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“When I first met Mo, she was exactly like me, carefree and just wanting to have fun. We met on some wild weekend in Vegas, and despite your reluctance to hear this, it was purely sexual and nothing more.”
I despise him calling her Mo. It makes me extremely jealous, more than the mention of their purely sexual relationship. His face, along with the rest of this room, is a friendly target to punch my fist into. But I have to hold back, curling my fists under the table and keeping my rage at bay.
“When her best friend was unresponsive from some date drug, we were forced to wait by her side at the hospital until she woke up. It was the worst forty-eight hours of our lives.” He recalls the memory but not without reliving the pain that’s etched all over his face, drinking more coffee to compose himself.
“I’d just broken up with my ex-girlfriend of two years, and when you start questioning life because you think someone is dying next to you… I acted cowardly and ran back to her. It was only one night, but that’s all it took.
“But I moved on. Mo was fantastic, and we just fell in love with each other and life. We decided to get married on a whim. It was going great until we found out that Addy was pregnant.”
The waiter comes over, offering us a refill, which we both kindly accept. After a quick break, he continues, “Morgan was upset, and I thought she’d walk away, but she didn’t. Michael was born, and everyone fell in love with him, especially Morgan.” His smile says it all. Morgan’s a kind and generous-hearted woman despite her evil-queen persona when she’s around me.
“Around two years ago, Morgan noticed that Michael had particular behaviors that appeared different from other children at his daycare. He communicated but not as quickly as the other children. Both of us narrowed it down to him developing slower, but then we began to notice other things. How when he played, he became fixated on certain things rather than pretend playing like the other kids.
“For the three of us, we were first-time parents, so we didn’t really question it further, assuming his behavior was simply different. It was his teacher who first raised a concern, telling us he had difficulty socializing with other children. From there, we decided to seek help while he was still young. He was diagnosed with high-functioning autism.”
I had researched as much as I could in an attempt to understand exactly what it is. It was only after I’d read a number of parents’ blogs and watched videos, it finally sank in.
Mom and I talked long and hard about it, and it helped that she also tried to give me the perspective of a mother in that situation because that’s what Morgan is—a mother to Michael.
“Addy and I were devastated. We knew nothing about autism and blamed ourselves for him being that way. Morgan was the one who stepped up, learning as much as she could for the three of us to co-parent him and have him thrive despite the challenges he faced. Without her, I don’t know what Addy and I would’ve done.”
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“Morgan loves him,” I admit out loud. “She’ll do anything for him. I’ll never understand how she can be so selfless, considering he isn’t her son.”
Wyatt releases a light-hearted chuckle. “Because that’s who she is, selfless Mo. That’s why she’s my best friend.”
More words that hurt.
My mind drifts to Kate, but quickly, I push them away. Like a smoker addicted to nicotine, the thought alone can be deadly. I still miss her like crazy and everything about her.
But I need to focus on Morgan.
And as I take a deep breath, I realize that loving Morgan is more than just telling her—it’s accepting her for who she is and accepting the people she loves—the man across from me, his son, and me.
“Our marriage didn’t fall apart. We just didn’t evolve together. We talked about separating and made the decision last year. We never, for once, thought it would be difficult for Michael. He didn’t feel the emotions because that’s something he struggles with but more so the change of routine. He struggled to sleep, and his tiredness affected his general behavior. Morgan was terrified he’d take a step back, and the behavior specialists suggested a slow but progressive change. I guess we just let it be and allowed it to drag on because it wasn’t such an issue until you walked into Morgan’s life,” he tells me, and I detect slight bitterness in his tone.
I’m unsure whether there’s resentment toward me for being the man who supposedly stole Morgan’s heart. He’s spoken about Michael, and it’s plain to see that his son means everything to him. The love from a father has no bounds, something I have no concept of.
And it doesn’t hit me until this very moment. I love my mom, and she does everything she can to make sure I have the best life possible. But no matter what she does, the absence of a father is something difficult to replace.
“Mo’s my best friend. She always will be. I don’t know what your intentions are with her, but she will always be in my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he warns me.
“I love her.” It’s the only thing I can say.
“Then, if you love her, be with her.”
I laugh, cocky perhaps but stumped by his willingness to just palm her off. “You make it sound so easy. It’s not just about loving her. It’s about accepting her choices. Her choice is to have Michael in her life despite the two of you being apart. This is why I need to know now if you’re going to fight me for her,” I tell him how it is. “I want this to work more than anything I’ve wanted in my life, but I’m not going to be second best nor pushed to the side. The moment I walk back to her, it’s forever.”
And I’ve finally made that decision. Being away from her only confirms one thing—I do love her. And that love consumes every part of me. The thought of not having her in my life tears me into a million pieces. I need to muster up my strength and patience to be a better man for her without compromising my own needs.
Wyatt stands, sweeping his keys into his hand. “Then let me take you to her.”
***
There’s chaos all around us, the sound of children’s idle chit-chat combined with laughter everywhere you turn. The playground is busy with children running about, parents pushing the swings high into the air as the kids squeal with happiness. And just behind the area are the courts where I first saw Morgan play.
There’s four of them—Morgan and three little boys. I recognize Michael immediately. He’s standing distant from the other children but still listening to Morgan speak. I can’t wipe the smile off my face—she looks cute in her little shorts and Chicago Bulls jersey. Damn. How did I not know she went for the Bulls? It should be a terrible sign of things to come, yet I brush it off because it’s not important right now.
