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“We just got back from a big trip to Disney. The boys have had a ton of stimulation and are exhausted. Luke’s right. It’s really bad timing. We can’t tell him tonight, or even tomorrow. I’m not going to break that kind of information in the morning, before school. And, he has a big planets project he needs to finish this week, every night after school. And we have hockey practice! Damn!”
I place my hand on Mia’s shoulder, hoping to calm her. “It’s ok, we’ll wait until the weekend, when things have calmed down and when we can spend time with the boys, relax, and let them, let Chase, process it. It’s not ideal but -”
"You don’t mind him obsessing over another man who he may or may not still think is his father?"
I hate the idea more than almost anything, but this isn’t about me. It’s about what’s best for Chase. Right now, our relationship is still tentative. I tell him I’m his dad….I don’t know how he’ll react. "No! Of course not. We continue to assure him Bill’s not. But otherwise, I'm just saying we continue as is, for now."
Mia looks doubtful but then releases a breath, and nods slowly, almost painfully. "Alright. If you say so."
“Ok, now that that’s settled.” I turn to Billy. “Why are you here?”
Billy’s face freezes a little, thrown off by the question.
“As far as I see it, no one here was expecting you. You kinda just showed up out of the blue.”
“Yeah,” Mia pipes up. “I mean, last we wrote, you told me you’d be in for at least five more years."
Billy looks between the two of us and shrugs. “I took a leave of absence.”
“You can just do that?” Mia asks.
“Sure. If you’ve worked up enough days, as I have."
I‘m not sure that’s how the military works, but I say nothing, watching him.
"And I'm actually here because I needed another favor,” he says, with a sheepish look. "I’m only in town for a couple days, taking care of some stuff, and you know, hotels can be pretty expensive. Cash is tight for now.” His face reddens slightly, at the admission, and Mia immediately jumps into action.
“Sure, of course you can stay with me! Except…erm...” She glances at me. “I’m not really at home right now. Like you heard, I’m staying with Luke.”
"Great." He seems happy about this and turns to me. "Got room for one more?"
Wouldn't it be better for him to stay at Mia's? Alone?
"Ok," I say.Better to keep an eye on him.
Later, as we head in, Chase immediately pounces on his not-dad, with questions about where he's been, his work, and everything about him. Billy seems a little overwhelmed, but he tries to answer vaguely, telling him military tales that seem a little too heroic and smooth. I watch him closely as they interact, something pinging in the back of my mind.
There's something off about him, and his story.
Mia and Mikey are in the kitchen making dinner. Then Mia walks toward the foyer, heading for the door. "I left my bag in the car."
Billy immediately springs to his feet. "I'll go with you."
"I can get it," I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Even better," he says, smiling.
I frown.
Something is definitely up with this guy and I’m going to find out what.
25
MIA
Billy’s arrivalthrows everything a little out of whack.
It’s not just that Chase still clearly thinks that Billy is his dad. He insists on talking mostly to Billy, at the dinner table, or asking Billy to help him with his planets project. Although, I can tell that this, in particular, hurts Luke. Every time it happens, I see the tightening of Luke's features. Maybe a part of him hoped that Chase would lose his initial interest for Billy, but the two only seem to be getting closer.
