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When Tanner comes back in, I say, "You don't have to rush off."
"Yeah, I do," he replies. "You guys have a game to get to."
I ask, "Do you still want me to come to the wedding with you this weekend?"
"Of course," he says matter-of-factly.
I'm relieved that he still kisses me before he leaves, but I still feel awful about everything that happened. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. Tanner is just like a golden retriever, and I feel like the monster that just stepped on his tail.
I should have known that this whole thing was going to be hard. Everything was way too perfect, and I knew the other shoe would drop.
I have to find a way to make this up to him—a way to make it right because I don't want to lose him. Eventually, me kissing him or getting naked just isn't going to cut it anymore.
"Good job, Alex! Way to go, buddy!" Mary Louise yells as the soccer game plays out in front of us. After a while, her voice starts to sound like nails on a chalkboard. But she's trying to be nice, so I keep my mouth shut.
Every time I say anything at all—even something to my other two kids—Judd feels the need to mutter something under his breath. I can't hear exactly what he's saying, but Chris sits right next to his dad, and I'm sure he's hearing all of it.
Part way through the second half, Chris jumps up off the bleachers and says, "Enough!" He turns to me and says, "Mom, I'm going to go wait by the car."
Before I can ask what's going on, he storms off.
Judd's head snaps toward me. "Look what you've done."
"What could I have possibly done? I wasn't even talking to him. You were. What did you say to him?"
"It's none of your business what I say tomyson."
"Okay, Judd," I say with a sigh. "Whatever."
He gets up to go after Chris, but I don't let him get far before I stop him. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get him. He can come back here and watch his brother’s game."
"No, you're not," I tell him. "He needs a minute. Let him cool off."
With his hands on his hips, Judd starts pacing. Pointing his finger at me, he says, "You're the reason he's turning into such a little shit."
"Judd, he's a teenager. They're all little shits."
He cringes when he hears me use the same language as him. "He's become so disrespectful lately."
"Are we talking about the same kid?" I ask. "I think you're overreacting a little."
"I think you're doing your best to turn him against me."
"What?" Wasn't this the same guy who was just talking about me in front of our kid on the bleachers? "Judd, I never say a bad word about you in front of the kids."
"Bullshit!" He raises his voice, causing a couple of people to look over at us. "I can tell you this—if Chris lived with me, he wouldn't have this attitude problem. You're too soft on him. He needs a quick kick in the pants."
"What do you want me to punish him for?" I ask. "He didn't do anything wrong."
"See? That's the problem. You think his behavior is acceptable.
Before I can say anything else, he points his finger at me and says, "You don't want to mess with me, Erin. Trust me."
With that, he walks away. Thankfully, he doesn't continue walking toward the parking lot. He heads back over to sit with Mary Louise and finish watching the game. I take this opportunity to try to get some answers.
Quickly, I walk to the parking lot and see Chris leaning against the hood of my SUV.
