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JARED
“Are you ready?” Archer calls out from outside my bathroom door.
“Almost,” I reply, able to imagine the eager expression on his face as he waits to go to the park to meet Lyla and Caden.
I would have been out of here sooner if I could just get my mind to focus on the task at hand, which is only brushing my teeth.
Work had been tough the other day. With so many things on my to-do list, I had to stay late, have my mom pick up Archer from his after-school program and stay at my place with him until I was done with work.
I felt bad, so I’d told him that today, I’d pick him up from school to take him to the park. I had also been eager to go, as it meant that I would be out of work earlier and away from Monica.
It’s a complicated thought, really. I wanted to be away from Monica, but I didn’t. While I didn’t mean for me tending to her burn to be anything other than practical help, us being so close and doing something that felt intimate has my mind all jumbled up regarding how I’m supposed to feel about Monica.
I don’t think I completely despise her but admitting that means also admitting to having other feelings for her, feelings that I shouldn’t be having for my best friend’s younger sister.
But being so close while sitting next to her in my office allowed me to really take Monica in. I could smell the fruity scent of her hair from whatever shampoo she uses. I could see the way her long eye lashes tickled her face when she blinked. I could see the way her plump lips stayed parted open as she watched me take care of her wrist.
It was all too much and stirred up feelings in me that I don’t need to be associating with Monica.
It made today at work that much harder as I tried my best to stay away from her, leaving her to her own devices when it came to working on my schedule and answering incoming calls.
Despite my body wishing I’d been closer to her today, my mind knows that I’m toeing a fine line with Monica.
Once my teeth have been brushed, I take a deep breath before exiting the bathroom. My mind needs to be here with my son instead of wandering off to thoughts of Monica.
“Finally,” Archer groans upon my appearance.
“I know, I know. It can be tough waiting to hang out with a dad as awesome as me,” I tell him with a smile, reaching down to pick him up and lift him in the air, earning me a few giggles.
It doesn’t take long to get to Boston Common, the crisp March air not keeping anyone from enjoying the expansive park.
“Come on, Dad,” Archer calls out as he rushes to some open space, a toy airplane clutched in one hand and a soccer ball in the other.
I follow Archer, who finds a spot to play not far from the bench where I park myself.
“When are Lyla and Caden coming?” he calls out to me excitedly, bouncing on his feet as he sets his toys down by him.
“Soon,” I tell him, making sure to project my voice so that he can hear me across the several yards between us.
He doesn’t even attempt to ask me to join him as he sets his ball down and begins running in circles with his airplane. I must not be as entertaining as Caden and Lyla.
“I still don’t understand where kids find all that energy.” Tyler’s voice rings out from behind me.
Before I turn around, I watch as his kids run past the bench to join Archer. He immediately abandons his toy airplane, opting to kick the soccer ball around with the two kids.
“Must be something at school,” I offer as Tyler takes a seat next to me on the bench.
“Must be,” he says, seeming to genuinely contemplate the question. “Anyway, you know what it is I want to hear about.”
I sigh, knowing exactly what Tyler is referring to. I imagine he’s been waiting for answers since I told him a few days ago that I had a meeting set up with Jessica.
“It’s exactly what we already knew was going to happen. She’s going to fight me for joint custody of Archer, but they’re ‘open to discussing visitation rights,’” I explain, putting air quotes around what was said at the meeting.
“Are you going to go for that?” Tyler asks and I look at him incredulously.
“Of course not. I don’t want her near Archer. Period,” I begin. “I just wish I knew what she is planning. Why is it that, all of a sudden, she wants to be in Archer’s life again?”
Tyler shrugs at my words. “Maybe she had a change of heart.”
