She’s obviously biased, but she presented an excellent case for why Bryson being back in Harper’s life is truly a good thing for her.
And I will never take good things from my kid.
I do, however, follow them down the hall, make sure Harper gets into her pajamas and brushes her teeth, and stay to listento him read a couple of pages - he does the voices really well - before returning to the kitchen.
Mom’s still at the table, on her phone, but she ends the call as soon as I walk in. “Your father just got home. He had to work late.”
“Again?” I hate that he has such a physical job and has to work such long hours with his health being what it is. Even as a foreman, it’s still taking a toll on his body.
She puts her phone down, frowning. “I’ve been telling him it’s time to find a less demanding job, but he doesn’t know anything except construction, and we can’t afford for him to retire.”
“I thought you’d figured out a way to retire, that you’d been building your retirement account with Everett’s help.” Everett is a cousin and works in finance.
“We have been,” Mom says with a sigh. “But it’s going to be at least ten more years before we have enough to comfortably retire.”
“At least you’ve gotten off your feet. How’s the back office treating you?” A lifelong waitress, my mother has been manager at the best restaurant in town for the past ten years and two years ago the owner gave her a true desk job, where she organizes schedules, plans events, handles employee disputes and, more and more, has been handling the basics of the restaurant’s accounting so that they now only need an accountant to stop in and check on everything every other week.
Mom’s smile speaks for her. “I love it. It feels like I’m cheating, sitting back there all day. Reggie said he doesn’t even want me to fill in on the floor anymore, because I’m so valuable in the office.”
I suspect that’s true, but also that Reggie, the owner, is a truly decent guy and hates to see my mother in pain.
“That’s good, Mom. We just need to find Dad a job that lets him sit all day.”
Mom snorts. “He’d complain every day that he's bored. I swear, sometimes, I think he figures the back pain is worth it if he gets to keep working out in the sunshine everyday watching new homes and offices being built.”
It’s lucky for my dad and Deacon’s family that Catalpa Creek is a town growing fast enough to support several construction businesses. Especially with the ski and golf resort that was built up on the mountainside last year.
Mom gets up and picks up dishes. I help, following her to the sink.
“Deacon’s very good looking,” Mom says as she loads the dishwasher.
“Is he? I hadn’t noticed.”
Mom stops loading the dishwasher and stares me down. “I’m not four-years-old, Amelia Burns. I know exactly what you two were doing here before we showed up.”
I sigh. “It’s casual, Mom. Now that he’s met Harper, I’ll probably never see him again.”
“He did a great job setting up Marmalade’s gym in Harper’s room after he met her. That’s not the sign of a man who’s running for the hills.”
“Was that the guy on the park bench you were avoiding after lunch the other day?” Bryson asks.
I spin to see him standing in the doorway to the kitchen. I didn’t even hear him come in, but Mom saw him. She knew he was there the whole time.
And she didn’t tell me.
She winks as she slides past me. “I should get home to your father. Have a good night.” She kisses me on the cheek and leaves me alone with Bryson.
I look at my ex-husband, who’s laughing. “What the hell was that about?” I ask.
“Pretty sure she wants me to know you have other options,” he says. “Not sure if that’s because she wants us back together or because she wants me to stay away from you.”
I stare after my mother. “I don’t know either. She doesn’t interfere in my life choices unless I ask for advice, but it would be nice once in a while to understand where her head is at.” I look back at Bryson. “You’re clear that the two of us will never be more than friends and co-parents again, right?”
“Crystal. If you consider me a friend, it’s more than I could have ever hoped for.” He shrugs. “Plus, that ship has sailed. I’m just not that into you anymore.”
I gasp, pretending outrage. “How dare you?” Then I smile. “But same. Hard to believe I was ever madly in love with you.”
“We were young and horny and all about the poor choices.”
