It wasn’t always easy with my schedule, her work and the kids. She put her kids and work first, something I admired about her. I was actually shocked to find out that Lennon and Breland had only been with her for two years. The woman had taken in two teenagers and then adopted them.
Our talks hadn’t gotten too personal. She didn’t tell me about her childhood except that she’d grown up in foster care and aged out of the system. I’d already known that because I worked with Lake who’d talked about finding her sister and doing the test to prove they were related.
She’d told me a bit about college and her job, but not about the rest of her past, what drove her, or about the kids’ pasts either. Some may have thought we had nothing to talk about, but I didn’t mind talking about myself and for some reason she liked to listen.
A good thing since it was the biggest requirement of her profession.
River had asked about my family. I’d told her my dad wasn’t around, that it had just been my mother and I since I was five. I did tell her how close the two of us were, and that I saw her all the time. She didn’t ask anything else about my father, and I didn’t elaborate.
I was worried talking about him would dredge up too much. That’s if my suspicions were right about the thingsshe’d been through in her past. Besides, I thought it would be a better conversation to have in person.
There was talk about my military days and becoming a fireman. We seemed to find things to chat about, even if it was about food, music, and silly questions like what our favorite color was.
Damn, I was itching to hear her voice again.
As I was recalling all our texts, I pulled up in front of my mother’s home. When I’d told River that my mom and I were close, I was not exaggerating. Going through what we had together and her being what I would call an exceptional mother—along with just a beautiful soul—made it easy to love her beyond reason.
My mom was the strongest woman I knew, but I couldn’t help but think there was another woman in my life now that was right there with her.
The car idled and I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and my mom was standing at her door, a huge smile on her face. I turned off my truck's engine and got out, making my way to her.
When I was right in front of her, she wrapped me in a big hug. “How’s my simple man?”
I chucked at her calling me that. When I was a young boy, she would play the songSimple Man,by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and sing along. It was her song for me to live by and her wish for me. To this day, it was my favorite song, and I will never forget the memory of her sitting beside me letting the lyrics sink into my soul.
“I’m good,” I replied as I pulled back and kissed her cheek.
My mother had me at a young age and while she was getting older, she still looked great for her age. I wished for so long that she’d found someone to treat her right and thatwould love her, but she’d always said I was the only man she needed in her life.
Maybe she just never found the right person?
For me, I’d never found myself, even when I had been dating someone for a while, thinking that they were someone I could settle down with.
But I hadn’t met River yet.
“What put that wistful smile on your face?”
I should have known she wouldn’t miss a trace of what I might have been feeling when River crossed my mind.
“I met someone,” I told her.
Her face lit up with joy and before she could ask a million questions, I held up my hand to stop her.
“She’s been hurt.”
My mother’s face morphed into concern, and sadness glistened in her eyes.
“I don’t know what happened to her, but I hope she will tell me one day. We’re friends. I think,” I said, frowning a bit. Shewasmy friend, I just hoped she thought of me the same way one day.
With a tilt of her head, my mother studied me. “But you feel more for her than just friendship.”
It wasn’t a question, but a true statement that hit me square in the chest with extreme force that almost knocked the wind out of me. I’d known there was more to my feelings, but hearing my mother say it made it more real.
“What’s her name?” my mom asked.
“River.” A huge smile stretched across my face. “Or as I like to call her, Warrior.”
The phone rangas I pulled away from my mother’s home.
