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For two stubborn souls like us, our biggest relationship blunders don’t seem all that insurmountable. We need to learn how to make decisions together. About everything. Where we live. How we want to raise Torin and Tristan. Our careers.
Careers.Jaysus.
It’s genuinely like we’re trying to merge two distinct cruise ships. Each of us have people depending on us. Responsibilities. Schedules. Demands. Now that LTZ is back in the mix, things are getting complicated. If I know one thing, it’s this: I will not be separated from my family.
One saving grace is Ronni agreed to couple’s counseling with Lisa Kinkaid. While I’d not ordinarily be all that sussed on talking to a shrink, this particular woman helped my bandmates. She specializes in celebrity shite, so she seemed like a decent choice. We’ll work with her remotely when we get settled in Seattle.
I pile my clothes into the giant portable wardrobe and cross the hall to the boys’ room. Ronni’s meeting with a crisis PR team. The backlash from the defamation lawsuit has put my wife in the crosshairs of the court of public opinion. Currently, it’s fifty-fifty for and against her, which doesn’t bode well. Whatever happens, me, Torin, and Tristan will be behind her.
“Wee Tristan, where do you think you’re going?” I scoop up my wayward son, who’s halfway over the wall of his crib. He wails in protest. “Torin, you need to talk some sense into this one.”
I change Tristan’s diaper and set him on the ground, making sure the bedroom door is closed. Next, I get to work on Torin. “Jaysus, son. What have we been feeding you?” I dispose of the stinky mess in the Diaper Genie and clean him up and set him next to his brother.
The boys are walking on their own a bit now. They look like lurching zombies at the moment, but it won’t be long before we’re going to need some sort of device to keep track of them. Both are obsessed with building blocks, so I dump out a huge container onto the floor and the three of us get busy.
I can’t help but check my phone every so often. I’d hate to miss a call from Mae.
We’re deep in play mode when Barry knocks on the door. “I hate to bother you, but your nanny is at the front door. She’s asking to speak with you.”
“Yolanda?” I’m confused. It’s been nearly a month since Ronni fired her. I thought our housekeeper had boxed up her stuff, but I guess it’s possible she left something here.
“Double Ts, you’ll have to entertain yourself for a bit.” I hoist my tall frame up from the floor. “Dude, can you watch them for a sec? This shouldn’t be long.”
Barry squints at me. “Uh, I’m your security, you have an unauthorized visitor…”
“Ah, you’re grand.” I wave him off. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Fine. She’s on the front porch. Shout if you need me.” Barry sits on the floor with the kids. He’s like an uncle to them at this point.
I jog to the door. Through the sidelight I see our former nanny sitting on the bench. Deciding it’s best not to let her in the house without talking to Ronni, I step outside. “Hello, Yolanda. What brings you by?”
“Connor, I came here to talk to you about something personal. It’s important.” She clutches her blue cardigan with both hands. Looks up at me with teary brown eyes.
Now, I’ll admit, even though this woman worked for us for months, I never took the time to get to know her much. As far as I was concerned, she had one job and that was to help with our kids. Of course I engaged in conversational pleasantries here and there. Mostly in Vancouver when Ronni was away so much. But nothing deep. Nothing personal. So, I’m feeling trepidatious.
“Okay. Ronni’s not here now…” I try to deflect because I’m so uncomfortable. I choose to step back and lean against a stone pillar a couple feet away from her.
She bites her lower lip. “I’m getting approached by powerful people who want me to sell my story. I’ve talked to a lawyer and he feels like the non-disclosure agreement is void. It violates my first amendment right of speech.”
“Okay.” I set my jaw. So, this is a shakedown. I know how to deal with this shite. “This conversation is over. Have your lawyer contact ours. We’ll go from there.”
“I don’t think you want what I have to say to go public.” Her eyes lock with mine. She tilts her head slightly.
Poor little lamb. She has no idea that Ronni and I have been dealing with this shite for a decade. “As I said…”
“No, I’m talking.” She holds her hands up. “Your wife is a terrible mother. We both know that. You and I were a great team taking care of your sons and that’s why I was fired. She was jealous. Of my relationship with your kids. And with you.”
Whoa. I want to set her straight, but I have to be careful. “Yolanda. You’re way off base. We needed your help because Ronni was working. Then we didn’t.”
In a flash, she stands and moves toward me. “Don’t fight it, Connor,” she says before she grips my shirt and kisses me on the mouth.
“Jaysus.” I push her off me and step back. “Not on your life, woman. You need to leave. Right feckin’ now.” I point to the walkway.
“Don’t send me away. I’m in love with you.” She lurches toward me again, wrapping her arms around me like she’s clinging for grim death. She drops to her knees and reaches for my belt. “Let me suck your cock. No one will ever have to know…”
I struggle to get her off me. Cursing myself for falling into this stupid feckin’ trap. Cursing myself for being outside where Barry can’t hear me. When I manage to break free, I dart toward the door and turn the handle, backing in while keeping my eye on her. “Yolanda, I don’t want you. I never wanted you. I love my wife. Stay away from us. I’m alerting security. Don’t you dare ever come back here. If you try anything, and I mean anything, it will not be pretty. I mean it.”
When the door shuts behind me, I lock it. Check all the outer doors on this level. Frantic, I run back to where Barry is to find him rolling around on the ground with the boys.
