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“If he’s available…” Alex grumbled, and Amber’s cheeks heated.
“He had a business trip last weekend, agapi mou. That’s all. Your dad loves you and wants to spend time with you.”
“What about you?”
Amber sat back in her chair in shock. “Of course, I love you!”
“No,” Alex replied, waving away Amber’s words. “I meant does he love you? Does he still love you?”
Amber’s face fell. “Yes, agapi mou. He does.”
“Do you love him?” Alex whispered with his heart in his eyes.
A tear slid down Amber’s face. I ached for them both. “Yes, agapi mou. I do.”
“Then, why?” He asked, exasperated.
“It’s complicated.” She held up her hands to hold off the words about to leave his lips. “I’ll spend some time with your dad and figure it out. I promise I’ll talk to him, and we’ll make some changes. I’ll ask him to come to dinner next Sunday, and I’ll make sure he can be here for Thanksgiving the following week. Okay?”
Alex opened his mouth to reply but I cut in. “How about we ask your dad to bring you to meet Jace and me for rock climbing? You can show him what you can do, and we can go out for lunch afterwards. What do you think?”
Alex’s face lit up. “Can I, Mom?”
“That’s between you and your dad, agapi mou. Whatever Daddy decides is fine with me.”
“Okay, agoria!” Yiayia announced, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Unless you want to do the dishes, you go play.”
Both boys bounced up. “We’ll clear, Yiayia,” Alex offered as he and Jace grabbed the serving dishes and moved them to the kitchen.
“Be careful, agoria. Those are for your mommas when I am dead. I don’t want them broken.”
“You’re going to live forever, Yiayia,” Alex shouted back.
“Good boys. I am very proud,” Yiayia said. She turned to me. “They ate well. You, not so much. You don’t like Yiayia’s cooking?”
I lifted my plate and passed it to her. “Pile it on, Yiayia. I’m working on my dad bod.”
Amber snorted, Ruby elbowed me in the ribs, and the tension broke.
The following week was filled with outings and visits with Ruby and Jace, both together and separately, and at times with Alex.
Ruby and I spoke further on the topic of moving in together, but we had yet to come to a decision. She had many excuses but no solutions. I wasn’t sure what exactly held her back.
Jace still hadn’t called me dad, but with the way things were going, it was only a matter of time. I never failed to wrap my palm around the nape of his neck when he came close, and he came close increasingly often.
He even FaceTimed me one day at work, right in the middle of a staff meeting. I answered his call and made a point of telling my staff I needed a few minutes to talk to my son, then went to my office to chat with him.
I began seriously looking at the possibility of selling my business. Being tied to the office lost all its appeal. I could sell it tomorrow to Gary Dolman, knowing he’d keep my staff on, but I wanted to offer it first to my senior consultants.
They’d made a shit ton of money working for me, and between the three of them, I had no doubt they’d be able to take over if they wished.
I needed to get moving on Ruby’s file as well.
My life felt full for the first time in a long, long while.
