Chapter 16
Blair
You are a first-class idiot, I scolded myself as I frantically scanned my eyes over the directional signs at the door of the hospital.
She told me she didn’t think I understood what it meant to date a single mom, and I just let her walk away.
In the moment, I didn’t see any other way, but once I got home, I hadn’t been able to sit still.
Eventually, I called my dad for advice. He hadn’t been with anyone, that I knew of, since my mom passed away more than a decade ago, but I had to talk to someone.
“Hey, kid, how are you enjoying the life of no responsibilities?”
“I hate it.”
He barked out a laugh. “I knew you would.”
I paused. “If you knew I would, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
“Well, you know I would never have made it without your help with the boys. You said you needed to step back, and hell, I understand. It’s a lot of work raising kids, and it’s work you didn’t sign up for.
I didn’t think you had it in you to just sit around drinking beer all day, but you needed to decide that for yourself. Now what are you really calling about?”
So I told him. I told him about Missy and her overpriced SUV, and Sophia.
I told him about singing her songs and buying her snacks and seeing her grin at me when I tickled her cheeks.
I confessed I thought I was falling for not just one woman, but also her little girl, and I didn’t know how to fix the whole mess.
When I finally shut up long enough for him to get a word in, his advice was pretty simple. “Blair, you know I’ve never claimed to be the perfect dad—”
I cut him off. “Don’t say that, Dad. You’re the best. We always had family dinners together and backyard barbecues. You never missed one of my basketball games in eighth grade when I thought I could play in the NBA. You picked me up when I drank too much at what’s-his-name’s sixteenth birthday.”
“Yeah, and what do all those things have in common?”
I didn’t answer, but I thought I knew where he was going with it.
“I was there. I may have been cranky or dirty or tired, but I was there. I only knew how to make burgers and boxed macaroni and cheese, but we had dinner together. You needed support while you figured yourself out, so I showed up even though I knew damn well you would get sick of basketball and switch to spending time in the shop instead. Half of parenting is just being there. Maybe that’s half of a good marriage too.
Hell if I know. I’ve been single for too long. ”
I sat on the couch and let my knee bounce to get rid of the nervous energy. “So you think if I just show up and be a support for Missy and Sophia, she will see I’m serious about all of this?”
“I’m a single father to four boys, so asking me about what a woman wants or will do is barking up the wrong tree, but at the very least, it seems like they could use a hand.
Maybe all you achieve is giving someone a little help when they need it, or maybe it all works out.
Either way, I think you know it’s the right thing to do. ”
“Yeah, shit. I know you’re right.”
So there I was, jogging down the hall of the hospital hoping I wasn’t too late to see Sophia before she went in for surgery.
My shoulder had been feeling okay that morning, so I had left the sling behind, and now it ached with every step.
I skidded around the corner into the waiting area.
I caught sight of her little face over her mother’s shoulder, cheeks red from crying and eyes glassy and upset.
My heart melted into a puddle. “Maybe she wants me to hold her for a while,” I said, taking her into my arms. “Hey there, sunshine. Are you having a rough day?”
Sophia gave me a gummy grin, and the tears stopped for the moment. Sophia’s did, anyway.
I reached out with my thumb and wiped a tear off of Missy’s cheek. “Look, I know what you said yesterday, and I understand. I just want to be here for you two today. If you’ll let me.”
She threw her arms around my neck, and I could feel her holding back wracking sobs. “Thank you, Blair. I need someone today.”
Missy went to the washroom to have a minute to herself, and I kept Sophia occupied. The novelty of me showing up wore off pretty fast, and the next thing I knew, I was singing her songs and dancing with her on my hip.
Eventually, a nurse appeared, and Missy and Sophia headed to a back room.
I did exactly what I said I would. I was there.
I headed to the cafeteria and got Missy a coffee.
I stopped at the gift shop and bought a goofy looking stuffed koala bear for when Sophia woke up.
I sat and waited. I worried and I paced, and I waited.
Missy accepted the coffee gratefully when she came back, and she hugged the koala to her chest.
When I couldn’t take the silence anymore, I broke it with an offer.
“Missy, it is a long-ass drive back to Kamloops. If you want, you two can stay with me until Sophia is feeling a little better. I have a spare room you two can use, and I can give you a hand with Sophia if you need it. She is bound to be fussy after going through this all today. You don’t have to answer me now; just think about it. You know where I live.”
She nodded, but her eyes were locked on the door they took Sophia through, and I couldn’t blame her.
When Sophia was finally able to leave, I gathered up Missy’s things and walked her to her car.
She loaded Sophia into her car seat, then paused in front of me.
She put a hand on my chest and looked into my eyes.
“Thank you.” She slipped into the driver’s seat.
I didn’t have her phone number. I didn’t know her last name. I didn’t know if she was going to drive right past my house and head to Kamloops like she planned. All I knew was I showed her who I really am, and that was all I could do.