“Come on, Archer, let’s cross to that parking lot next door and get your lunch. Did you want anything, Tucker?” Might as well be polite.
“If you don’t mind grabbing me a black coffee.”
“Sure.”
When they returned five minutes later, Tucker was impatiently sitting in the car. “It took you long enough.”
“Actually, we were waited on and served right away. If I knew he could eat prior I would have taken care of it since we’ve been sitting here waiting for you.”
Tucker took the coffee and didn’t address her. “Give your mom one more hug and we’ve got to hit the road.”
“Bye, Mom,” Archer said, hugging her tight.
“You have fun,” she said, battling back the tears. “You can call or text me when you want, but if Dad says you have to put the phone away, you need to do it also.”
“He’s too young for that,” Tucker said. “But you don’t listen.”
“I’m paying for it, not you.”
It probably had more to do with the fact Archer might want to have communication with his father that way and Tucker would have to navigate how much to answer or ignore a call or text over an email that was easier for him to say he wasn’t at a computer often.
Archer knew his father was on his phone all the time, but he hadn’t figured out Tucker did all his emails there also.
Those days would come that Tucker would have to explain more.
But it wouldn’t be today as she watched her son drive away.
Today she had someone to go home to so that she wasn’t quite as sad as she’d always been when dropping off her son.
37
NEVER BE NOT HARD
It felt odd being in Farrah’s house alone, but he’d have to get used to it if he was staying here more this week.
Not that he could get in without her. He wouldn’t arrive before her either after work, but if she had errands to run and he was here...
He was overthinking this like he was prone to do.
But there was something they had to talk about when she returned. He had to get it off his chest.
When he heard the garage open, he had lunch on the island. Nothing impressive. A big chef salad and some garlic bread.
“Hey,” he said. “Feeling okay?”
“I’m good,” she said. “I had a few tears driving home but not horrible. I think it helped to know I was coming home to this. Wow. Look at that salad. It’s much nicer than any one I’ve put together.”
“My little artistic flair,” he said. “So it was food on the table that made you happy?”
“No,” she said, pulling out a stool to sit, him next to her. “I was happy to not come home to an empty house. I want to sayI’m used to this with Archer going with his father, but it will never be easy. Or I should say never be not hard.”
“I understand what you’re saying. Can I ask you something?”
“Always.”
“Does Tucker know about me?”
She filled her plate and turned her head in silence. That told him exactly what he thought without words.
