Chapter Forty One
Where did Clay get his good looks from?
1 month later
“I think Clay looks a bit like you,”
I said. On cue, Clay yawned.
Ardley remained silent but my mother quickly responded in his place, “no, he looks like you, Callum. I see he’s got Juliette’s eyes, but he looks just like you when you were a baby.”
My brows furrowed as I looked at Clay’s small round face.
He was already getting bigger, well not really—he just used to be a lot smaller. So small like one of those premature babies. I wasn’t sure if Ardley knew the difference—he barely spent any time with him and if he did it was because I forced him. Last week he gifted Clay with new clothes which I thought was sweet until Juliette told me that Clay couldn’t wear them until he was at least two years old because they were way too big. Still, I gave him a point for trying.
None of us has had the courage yet to tell him that Celeste would’ve wanted him to take care of Clay at least. I definitely couldn’t be the one to tell him that because I was already on thin ice with him. I didn’t know what happened but after the funeral he started speaking to me again. I didn’t know if it was because he understood where I was coming from or if it was because he was finally able to let it go now that it was over. Strangely enough he had a change of heart after I made Juliette chase him out of repast.
As for Juliette, she was back at work pretending like nothing changed—like her ex-boyfriend wasn’t in town staying at the Four Seasons—for a whole month now. She said she was dealing with him, but he was still here like a bad memory you can’t shake off.
I could clear her debt with him in a second. I had no idea why he was still here.
“Where’s Florence?”
my mother asked.
I looked up to look at her with Clay still in my hands. “She doesn’t work until seven.”
“Really?”
I nodded as I kissed Clay on the cheek. He was still sleeping, he was so cute at it too.
“Are you two still sleeping in separate rooms?”
I sighed, disappointed, maybe even a little sad, because the truth is, we never slept in the same bed, ever. Apart from that night we spent at my parents’ house.
“We were never sleeping together, Mom,”
I grumbled under my breath looking at Ardley across the room, worried that I might’ve made him feel uncomfortable.
When Ardley said he was coming over to see Clay he didn’t mention that my mother was the one dragging him.
“Interesting,” she said.
“Yeah,”
Ardley folded his arms over his chest, “Cal can’t get in her pants. Interesting,” Ardley added sarcastically.
I glared at Ardley then at my mother who laughed at his awful joke.
“Sorry, Cal,”
my mother teased, “we know how much she means to you.”
I stood and walked over to Ardley and handed him his son. “Yes, please make a fool out of me,”
I whispered.
I walked into the kitchen and forgot what I wanted to do in the first place. My mother sat right next to Ardley, playing with Clay. Ardley had the smallest smile on his face, and it didn’t matter how small it was because that was the first genuine smile I’ve seen from him in months. My phone buzzed and that took my attention away from the two. I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket—it was a text from Juliette. I quickly swiped up.
Julie: How’s Clay doing?
Cal: He’s almost through the breast milk you left for him.
Julie: really? I’m not closing today. I’ll be home soon, it’s been so busy since I got back. Everyone knows Clay is Ardley’s son and they’re trying not to look like they’re judging me but I know they are.
Cal: what? When did this happen?
Julie: I don’t know, after the funeral I think.
Julie: Can you FaceTime me? I want to see Clay.
Cal: Ardley and my mom are over, they’re with Clay now, unless you want to deal with them…
Julie: nope. Thanks. Give Clay a kiss for me.
I dropped my head back as I chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
I jumped at the sound of my mother’s voice. It was alarming because as far as I was concerned, she was in the living room with Ardley, and it seemed like she teleported herself in the kitchen.
“Jesus, Mom—”
I groaned as I pushed my phone back into my pocket.
“Can I tell you something weird?”
Her brows furrowed as she looked at Ardley and Clay from the distance.
It really didn’t help that she was speaking in a low tone. Which had me under the impression of whatever she was going to say was about Ardley or Clay.
“What?”
I replied.
“I don’t know why, but something doesn’t feel right.”
She slowly turned to look at me.
Before I could ask her to elaborate on that she spoke again. “Almost two years ago, Ardley was on the phone with me crying to me because he was worried he couldn’t make Celeste happy—”
My brows furrowed as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Ardley was infertile—”
I quickly shook my head. “No mom, Celeste was infertile.”
“No, Callum. I remember being on the phone with him almost all day. He was on a business trip and called me that day, it was like three p.m. for me in Italy. He ruined my brunch with your father, so I remember our conversation vividly.”
I closed my eyes as I scratched the back of my head, trying to think of an explanation that would make sense.
“Maybe they tried something that helped?” I said.
My mom shook her head. “Everything feels off.”
I placed a hand over my mother’s shoulder. “I don’t know, Mom, but Clay is the best thing for him right now. Ardley is absolutely miserable. We’re on the verge of losing him,”
I sighed, “I swear if it weren’t for Clay he would’ve taken off already. He can’t stand to go home. Since the funeral he’s been crashing with you guys.”
“You have a stronger bond with Clay than he does with his own son.”
I shrugged. “It takes time, Mom.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right, Clay’s good for Ardley.”
I nodded with her.