Smiling, she said, “No, I get what you mean, and you’re right.This is my chance to forge a new path.”
“That’s right.It’ll always be incredibly sad that his story ended the way it did, but it doesn’t have to define you or your story.I tell my clients all the time that they’re the authors of their own destinies and only they can decide the outcome.Granted, we’re all hit with things that force us to make course corrections, but at the end of the day, we’re in charge of our own paths in life.”
“I like the sound of that, but so far, I’ve had very little control over my destiny other than deciding to get married.I feel like outside forces, from my parents’ accident to Gabriel’s struggles, have charted much of my course for me.”
“Well, you’re the captain of this ship now.The future is yours to shape to your liking.”
“That feels kind of daunting, if I’m being honest.”She glanced toward the kids, who’d pushed their placemats together to make one big, scribbled picture.“Being solely responsible for two little beings is so overwhelming.”
“Haven’t you been mostly responsible for them all along?”
“I mean… I guess so?But I wasn’t technically a single parent.”
“Weren’t you?”
“Are you cross-examining me, Counselor?”
He laughed.“Sorry, no.I’m just saying that in some ways, nothing will change for you, even though the title has become official.”
“That’s true.”
“I’ve had single-parent clients tell me that the benefit of sole-custody single parenthood is that there’s no one to question your decisions.You’re in charge of everything, which is a lot, no doubt about that, but it’s also freeing in the sense that you don’t have to consider anyone else’s opinion about what’s best for your kids.”
“I’m afraid I won’t always know what’s best for them.”
The kids were now driving Theo’s trucks over the “road” they’d drawn on the placemats.They were so good at entertaining themselves, which was a huge gift to her as she stared down full-time single parenthood.
“Yes, you will.You have all the skills and sensibilities you need to do a brilliant job.I have full faith in you.”
“How’s that possible?You barely know me.”
“How’s any of this possible?I just know.It’s that simple—and that complicated.”
She flashed him a saucy grin.“Are we still talking about my sensibilities?”
“You’re so freaking beautiful,” he said gruffly.
Before she could catch her breath from hearing those words from him, the waitress arrived with their food, and she was occupied with cutting up chicken while she reeled from what he’d said and how he’d looked at her as he’d said it.
After he insistedon paying for lunch, they buckled the kids back into the SUV and headed up into the hills on winding roads that delighted Theo with their twists and turns.
“Is this the road that made your sister sick?”Isla asked.
“One of them.”
“What goes on at this ranch of yours?”
“Well, we grow lemons that we sell to fruit distributors all over California.”
“That must be a lot of lemons.”
“We farm about two hundred acres of lemons, olive trees and grapevines.”
“So it’s a huge operation.”
“You could say that.My grandfather’s goal was to make the ranch self-sustaining, and it’s more than succeeded in that regard.This is the start of our property now.”He gestured to the groves of lemon trees on either side of the road.
Isla took in the rugged beauty of the landscape.“I love the cacti.”
