Until Forever (11 page)

When I reached Hazel’s apartment I walked her to the door.

“You don’t have to walk me,” she said.

“I don’t mind,” I said immediately. My chivalric ways were ingrained in me a long time ago. It was nearly impossible to avoid them.

“Thanks for taking me out and getting me a job.”

“You’re welcome. You know, I’m like your boss now.”

“Oh no,” she said. “I wonder what crazy things you’ll make me do.”

“I’ll give you my coffee order. I like it at eight in the morning, sharp.”

She laughed. “I hope you like spit instead of half and half.”

I cringed. “Gross.”

“Then don’t be an ass.”

“I’ll just be an ass for non edible assignments.”

“There are other things I can do to get revenge…”

“What did I get myself into?”

She smiled. “We’ll see.”

“Well, goodnight.”

“Night.” She got her door unlocked and walked inside.

“Hazel?”

She turned around. “Yeah?”

“Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all.”

Her eyes softened. “And you let me know the same.”

13

Sean

My dad and I left the office to have lunch. I wanted to invite Mike, but he didn’t come to work today because he claimed he had a massive hangover from the night before. I didn’t doubt that. My brother was being a party animal lately.

But we did have a third guest joining us for lunch, little did he know…

“We’ll take a table for three,” I said when I reached the hostess station.

“Right this way, sir.”

We followed her to a table and took our seats.

“Three?” my father asked. “Who’s the third person?”

“A friend of mine,” I said vaguely.

My father eyed me across the table then picked up his menu. “Have you spoken to Mike?”

“No. He’s been doing nothing but partying. He hasn’t even been home.”

“Did you call him?”

“He doesn’t answer.”

My dad sighed. “I’m worried about him.”

“Scarlet will talk to him when we finally track him down.”

He put down the menu and looked out the window. “I can’t help but wonder if his reaction would have been so severe if your mother and I hadn’t called it quits.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Dad. You did what you had to do.”

“But I wish Mike understood that love still exists. It’s certainly not dead.”

“He’ll realize it.”

He sho
ok his head. “Cassandra seemed so upset.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Dad. It’s going to take a miracle to put those two back together. Mike is…gone. I hate to be f
rank, but he’s in a different world now.”

“No. He’s still there. We’ll find him.”

I glanced at the menu and decided on the cucumber sandwich.

“I’m having the butternut squash soup. What about you?”

“Why do you always have to order old people food?” I asked.

“Old people food?
” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. That’s something an old grandmother eats.”

“Well, I will be a grandfather soon.”

“But you
’re barely fifty. You don’t look old.”

He smiled. “Wow. That’s the first time you’ve paid your old man a compliment.”

“Savor it because it may not ever come again.”

He laughed. “You’ll be a great father, Sean.”

That hit me straight in the heart. “Really?”

“Yeah. I h
ave no doubt you and Scarlet will give your kids a wonderful life. I hope that heals Scarlet from her past. She never had a mother but she can become the one she never had to her own children.”

“She’s an amazing wife, and she’ll be an even better mother.”

He gave me a fond look. “You’ll do right by both of them, Sean.”

“Well, I have an amazing role model to guide me.”

“I did the best I could, Sean. I just hope it was enough.”

“It was more than enough, Dad.”

He sighed. “I wished I stood up for Scarlet more when…you know…your mother was being vile.”

“Don’t do that to yourself. Scarlet and I both don’t put any blame on you.”

“It’s still one of the mistakes I’ll live with.”

“Dude, you were and still are the best dad ever. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else, not even Gandalf.”

“You’d want Gandalf from
Lord of the Rings
to be your dad?” He looked at me like I was crazy.

“Well…he can do magic and stuff.”

He laughed. “I can’t compete with that.”

“But you’re so much better. Seriously, don’t feel bad about it.”

He shrugged. “You always strive to be the best parent. Unfortunately, you will always fail. You may as well learn that now.”

“You aren’t making this sound depressing at all…”

“I’m just warning you,” he said with a laugh. “So, where’s your friend?”

I looked across the room and spotted her by the entrance. I waved my hand so she could see me.

My dad looked across the room and his eyes widened. “Sean...?”

I rose from my seat. “Hi, Mom.” I hugged her then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello, honey.” She had her hair done and make up on her face. She wore a red cardigan with pearls. Her clothes were a little baggy from all the weight she lost, but she cleaned up well.

My dad was stunned by her presence. He found his bearings then stood up. “Hello, Diane.”

“Hello, Andrew,” she said with a faint smile.

“We’re still a family, right?” I said. “Mom can have lunch with us.”

My dad was caught off guard. “Of course she can.” He pulled out the chair for her so she could sit down.

Once we were all seated, the tension descended. My dad didn’t know what to do with
himself, so he drank his entire glass of water. My mom rested her hands on her lap and kept her back straight. Her posture was perfect like it used to be. I could tell I’d have to be the moderator for this.

“So…” I cleared my throat. “Mom, what are you doing today?”

“Just a few errands.”

“What kind of errands?”

“I had to pick up a few things then I was at the hospital for the morning.”

My dad’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said quickly. “I volunteer there.”

My dad was speechless for a moment. “You volunteer?”

She nodded
. “In the labor and delivery room. Unfortunately, a lot of mothers give birth without any support from the father or even their family. So I keep them company so they don’t feel alone.”

When my mom told me this over the phone, I was
just as shocked as my father was. They already signed the divorce papers so everything was over and done with. But my mom hadn’t changed. She’d been working for charity and organizing events at the youth center on top of her other responsibilities. If it was just an act, she would have stopped by now. “Very cool, Mom. I’m sure they appreciate it.”

She opened her purse and took out a picture. “One woman let me take a picture with her baby.”

I eyed it, seeing the small bundle in her arms. “Nice.”

She showed it to Andrew.

“Very nice,” he said with a cracked voice.

She put it away then rested her hands on her lap again. “So, what have you been doing, Andrew?”

“I’ve been spending a lot of time at work and at Sean’s. Scarlet and I have lunch together and spend time doing crafts.”

“That sounds nice,” she said. “Scarlet is a very vibrant woman.”

I liked it when people complimented my wife, especially my mom. It was a long time coming. “She’s okay—most of the time.”

My dad chuckled, picking up on my sarcasm.

The waiter approached our table to take our order. I ordered first then waited for my parents to go. My dad usually ordered for himself and my mom. I waited to see if he would do it now.

“Go ahead,” my dad said to her.

She held the menu and browsed quickly. “I’ll have the quiche.”

His eyes shifted slightly. “I’ll have the same.”

He took the menus and left.

My mom glanced at my dad. “You look toned. Have you been working out?”

He flexed his arm then felt the bicep. “Sean and I have been going after work.”

“I’m sure all the ladies notice you—like usual.”

I liked where this conversation was going, some innocent flirting.

My dad’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know about that…”

“I’ve started running.”

“You look thinner,” he noted.

She nodded. “And I got a dog. His name is Charlie.”

“I thought you didn’t like dogs?” he asked.

She shrugged. “He was a stray I found outside. He didn’t have a collar and he looked like he didn’t have any shots. After I took him to the vet, I adopted him.”

“That sounds nice,” he said, surprise in his voice.

She pulled out her phone and showed him a picture. It was a medium size mutt. He had long shaggy hair and his tongue flopped out.

“He looks cool,” I said.

“He’s wonderful,” she said. “I taught him a few tricks.”

“Even cooler,” I said.

My mom turned to me. “Any luck with a pregnancy?”

“No,” I said sadly. “But I assure you, I’m sticking it to her as good as I can.”

My dad laughed, and surprisingly, so did my mom.

“You’ll get her pregnant eventually,” my mom said. “Sometimes these things take time.”

“Well, it’s not bad it hasn’t happened right away.” I winked. “It’s an excuse for me to get lots of sex from my wife.”

My dad shook his head. “Scarlet
would be mollified if she knew what you were saying.”

I shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”

“Let’s hope she’ll get over it until you both die,” my dad said with a smile.

My parents talked about work and other things, nothing too serious. They never mentioned the divorce or their relationship. I thought that was good for the atmosphere of the meeting. I hoped they could rekindle their feelings at some point. I honestly thought my mom changed
, so did Scarlet. If I was willing to forgive my mom for what she did, then my dad should be able to as well.

My dad paid for lunch and we walked to the street. My mom was so much shorter than my dad and I.
At least a foot shorter. My dad towered over me at a height of 6’4. I was glad I was tall but not that tall. It would make sex complicated with Scarlet. Right now, she molded to me perfectly.

“Well, it was nice to see you again,” my dad said.

“You too,” she said.

Tension settled on us. I guess I expected them to hug or something.

“I’ll see you later, Mom.” I gave her a hug and pulled away.

“You too, Sean.”

My dad kept his hands in his pockets.

“Mom, where’s your car?” I asked.

“A few blocks over.”

“Dad, why don’t you walk her and I’ll meet you back at the office?”

He gave me a firm glare. There was no playfulness in his eyes. “Sean, I appreciate what you’re trying to do—”

“Do what? We’re a family, right? We can’t do stuff together anymore?”

“That’s not what I said. Your mother and I have agreed that going our separate ways is for the best.”

“No,” I said. “
You
think going your separate ways is the best. You’re the man who told me not to give up on anything. Mom has clearly changed, and whatever issues she has, she’s working on. Come on, Dad. Have a heart.”

He sighed then looked away. I could tell he was trying not to get mad. “Sean, I don’t butt my nose in your relationship with Scarlet. Please respect my privacy with your mother. There are things between us that you have no knowledge
of and they don’t concern you. I’ll see you back at the office.” He turned on his heel then walked up the sidewalk.

I sighed then turned back to my mom. “I’m sorry. I thought
if I put you two together…”

“Honey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“I just wish he could see how much you’ve changed.”

She gave me a sad look. “I’ve known your father for a very long time. When he’s hurt, he licks his wounds, but when he’s better, he sees things more logically. Just give him so
me time. He’ll come around.”

“Okay.” I walked with her a few blocks. “I can still walk you to your car.”

“Thanks. That’s very nice.”

When we reached her SUV, I opened the driver’s door and go
t her inside. “Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Why did you change? I mean, not only are you doing charity work, but you’re a completely different person. You’re nice and generous. You think of others before yourself. Did losing Dad really change all of that?”

“Well, among other things…”

“What things?”

“I started to worry about my health when we got the divorce. Why was I behaving that way? I lashed out at people one minute, and then the next minute, I was happy. It didn’t make any sense…”

Where was this going?

“So I went to the doctor to get checked out.”

My heart was beating a million miles a minute. “Yeah?”

“They told me I have a benign tumor in my head. As a result, it was affecting my mood swings and thought process
es. They’ve given me medication and I’ve been different ever since.”

I thought I might faint. My palms were sweating and my chest was about to cave in. “Are you going to be okay? Do you have cancer?”

She placed her hand on my shoulder. “Sean, calm down.”

“Calm down?” I yelled. “I’m not going to calm the hell down.”

“It’s not cancerous and it’s unlikely that it ever will become cancer. It isn’t giving me any other health problems. I’m very lucky it’s nothing serious.”