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“Aren’t I the one who’s usually rainbows and sunshine, and you’re the pessimistic one?” I teased.
“Maybe you rubbed off on me. Or it’s that I removed the filter I was seeing the world through.”
“What do you mean?”
“When Dad left, Mom saw everything one way. It was like putting on shaded sunglasses and seeing everything in a negative light. Of course, Dad wouldn’t come back. Of course, he’d moved on. He never loved us. It might have been true, but then it bled into everything. The kids at school treat you differently because your father left you. If there were several ways to look at something, she always went with the worst-case scenario. And I absorbed it, taking it in.”
“You were just a girl, and you heard your mother’s words over and over again.”
“But now, I see that there are different ways to look at things. I don’t always want to look at the negative.”
“I love that.”
“Me too. I feel so much lighter. Happier.”
“That might be my influence too,” I teased.
“I think it’s a combination of things, but I’m so happy I’m aware of it now. I see how my mother is, and I know I don’t want to be her.”
“You could never be her.” I never saw Everly as an overly negative person, but maybe it was just the thoughts in her head.
“I love you. I’m so grateful for you and Wren in my life. Even your parents and Gran.”
“We’re the whole package.”
She smiled, and I wanted her to be my wife now. But I couldn’t talk about dates, not with the custody case looming over us. We needed closure on that before I ventured forward any more in our relationship. Everly might not believe it was real otherwise. And I desperately wanted her to.
Wren’s feet thundered on the steps as we broke apart. When she came into the kitchen, she said, “I’m starving.”
“Can’t have that now, can we?” Everly asked, ruffling her hair. “What do you think about spaghetti and meatballs?”
“Yum,” Wren said.
“Good. You can help me make the pasta. Can you grab the noodles from the pantry?” Wren grumbled but she did as she was asked.
“I’ll make my famous meatballs.”
“I haven’t had those in a while,” Everly said as she grabbed a large pot, filling it with water at the sink.
“You’ve been cooking so much I haven’t had to.”
“And that’s a good thing,” Wren said.
“Hey, you don’t think I can cook?”
“Some things, but Everly’s better. Sorry, Dad.”
It was quick with all three of us working together to make the meal. At Everly’s suggestion, we made garlic bread by adding freshly ground garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil to a crusty bread she’d bought from the store earlier in the week.
Sitting down together was everything. Especially since this wasn’t my weekend to have Wren. Before anyone dug in, I said, “I’m grateful we’re here together as a family. We miss you when you’re not here.”
“Daddy.”
“In case you didn’t know.” I didn’t want her to feel torn between two families, but it was important that she knew.
Wren came around the table, climbed into my lap, and threw her arms around my neck. “I love you too, Daddy.”
The best I could hope for was seeing Wren fifty percent of the time. I just hoped I’d get it.
