He tried, though.
Bexley
Present day
“Mom, who was that man we saw today? Aston?” Piper asked later when we were alone in the kitchen.
Good thing I was wearing long sleeves, despite the Nevada heat, because goose bumps broke out all over my arms, and probably red blotches too.
“I knew him when Milly and I worked at the country club. He lived on the golf course. Remember I told you I worked in the snack shack? We made a lot of money that summer.”
“Oh. He looked kind of familiar ...”
Like every time you look in the mirror?
“I don’t know why. I haven’t seen him in a long time. Since Milly got married,” I said, trying as usual to be as honest as possible when it came to my kids.
“Hmm? Maybe at the club when we’ve gone with Aunt Milly?”
“Maybe that’s it.”
I tried to avoid going to the club, and on the few occasions Milly dragged me, she assured me Aston wouldn’t be there. Now that I knew he knew about Piper, I wasn’t so sure he hadn’t been lurking somewhere in the corner. If it were me, I would have been.
“I have to go read for English,” Piper said. “God, I can’t stand this book. Blah, blah. I wish we could readThe Fault in Our Stars.”
And just like that, the conversation was over. Piper jumped down from the counter where she’d been sitting and grabbed an apple.
“Probably because I’m the only seventh-grade parent who would approve that book.”
“Oh, Mom, stop it.”
She walked out of the kitchen, and I finally took a moment alone with my phone.
ASTON: Text me as soon as you’re free and tell me what happened.
ASTON: Bexley, I’m not joking.
ASTON: Either text me back or I’m coming over.
The last text had come in fifteen minutes earlier, and I decided it was time to answer Aston before he stormed through my front door and tore apart my carefully constructed life.
BEXLEY: Take a chill pill. My kids are older, they’re around. This is my first free moment. I’m fine. Nothing happened.
The little bubble filled with dots appeared, and I decided a glass of wine was in order. I wasn’t sure of too much, but there was no way Aston was letting me off scot-free tonight.
As I stuck the cork back in the bottle, my phone beeped again.
ASTON: Yeah, older. Let’s discuss that, shall we? Do you want to come clean?
BEXLEY: For obvious reasons, I kept things to myself. I understand you’ve been snooping, so I don’t have to say much. You know.
I gulped my wine, not able to down it fast enough.
ASTON: I understand. But my understanding is over. I’ll have my lawyer draw up some papers for your ex, thanking him for what he did, but having him relinquish all ties.
Oh boy.
It didn’t take Seth long to figure out what had happened. As Piper got older, she looked exactly like Aston. Seth only had to see Aston once to assume, and the appendix surgery made it official. One look at our blood types, and it was clear we weren’t her biological parents. At least, Seth wasn’t.
