After carefully packaging up her gifts, she drove over to Jesse’s. She sat in her vehicle, her old, beloved teal jeep, grasping the steering wheel as if it could impart some magic courage to her. With a deep breath of resolution, she opened the door, grabbed the print, the gift bag, and the bribe—she meant cinnamon rolls—and walked up to Jesse’s door.
He opened it on the first knock and stood there in silence, as cold as a polar bear plunge in frigid water. Not that she’d ever done one, but she bet it held nothing on Jesse’s look.
“I…brought these.”She shoved the box of cinnamon rolls toward him.
He looked at the box without taking it. It was obvious what they were, withSea Glass Cafestamped onto the box and the clear cellophane window on top. Her heart sank. He wasn’t going to make this easy, but then she hadn’t expected him to.
“And then…”She paused, gathering her nerve.“I got these for Blake.”She held out the gift bag and the wrapped print.
“He doesn’t need anything from you. You can’t buy your way into his life. Bringing presents? Do you think that will help? You gave him up. You already made your decision on whether you wanted him to be a part of your life.”His eyes flashed a steely blue and his jaw clenched tight.
“Jesse, don’t be like that.”A stab of scalding pain tore at her heart.
“Like what? Protective of my son? You know, now that I even know he exists.”
“We need to talk.”She said it as firmly as she could under the icy glare emanating from him.
“No, we don’t.”His voice was just as firm.
She wavered under the fierce anger in his eyes.“I—”She paused and took a deep breath.“Can you please just give these to him? It’s important.”
“Why is it so important?”He stood with his arms folded across his chest.
“Because…Because today…Because today is his birthday.”
Jesse’s eyes widened in surprise.
She set the packages down on the top step.“Please, Jesse. If you would just give him his birthday gifts.”
She turned, walked back to her jeep, and slipped inside. There were no tears now, though. She was done with that. What she did have left was resolve. She was going to keep trying to talk to Jesse and keep trying to see Blake and talk to him. Even if Jesse thought that was never going to happen.
Itwasgoing to happen. She was going to get to know her son.
As she pulled away, she saw Jesse lean down and pick up the packages and carry them inside.
There was that, at least.
Unless, of course, he just dumped them in the trash when he got inside.
Jesse walked inside, staring at the packages in his arms. Blake’s birthday. Just another thing he hadn’t known. He found Blake sitting at the table in the kitchen.
“I heard her voice. My mo—Heather’s.”Blake looked up, that protective look he’d come to recognize firmly etched on the boy’s face.“She…she didn’t want to come in?”
“She just dropped by for a moment.”He set the packages on the table, not feeling a bit guilty that he hadn’t let her in. She didn’t deserve to come in. To spend time with Blake.“She brought some cinnamon rolls. Her mother makes them at Sea Glass Cafe. They’re good. Want one?”
“Sure, I’m starving.”
Of course, he was. Jesse got out some plates, served up the cinnamon rolls, and then stared into the fridge. He had no milk. No orange juice. He turned to Blake.“Um…I’ve got nothing for you to drink, really.”
“I’ll take a soda if that’s okay.”
“Sure.”Why not? But he was definitely going to have to get better food and drinks stocked up for as long as Blake was here.
And how long would that be?
He sat down across from Blake and glanced at the packages, renewed anger surging through him. He pushed the gifts toward Blake.“Heather brought these for you—”He stared at Blake.“She said today is your birthday.”
Blake’s eyes widened in surprise.“She remembered?”
