"Where is she?" I asked as I headed over to grab my kid's bags.
"She wanted to go on in. I told her she should wait, but she said she was going to sit with you." Meredith gave me a pointed look. "The faster you do this, the sooner we can both sit down." Then she looked over. "Morning, Violet."
"Morning, Meredith," Violet said as she stepped over to open the rear door on this side of the truck. "You two have a good weekend?"
"We had a lot of mother-daughter time, and celebrated her becoming a woman, even though I wasn't there to help."
"It's ok," Violet said. "I was."
And she said it with the sweetest expression on her face. Violet honestly looked like she was trying to be reassuring. The glint in her eyes proved otherwise, but I loved it. Yeah, I was probably going to hell for it, but watching my current girlfriend make a fool out of my ex? There was something a little too gratifying about that.
I got Faith's things into the truck, then offered Violet my hand, leaving Meredith to close her own trunk. I was not that woman's bitch. I might be Cy's, and I was pretty sure I was Ash's, but I was actually ok with that. Yet when we entered the church, my daughter wasn't alone.
Faith was sitting in our usual row, but on the far end, away from where her mother usually sat. On the other side of her was Zeke. The boy was next to the far aisle, wearing a white polo with his usual black jeans, black boots, and black everything else. It was as if this was the closest he could come to another color. I smiled at the boy as we slid in to take our seats.
"Have fun this weekend?" I asked as a greeting to Faith.
"Kinda," she admitted. "Gramma baked cookiesandmade a cake. Mom took me shopping, since she's got a job now. I was just telling Zeke about it. But that was the part that sucked. She says I can't hang out with him, so she's going to be mad if she sees him sitting here."
I shrugged. "I don't care if he wants to sit with us." Then I leaned forward to see the boy. "Where's your mom?"
He pointed. "Up there. She's sitting with the other ladies she works with, and said it was ok if I sit back here so long as you don't mind. I told her you wouldn't."
"Cool," I said just as Ash and Cy slid into the pew beside us.
"Hey, Faith. Zeke," Ash said as he scooted up next to Violet. Cy just flashed them both a smile, and yes, the guys were holding hands.
Zeke smiled, but I had a feeling that was why they were doing it. Across the aisle, a murmur was starting, but I didn't care about that. Let them all talk. I wasn't doing anything wrong, and there was nothing that would hurt my custody. Instead, I took Violet's hand, wondering what it would be like to hold one of the guy's instead - or as well.
In all honesty, I didn't pay that much attention to the sermon. Instead, I scanned the seats for my ex. She no longer sat where she used to with Brody. Now, she was closer to the front, just a bit up from the middle of the room, and she was between Jodi and April. April's herd of children filled up the rest of that pew.
When the whole thing was over, the four of us headed outside, but Faith wanted to hang out a little longer. To talk to Zeke, I was sure. She went up toward the front with him, but we headed outside to circle up just out of the way of the doors. Oddly, a few people walking out made a point of saying hi to Violet. All of them were women. She waved back, but it was a little more tentative when the woman was Maisie Hall.
I leaned closer and whispered. "She doesn't hang out with Jodi or April anymore."
"Yeah, but I still remember what she said," Violet admitted. "She told me it would be better if I was just dead. I know she didn't mean it, and I'm aware that it's just what mean little girls say to weak ones. My problem is that every time I see her, I think about how I was sure she was right, and how it made it a little easier not to eat, or to cut deeper, or do whatever stupid thing I was doing at the time."
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, rubbing her arm on the far side. "I know, but I think life has hit her hard. Almost like some kind of karma or something."
She leaned into my shoulder. "Yeah, that helps. What do you think Faith is doing?"
"Being a kid," I said proudly.
Not long after that, Emily walked out of the building. She looked like she was headed to her car, but when she saw us, she paused. For a second, I could see her debating, so I smiled at her. That was enough to turn her feet my way.
"Hi, Luke," she said.
"Emily, this is Violet, Ash, and Cy. They're all from Southwind. Y'all, this is Emily, Zeke's mom."
"He's a pretty amazing young man," Violet told her.
That made Emily stand a little straighter. "I think so, but most people say he's nothing but trouble."
Cy just chuckled. "Well, he also told us why. Can't blame a guy for standing up for himself."
She nodded. "And, um, he said he met you both. I mean, we all know about..." She made a little gesture with her finger between them.
"That we're dating?" Ash asked. "Yeah, it's ok to say it out loud. Just to be clear, we're not gay. I don't normally offer that up, but well, I figure the difference will matter to you."
