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“He’s in the shower, Greg. He’s fine.”
“And who’s this?” He glares at Isaac suspiciously.
“This is my friend. He’s just leaving.” My eyes turn back to Isaac. He nods, and I’m thankful for his understanding.
“But he met our son?” Greg shakes his finger at me as he comes up on the porch. “I thought—”
“He wouldn’t have met him yet if I’d known Chance would be here,” I retort. The politeness I’ve been showing is starting to run out. “And from what I gather, you didn’t know Chance was coming here either.”
“I promise I meant no harm,” Isaac interrupts, turning to face Greg but keeping his body between us as if he’s shielding me.
“I don’t give a fuck what you meant. You’re at my house with my son and wife—” Greg stops, realization at what he just said dawning on his face.
An awkward silence lingers for a moment, and finally, I break the ice. “Isaac, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He doesn’t move, though, the anger emanating off his body in waves as he shields me from Greg. Which is crazy to me in a way, because I’ve never felt threatened by my ex. But Isaac doesn’t know him, so I understand.
“I mean it. It’ll be fine.” I grasp his arm, squeezing it reassuringly, but Isaac remains stoic. It’s quite humorous, though, him looking down at Greg. I’m sure Greg feels threatened by the height difference alone.
“I’ll be here for the night. I’ve booked a room,” Greg says. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”
Once he’s in the car and gone again, Isaac’s body relaxes. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Oh, Isaac. Greg is harmless. He’s an arrogant asshole, but he’d never hurt me or Chance. He just feels threatened. Which is ridiculous, as he’s the one that filed for divorce.” I shrug. “Anyway, you need to go see your daughter and eat your pizza. I’m going to spend some time with Chance. And I’ve got to talk to him about running away. Can we catch up tomorrow?”
Isaac nods. “Okay.” He wraps an arm around me, and I sink into his side, the touch comforting, especially after the debacle with Greg. I hate when I have to be around him, and for him to claim me as his wife… Ugh, no thanks. Once Isaac is gone and I’ve locked up the house, I take a deep breath to steady myself. Because now I have to go upstairs and talk to Chance about running away. Regardless of what happened with Greg, running away was not the right way to handle his feelings. But pizza might help this talk go more smoothly.
Once I’m upstairs, I knock on his door. “Hey, buddy. It’s me. I’d like to talk to you.”
“Coming, Mom.” Chance opens the door, stepping back so that I can come in.
I take a seat in his computer chair, and he makes himself comfortable on his bed. He’s had a haircut since he visited last. I didn’t notice it when we were downstairs. I thrust out the plate of pizza, offering him a slice. “I know you’re hungry.”
“I’m starving.” He reaches over for a piece and gobbles it down in no time before taking a second. I watch him for a moment, my mind reeling with how to approach this. I’ve never had to have a serious talk with Chance. He’s always been a fairly well-behaved child.
I guess everyone rebels at some point, though. It’s been a tough time for him too, I’m sure.
“So, how about we talk about tonight.”
He glances up at me, his wide blue eyes reminding me of when he was a baby, then a toddler when he fell after his first steps, and on the first day of school when he glanced back at me before heading inside.
“Well, we were on the way here anyway. Dad was bringing me to see you because we had a big fight.”
“Okay. So what did you two fight about?”
“Him always being busy. Me missing you. All the women.” He stops, his eyes darting to me, then down again. “He’s just always busy. No time for me, I guess.”
“And where did you walk here from?”
“We were at that gas station where we always got the root beer slushies.”
At least that’s not as far to travel as Greg’s house.
“I understand you were upset, and I’m glad you came here and called me, but you can’t run away from your dad. Or me, or anyone. It’s not safe, and it’s also not the best way to deal with your anger.”
“I know, but Dad wasn’t listening.”
“Well, next time call me while you’re with him, and I’ll listen. Okay?”
