nerves that felt like they were on fire with agitation.
“Caden is adorable,” Lexi said.
“Thanks.”
“Your niece and nephew are, too.”
“They’re all great kids. He’s lucky to have so many cousins around all the time. There’s always someone to play with.”
“Wow,” Linc said, folding the letter. “What do you think, son?”
“I don’t know what to think. That’s why I’m here. I wanted you guys to tell me what to do.”
“We can’t do that,” Molly said gently. “You’re Caden’s dad, and you’re the one who has to decide.”
“I want to do the right thing for him, but I don’t know what that is.”
“It sounds to me as if Chloe has done a lot of work on herself since you saw her last,” Molly said.
Max glanced at her. “I guess.”
“What your mother is saying,” Linc added, “is that she may not be the same Chloe she was seven years ago.”
“Yes,” Molly said. “That’s what I mean.”
“I get that, and I appreciate the work she seems to have done on herself, but part of me wants to say to hell with that. What if I couldn’t have stepped up the way I did for Caden or hadn’t had the massive family support that I did? What would’ve become of him? I haven’t thought of her in any meaningful way in years but having her resurface this way has made me angry.”
“And rightfully so, son,” Linc said. “But you’re angry at the Chloe from seven years ago, not the person she is today.”
“So, you guys think I should let her see him?”
Lexi noticed a slightly hysterical edge to his voice that had her reaching for his hand.
“I think,” Molly said carefully, “that if you don’t, it might come back to haunt you with him someday.”
“How so?” Max asked.
“Roll with me here,” Molly said, “but what if, many years from now, Caden decides to seek her out on his own? He’s bound to have questions about who she is and why she made the choices she did. What if she were to say to him, ‘Back when you were seven, I reached out to your dad asking to see you, but he decided not to allow that’? How do you think he’ll feel about that as a twenty-year-old?”
Max used his free hand to rub his chest. “I feel like I’m having a heart attack or something.”
“You’re not having a heart attack,” Molly said. “And I don’t think you should panic about this. She’s not going to come waltzing back in here like the last seven years didn’t happen and undo the bond you have with your son. That cannot happen, Max. He adores you. He knows you’ve been there for him every day of his life. That will never change, even if she’s back in his life.”
“What if she wants more than an occasional visit?” Max asked.
“You should take this one step at a time, son,” Linc said. “Beginning with a conversation with Caden about what he’d like to do. If he says no, thank you, then the answer is no. If he says he’d like to meet her, then you start there. You have full custody, which means you decide what, when, where and how long.”
“That’s a good point,” Lexi said. “You’re in control of the situation.”
“Why do I feel like I’m not in control of anything?”
“You’re reacting emotionally,” Molly said. “And understandably so, but Chloe put the ball in your court. I agree with Dad that talking to Caden about it is the best plan. He’s old enough to understand who she is and what she’s asking for.”
Max released a deep sigh. “I’ll talk to him after the party. Thanks for the advice. I appreciate that and everything else you guys have done for us.”
“Helping you raise your little boy has been a joyful thing for us,” Molly said. “He’s an absolute delight.”
