“Quick thinking,” Nolan says. Then he looks at me. “You still have your old phone from a couple of months ago? We can run out and get him a new SIM card tonight and add him to your account.”
I wearily sigh. “I’d rather keep that as a backup for the next one Zo kills.”
Nolan grins as Zoey calls out from the bedroom, “I heard that, Arlo!”
Even Lucas smiles a little.
That’s progress, at least.
“We’ll go out tomorrow and get him a new one,” I say. “Will you go with us?” I haaaaate dealing with tech. Nolan is our go-to guy for all of that. Mechanical stuff is my forte. Nolan damn near killed himself last time he tried to change a tire on his own.
Nolan’s gaze focuses on mine. “Of course. Do we need to rent a truck tomorrow morning?”
“Yeah. I’d rather do that than make multiple trips. Less chance of trouble with Bill. After dinner, I’ll go online and reserve one. We might need to move stuff around in the garage, too.”
Lucas walks over and hugs me, then Nolan. Nolan and I exchange another glance over the poor kid’s head.
“Thank you,” Lucas softly says, sounding like the boy who used to slip all the time and call me “Dad.”
Before two years ago, when his father poisoned his mind.
“We need to talk tonight, okay?” I gently say.
“Yeah.” Lucas sniffles and releases me so he can sit at his usual spot.
“Part of that’s going to be uncomfortable,” Nolan adds. “We need to talk about condoms and all sorts of stuff beyond what I know you got with the first sex talk.”
“We haven’t actually…” Lucas blushes. “We haven’tdoneit yet. Just…oral and hands and stuff.”
“You can still pass stuff even like that,” I say.
Lucas gives me a look that lets me know he’s already wondering why I’m jumping in right now.
Zoey walks in, with the other two glasses in hand, and sets them on the table in front of her plate and Nolan’s. “Oh, we are going to have one humdinger of a talk,” she says, glancing at me, then at Nolan. “Did I hear correctly that you don’t have a phone now?” she asks Lucas.
“Yeah.”
“Do you know Caine’s number off the top of your head?”
He nods.
She hands him her phone from her back pocket. She must have retrieved it when she changed clothes. “Five minutes, then back out here for dinner. Ask him if he wants to come over for dinner tomorrow night.”
Lucas’ face literally lights up. “Really?”
“Really. Tell him you’ll call him again tomorrow after we get you a new phone.”
“Thanks, Mommy!” He kisses her cheek and practically runs down the hall.
Uh-oh.
I see the smile on her face, and it’s one that’s been missing for the better part of two years.
Even during the otherwise best of times between the three of us.
That’s the look of a contented mom.
Nolan’s mind is apparently tracking the same direction as mine. He walks over to her and keeps his voice low. “Hon,pleasedon’t get your hopes up this high this fast.”
