“I’m hungry.” L.J. interrupts my thoughts and reaches for my bag, which I’ve yet to remove from my shoulder.
“Of course you are.” I give him the oversized purse I stuffed with treats and bottles of water, enough for a growing boy to be satisfied any time he asks.
He kneels down and begins digging through the bag, settling cross-legged on the floor so he can have his snack.
I look at him and grin at how his light brown hair falls over his forehead the way his daddy’s used to do. I don’t need to wonder if Levi would have loved his son. He would have adored the boy who looks so much like him and, of course, his uncle Landon.
“How about I order in some sandwiches,” Jason suggests, even as L.J. has already dug into some chips.
“Sounds good, man. I’m starving, too,” Landon says.
“I want turkey!” L.J. looks up from where he sits on the floor. “And mayo. And a pickle. And a soda. I can have a soda, Mom, right?”
I sigh, not in the mood for a soda-or-water argument. “Sure. And say please,” I remind him.
He blinks and nods. “Please!”
“Amber, what do you want?” Jason asks, his fingers hovering over the phone.
“Whatever you’re getting for L.J. is fine for me, too.”
While the guys stand by Jason and study the app on his phone, adding in their orders, I glance at my son, who looks up at his uncles adoringly.
I’ll miss my little man while he spends a few weeks with Landon’s parents traveling. He is growing up so fast but this separation is necessary. If I’m going to go back to college in the fall as well as hold down a job and raise my boy, I need to get my feet wet with summer classes while I am on my own.
I moved from my hometown in Jacksonville, Florida, to Linton, Connecticut, in order to be closer to the Bennetts, giving them a chance to bond with their grandson, and it will be equallygood for L.J. to have more family around since I left my parents down south. Last year, my mom was diagnosed with late-onset multiple sclerosis, and my mother and father have their hands full taking care of my mom’s increasing symptoms.
I found myself at a crossroads. I could remain in Florida, continue my job as the manager of a local clothing store, taking part-time classes and hiring babysitters for L.J. when needed, or uproot our lives entirely. I gathered my courage and opted for change.
So here we are in a small college town in Connecticut, close enough to the Bennetts that they can help out while I am in school or working, and only an hour from the guys.
Now that I’ve made the move, my emotions veer all over the place, from excitement over my new life to nervousness because I am starting classes in a few days.
“Mom! They’re here!” L.J. is standing by the window. Turning, he runs for the front door.
“Wait for me!” I’ve tried to teach him not to open the door until a grown-up is with him, but I sense his excitement about seeing his grandparents. It has been a long while since their last visit in Florida.
I catch up with him as he bounces on his feet by the door and I pull it open.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” L.J. calls out, finding himself swept into their waiting arms.
From the day I discovered I was pregnant, I’ve been embraced by Levi’s grieving parents.
“Come in!” I say to the couple who always treat me like a daughter despite the fact that I wasn’t married to their son.
Carrie and Samuel walk in, each kissing me on the cheek. “I see your surprise helpers arrived?” Carrie asks with a chuckle.
“Hi, Mom, Dad,” Landon says. He strides over and hugs his parents.
“We can’t tell you how happy we are to have you two nearby. I know it’s a huge adjustment but it’s going to be wonderful,” Carrie, an attractive brunette, says, her hazel eyes glowing with happiness.
It is no wonder they have such good-looking sons, I muse.
“Of course, my wife said it best,” Samuel says, also beaming with pleasure.
I am so happy to know L.J. and I aren’t a burden to Landon’s parents, that we are giving them something to enjoy and look forward to as well.
“Wewouldlike to get an early start and miss later-afternoon traffic on the way to the city,” he says.
