Chapter 9 #2
Some afternoons, I'd show up at The Grind with my laptop, claiming I needed the ambient noise to work, though we both knew I was really there to watch her move behind the counter.
On my weekends with Charisse, I'd call Mrs. Yancy, who'd simply nod when I handed her the remote, or Mrs. Murphy, whose eyebrows rose higher with each date night I scheduled.
I wasn't ready for those conversations yet.
But Andi never came to the house. Never met Charisse beyond those brief hellos at basketball games. Never overlapped with that part of my life.
I told myself it was still early. No need to rush. We were figuring things out.
But standing in my office on a Friday afternoon, staring at my phone, I couldn't lie to myself anymore.
Rebecca: Something came up. Can't take Charisse this weekend. You'll have to keep her.
It was 4 PM. She was supposed to pick up Charisse in two hours.
I called her. Straight to voicemail.
Gavin: What came up?
Three dots appeared, then disappeared. Nothing.
Tonight I had reservations at a place in Cambridge that Andi and I had both wanted to try. My hand hovered over my phone, the unsent text already typed out: Hey, something came up with Charisse. Can we reschedule?
This was the third time in two months Rebecca had canceled last minute. The custody agreement said every other weekend. She treated it like a suggestion she could ignore whenever it suited her.
I stared at it for a long moment. I could send it. Or I could call Andi, tell her what happened, ask if she minded switching from dinner out to pizza and a movie at my place with Charisse.
I didn't do either.
Instead I called Mrs. Murphy.
"Of course," she said, before I'd even finished explaining. "Bring her over as early as you want. I'll make her that pasta she likes and she can stay the night with me. You deserve a night off, dear. Youth doesn't last forever, you know."
I set my phone down and went to tell Charisse to pack a bag.
At six, I pulled up to Mrs. Murphy's building.
Charisse bounced out of the car before I'd even killed the engine, her overnight bag swinging wildly. “I can’t wait to see how big the neighbor Lily’s puppy got!
" she called over her shoulder. Her excitement felt like a knife twist—she didn't even mention Rebecca's cancellation.
Not once. The ease with which she adapted to her mother's absence spoke volumes.
"Don't worry about a thing," Mrs. Murphy whispered when I finally reached the door. "I'll have her back tomorrow before noon. I’ll just drop her on my way to lunch with my niece, Nancy."
My chest felt heavy as I drove away. And somewhere beneath it, quieter, was the fact that I'd had Andi's number open in my hand for a full minute before I'd called Mrs. Murphy instead.
That the thought of just telling her—come over, Rebecca cancelled, bring wine—had crossed my mind and kept right on going without me reaching for it.
By seven, I was at the restaurant, and I'd stopped thinking about it entirely.
We ordered wine, shared an appetizer. She told me about a couple of regulars at her shop who had met there around the time she'd bought it. Today, he proposed with a ring around the straw of her iced coffee. It was a cute story, and I liked how unique it was.
She was wearing a dark blue sweater that made her eyes look impossibly bright. Her hair was down, and she kept tucking it behind her ear—that nervous habit I loved about her.
"How's Charisse?" she asked.
"Good. She's great. Sleeping over at Mrs. Murphy's tonight."
"Really? That's awesome. I thought she was with Rebecca this weekend."
"Yeah. Rebecca actually cancelled. Then I reached out to Mrs. Murphy and she agreed to have Charisse stay with her."
"That's nice." She paused, stirring her wine. "You know, I'd love to meet her properly sometime. More than just waving at games. No pressure. Just thought I'd say something. We've been seeing each other for just about a couple of months now, so I wasn't sure about your thoughts."
My stomach clenched. "Yeah. Definitely. I just want to make sure the timing's right."
"Of course." She smiled, but something flickered in her eyes. Something that looked like hurt trying to hide itself. "Like I said, no pressure."
The moment passed. We moved on to other topics—her brother vacationing out in Florida with his family, my project pitch next week that could be a big deal for the firm.
But later, walking her to her car, that flicker stayed with me.
"Tonight was really fun," she said.
"It was."
She kissed me goodnight—soft and sweet—then got in her car. I watched her drive away, standing there in the parking lot longer than necessary.
My phone buzzed.
Rebecca: David needed me. It's complicated. She's fine with you this weekend, anyway.
No apology. No acknowledgment that she'd completely disregarded the custody schedule. Just an assumption I'd handle it and that Charisse wouldn't be affected by her mom cancelling last minute with no warning.
What would I have done if there'd been no sleepover? I knew the answer. I would've canceled on Andi. Would've kept my worlds separate. I got in my car and sat there and stared at the text before I went home to a quiet house.
I dropped my keys on the counter and stood there for a minute, the faint trace of Andi's perfume still clinging to my jacket.
The kitchen light hummed overhead. I took the jacket off and hung it in the hall closet.
Upstairs, I set Outlander on my nightstand beside the lamp.
The blue cover caught the light for a second before I turned it off.
The house went dark.
When Mrs. Murphy dropped Charisse off at home Sunday morning, she plopped onto the couch next to me, tossing her bag on the floor by her feet. Reaching over, she stole a piece of my toast and said without preamble, “How was your date, Dad? Is she your girlfriend now?"
I nearly choked. "What? No, we're just friends." She gave me the look—the one that said she was ten, not stupid.
"You got all dressed up and everything."
"You can get dressed up for friends."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Her hand shot out for the remote. "So... I was thinking. Wouldn't it be cool if we got a dog?"
"A dog? Are you serious? Between your school and my work—"
"Lily's Bernadoodle is the cutest thing ever! It has these eyes that just—" she clasped her hands under her chin dramatically. I shook my head. "Dream on, Bug."