Present day
Aston knocked on the door, skipping the doorbell, and Piper ran through the house shouting, “I’ll get it.”
When I’d mentioned my getting together with Aston, an avalanche of questions had spilled from her mouth.
Is it a date?
Are you going to marry my dad?
Do you still love him?
Will we be rich?
I assured Piper it was just a dinner between two friends. I knew Aston didn’t think of it that way, and we’d already had sex, but I wasn’t ready to go there with him again yet.
Am I?
Tyler, worrying his lower lip, looked at me while Piper ran to the door. “What about my dad?”
“Like I said, this is a friendly dinner. Your dad is still your dad. I promise, no one is going to take that away from you,” I said, pulling him in for a hug.
“Do you love me?”
For a beat or two, I considered not going to dinner. This whole situation was ripping my son apart.
“Mom? I know you do. I just want to hear it, ’kay?”
“Baby boy, of course I love you. And you’d better know it. Never forget it. You hear me?”
He nodded.
“And you need a shower. Rosalie can smell you all the way at her house.” My neighbor from two doors down was going to come over as soon as she cleaned up from dinner.
“Mom, Aston’s here!” Piper yelled from the hallway.
“Wanna come say hi?” I asked Tyler, but he was already on his way.
“Hey, Aston,” I heard him say.
“Hey there, buddy. Little A said to ask when we can all go to the arcade again.”
“Really? Can we?”
“Of course. Maybe over the weekend ... if your mom says it works.”
He put the last part in there for effect. I knew this because he looked up and winked while saying it. I also knew Aston and the way he loved to be in charge.
“Sunday. You’re staying with your dad on Saturday.”
Tyler nodded, looking somewhat disappointed. I’d have to talk with Aston about not trying to buy his affection.
“Ready?” This time it was me rushing to go.
“Where’s your neighbor?” Aston asked, looking around.
“Oh, she’s coming as soon as she cleans up from dinner.”
“When is that?” Aston’s eyes narrowed, a good sign he was about to dig in his heels.
