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“Tristan,” my mom said, jumping up from her chair at the patio table. “I’m glad you could make it.”
She pulled me in for a hug, and I made the smallest movement possible to accept it.
“I thought this was a family lunch,” I said. “Where’s Shiloh and Dad?”
“Oh, Shiloh insisted on going into the pool again,” she said. “So your dad's with her. You know how he loves to spend time with her.” Actually, no, I didn't.
My mom poured me a glass of lemonade from the large pitcher sitting in the shade on the counter of the outdoor kitchen area. I knew I was going to need something stronger.
“Dad took a day off?” I said, sitting down at the table and slipping my sunglasses off. “Mason must really have things under control, then.”
“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Mom said, fake sorrow dripping from her voice. “Mason was fired. Apparently he was misusing company property. Can you believe it? After all these years?”
Misusing company property, my ass. They couldn’t have found a better excuse?
“I had to fire Arya, too, of course. After…everything. We couldn’t have her so close to your grandparents in their fragile condition.”
My vision blurred, and my fists clenched at my side as my body filled with anger.
“The only reason you fired Mason, or Arya, is because I’m seeing Arya. You know they did nothing wrong.”
“You think I’m that petty?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes. I know you’re that petty.”
“You need to calm down,” she said, looking at me seriously. My voice had been ice cold and I know my stare was the same temperature.
“Arya has no business breaking apart your family.”
“My family is not broken. We’re just not the way you want us to be. Regina and I aren’t together anymore, and we’re both okay with it. And we’re still family.”
“He’s right, Rebecca,” Regina said from her chair. “We’re happy like this. The divorce process is really horrible to go through. We went through it knowing that it's best for both of us. And Shiloh too. If we both move on, it just means there will be more people to love Shiloh and our family will only get bigger. You need to accept that there is no going back.”
My mom was shooting daggers between the two of us, but Regina was calm and cool and unfazed.
“Our parenting has improved and we work better together now,” she continued. “You need to let go of this idea that we’ll somehow work things out and find our way back to each other. That isn’t going to happen. Neither of us wants it to happen. This is what our relationship looks like now. We’re co-parents, and family, but separate.”
“You are both being so selfish.” My mom’s voice was low with anger. “And this is all so embarrassing for the family. We are better than this.”
“Whatever you want to believe,” I said to Mom, shaking my head. “It didn’t work and we’re moving on. That’s the end of the discussion. You can choose to be a part of our family moving forward, or you can choose to be left out. It’s up to you.”
My mother left the room in a huff. Regina shrugged.
“I have to go,” I said, standing up suddenly. ”I just remembered I have a meeting with the real estate agent scheduled. Sorry how you had to get caught in this, Gina. Thank you for helping me get the message through to my mom. She needed to hear it from both of us, together.”
Regina stood up and gave me a hug.
"You've got this. Carpe diem, right?"
Absofrickinlutely right.
Chapter 28
Arya
AsmuchasIhad been ready to leave this job, I was sad as I walked into Grace and William’s home, knowing it was my last time working here.
I was going to miss this simple life and the great times we had together.
