“You’ve told him about Scotty. He knows you need to work through how you feel without him. If you don’t, it will be more difficult to have a meaningful relationship with another man.”
“Have you been speaking to Ethan?”
Paris sighed. “I’ve had my share of counseling sessions over the years. It wasn’t until I met Richard that I realized how far I’ve come.”
“It was meant to be,” Jackie said to Paris.
Andrea glanced through the window. Maybe David was her ‘meant to be’ person, but she’d never know until she’d come to terms with what happened during her marriage.
Jackie opened a container she’d left on the kitchen counter. “It looks like we could all do with some triple chocolate fudge brownies. Am I right?”
With a relieved smile, Andrea helped herself to one of the chocolatey treats. “You’re so right it’s scary.”
Paris joined them. “I’ll second that. Here’s to putting our pasts where they belong and focusing on our futures.”
With her friends beside her, Andrea ignored any thoughts about her ex-husband and focused on the positive things in her life. And one of them was the man kneeling in her vegetable garden with her sons.
Later that night, Andrea sat with the boys after they’d climbed into bed.
When they’d first moved here, she was worried Andy would want his own space, but the boys preferred to sleep in the same room. It made them feel safe, and that was more important than finding a bigger house.
“Did you enjoy your evening with David?”
“He’s fun,” Charlie said sleepily. “Tomorrow, he’s showing us some photos of his dad’s vegetable garden. He said it’s enormous.”
“You might get some ideas for ours.” Andrea ran her hand along the soft, woolen blanket. “I wanted to ask you something. It’s about your dad.”
Andy frowned. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
“He’s in Sapphire Bay, but we won’t see him unless you and Charlie want to visit him.”
“Have you seen him?” Charlie asked in a quiet voice.
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
“But you want to?”
It was the last thing she wanted, but she didn’t want to influence her boys’ decision. “I haven’t decided yet. What do you think?”
Charlie looked at Andy.
“I don’t want to see him.” Andy’s voice was low and without any emotion. “He hurt Mom and made us scared.”
Charlie hugged his pillow. “He used to buy us ice creams.”
“That was only because he felt guilty for yelling at us. Grandma said he should’ve gone to prison.”
Andrea’s parents were furious when they heard what Scotty had done. They pleaded with her to go to the police, but that would mean seeing him again, and she couldn’t do that.
Charlie bit his bottom lip. “Pastor John said people change. Do you think Dad’s nice now?”
“I don’t know, Charlie. I hope so.”
Andy pulled his blankets up to his chin. “I don’t care how nice he is. I don’t want to see him.”
Andrea hugged him. “It’s okay to feel that way. If you don’t want to see him, you don’t have to.” She turned to Charlie. “What would you like to do, Charlie?”
He glanced at his brother. Andrea could see how conflicted he was. He idolized Andy, but there was something about his dad he missed. “Could I see him? Just for a little bit?”
