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“So you keep saying.”
“I’m going to head back inside.” I nod to the door. “Thank you for not making this weird.”
“You too,” he laughs, flicking the cigarette stub into a plant pot full of them. “Now get back to work before the others begin to suspect that we’re having an affair.”
“Not funny,” I call over my shoulder.
“Yet very true!”
Gwen: All is well with Kerim. I feel like everything is finally getting back on track.
Nathan: Good. I’m glad. We miss you.
Gwen: I miss you all too. I’ll bring ice-cream. Has Dillan been on his potty today? We’ve been slacking a bit.
Nathan: Once but he mostly peed on the floor. We’ll get him there. Don’t worry. It’s been a hectic time.
He can say that again.
“Back to work, Gwen,” Harold calls, though his tone is kind and not aggressive like Kerim’s would be.
“Just a sec,” I call back as I type one final text to Patricia.
Gwen: Are you coming tomorrow, usual time? If I don’t respond it’s because I’m at work.
She doesn’t respond at all. Nor does she the next day.
“Dillan probably exhausted her,” Nathan says in jest but the worry in his eyes shows me that he’s not entirely positive that’s the case either.
“She’s not answering you?”
He shakes his head. I sit back and help Emily take a bite of her sandwich before sipping my latte.
“You don’t think your dad did something to her, do you?” I whisper so as the babies and the rest of the café can’t hear. Not that the babies will understand, but I’d still like to shelter them from as much drama as possible.
“I…” His tongue swipes across his lower lip. “I’ll make a few calls.”
“Good.” I take his hand over the table. “I’m sure she’s fine; she’s probably just exhausted.”
“Yeah,” he responds, though he looks unconvinced. “Come on, the kids are excited to play.”
I remove Dillan’s shoes while Nathan plucks Emily from the wooden highchair and together we make our way over to the children’s play area, well-fed and ready for a few hours of family fun.
When we return home, Nathan disappears into the bedroom to make the calls. He’s gone a while and my panic grows. Busying myself with the kids, I try not to clock watch as desperately as I want to. I also place my phone on the microwave by Caleb’s picture to avoid calling Patricia again. Who would have thought that a woman I once hated would now be the cause of my sympathies and concern?
“Give me strength,” I beg of my deceased lover. “And take my headache away while you’re at it.”
A shiver rushes through me, creeping me out.
“If that was you, Caleb, that’s not funny.”
“Wee!” Dillan yells, distracting me.
“Good boy!” I cheer and lead him to his potty. “I’m so, so very happy!”
Nathan enters the room just as I’m pulling Dillan’s trousers up. “I called around a few acquaintances and she’s fine.”
I blink, confused. “What does that mean?”
“She’s probably just needing some space.”
“That makes no sense.”
“My mother is… you know she’s complex.”
“Yeah.” I loop my hands around the back of his neck and tip my head back so I can look into his eyes and kiss his jaw. “Overload of emotion keeping her away you reckon?”
“Maybe. Who knows?” He sways us on the spot, gently rocking us from side to side. “We’ll figure it out.” Lips press against my own and I deepen it swiftly. He tastes so good. “Speaking of figuring things out.” His right hand takes my left and when he steps back, he brings my hand to his lips and shows me a sparkling new ring sitting on my ring finger. It’s similar to the last but not an exact replica. It’s beautiful. “Don’t take it off this time.”
“I won’t. So long as you don’t treat me like that again.”
“I won’t.”
We share another kiss and turn back to our kids. Before we move on from the conversation entirely, I rest my temple against his shoulder and say, “Thank you for my ring and don’t worry about your mum; she’ll be in touch.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The days go by and even when I receive the contract from Kerim to stabilise my place as a leading chef in his kitchen, my thoughts don’t drift from Nathan. He seems so sad, so lost and alone. He’s throwing himself into work to distract himself from thinking of his mother. I fear that he’ll spiral to a place I can’t pull him back from. As sad as that sounds, if his mother vanishes I worry he’ll never put his trust into anyone again. I sent her a text earlier begging her to contact us before this weekend. The kids miss her so much. It’s unfair of her to be doing this to them. I’m starting to get past the point of caring and I’m beginning to get angry.
