Chapter 16
Sixteen
“Love, having no geography, knows no boundaries.”
—Truman Capote
Because she was boarding with the baby, Jamie was in the first group to get on the plane.
Max waved to them as he went to his seat a few rows behind them.
After he was settled in a window seat, it occurred to him that he’d become somewhat of an expert on single parenthood and that it might be fun to write about some of the things he’d learned.
Maybe it would help people like Jamie who were just starting the journey and finding it overwhelming.
He certainly knew what that was like. Though he didn’t often think about the bleak days after Chloe signed away her parental rights, it didn’t take much to resurrect the feelings of shock and fear that had stayed with him for months afterward.
At that time, he’d been quite certain there was no way he could raise a child on his own.
His big family had rallied around him, making it so he was never truly alone with the massive responsibility of raising a child.
They had been an amazing source of support, but the reality was that for much of Caden’s life, he’d been alone with him.
He’d made all the big decisions for him, nursed him through every fever and cold and kissed him better whenever he skinned a knee or elbow.
Not only had they survived, but they’d thrived.
Caden was a son anyone would be proud of, and Max was exceptionally proud of him—and himself, not just for surviving the last seven years, but for enjoying them, too.
At first, the task had been so daunting, he hadn’t fully wallowed in the joy of parenthood.
That had come later, as Caden grew older and became his buddy as well as his son.
Max had looked forward to this break with Lexi, but after a short time away from Caden, he was already itching to get back to him.
He reminded himself that he would talk to Caden on the phone while he enjoyed the time with Lexi.
According to his mother, he’d earned the right to some personal happiness in addition to the parental happiness.
He was still trying to convince himself that he could have both at the same time.
Caden’s reaction to Lexi was worrisome, but Max hoped that in time, his son would get past the resistance when he realized nothing between them would change if she was part of their lives.
At the same time, Max needed to accept that nothing between him and Caden would change if he allowed Chloe to be part of Caden’s life.
The two-hour-and-ten-minute flight seemed to take forever, especially the part at the end when it took hours—or so it seemed—to get off the plane after it reached the gate.
Being this close to her and still so far away was torturous as he made his way through the congested airport, following the signs for taxis and ride shares.
Cameron had suggested he download the Uber app and use that when he got to Houston.
Twenty minutes later, he was in a car and on the way to the address Lexi’s grandmother had given him. He’d texted her to tell her he’d landed on time and would be there shortly. She’d responded with thumbs-up emojis.
He was looking forward to seeing Lexi’s parents and grandparents again, but he couldn’t wait to see her.
After having spent last weekend with her, he wondered how he’d managed to get through a whole decade without her in his life.
She’d refilled the space he’d kept open for her all that time without even realizing he was doing it.
And now that he’d had a refresher course on all things Lexi, he wanted much more with her.
He wanted it all with her, and he’d never wanted that with anyone else.
A short time later, the Uber pulled up to a two-story home in a Houston suburb. “Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a great weekend.”
“You, too.” Max got out and hooked his bag over his shoulder as he went up the walk to the front door, which flew open.
Lexi’s grandmother, Carol, hugged him in the doorway. “She’ll be thrilled. She’s talked all about you and your son and your family this week.”
“That’s good to know.”
“It’s so wonderful to see her smiling and happy again.” The older woman blinked back tears. “It’s been a long time.”
“Thanks for helping me pull this off.”
“My pleasure. Shall we go surprise our girl?”
He held out his arm to her. “Let’s do it.”
Lexi thought she was seeing things when her grandmother walked into the dining room with Max. It took a few seconds for her to blink him into focus and to catch up with the fact that he was there, in her house, with her grandmother, who didn’t seem surprised at all.
He walked over and held out his hand to her.
Lexi took his hand and let him help her up and into his arms. Max was there. He’d left his home and his son and had come all the way to Houston to see her.
“You’ve left her speechless, Max,” Lexi’s dad, Larry, said with a laugh.
“So I see,” Max said, smiling. “Are you okay, Lex?”
“I’m shocked.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“In the best possible way.”
They shared a warm smile, and she could tell he was dying to kiss her but never would in front of her parents and grandparents.
“Oh, give her a kiss, Max,” her grandfather, Jim, said. “We all know you want to.”
Max shrugged and gave her a quick kiss that was nowhere near enough.
“How did you get here?” Lexi asked. “How long can you stay?”
“I flew from Burlington to Atlanta to Houston, and I can stay until Tuesday night.”
“Oh my God!” She hugged him tightly, thrilled to have four days to spend together. “That’s amazing.”
“Good surprise?” he asked.
“Best surprise ever.”
“You must be hungry, Max,” Lexi’s mom, Angie, said. “We were just about to eat. Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
He joined them for a delicious chicken dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing and a variety of vegetables. “This is great,” he said. “Thanks again, Mrs. Bradshaw.”
“We’re happy to have you, Max,” she said. “And call us Angie, Larry, Carol and Jim.”
“Thank you.”
“They’re trying to fatten me up,” Lexi said, patting her belly. “And it’s working.”
“You look wonderful, honey,” Larry said. “The picture of health again, which is such a relief.”
Angie put a plate of brownies in front of Lexi.
“See what I mean?” Lexi asked Max, smiling. She still couldn’t believe he was there. After last weekend, she’d missed him so much and had even questioned whether she’d done the right thing going to the reunion and reconnecting with him if leaving again had hurt so much.
Max got up to help clear the table.
“We’ve got it,” Larry said. “You kids go for a walk or a drive or whatever you want.”
“Thank you again for dinner,” Max said.
“Such a pleasure to have you here,” Angie said. “We’ve missed you.”
“I missed you guys, too.”
“You want to take a walk?” Lexi asked him.
“Love to.”
They stepped outside into a warm late fall evening that would’ve required winter coats in Vermont.
“I can’t get over how warm it still is here.”
She took the hand he offered. “It stays warm most of the year. I miss the seasons in Vermont, but not the cold.”
“I’d miss the seasons if I didn’t live there anymore.”
“I can’t believe you sneaking to Houston without saying a word all the times we talked this week.”
“It’s called a surprise, Lexi.”
“It was a good one, Max. You really got me. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things when you came in with Gram.”
“She was my coconspirator. My grandfather still had her number, and she confirmed you’d be home this weekend.”
“Thanks for going to so much trouble to surprise me.”
“I couldn’t wait to see you.”
“You just saw me last weekend.”
He dropped her hand and put an arm around her, bringing her in close to him. “That was a long time ago.”
“I feel like I must be dreaming or something,” she said. “To be with you again this way… It was all I wanted for so long.”
“Everyone was all over me this week about what I was going to do now that I knew where you were and why you’d been gone. Colton was the one who told me I needed to come here. He made it sound so simple, which it was when I decided to do it.”
“What about Caden?”
“He’s with my parents and has lots of fun plans for the weekend. He’ll be fine.”
“Was he okay with you leaving?”
“Not entirely, but he’ll forget all about that when he’s with his cousins. He’ll be fine.”
“I don’t want him to hate me.”
“He won’t. Don’t worry.”
“Did you see his mom yet?”
“We’re doing that on Wednesday.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Strangely calm. I’ve decided that her being part of his life won’t take anything away from what he and I have, and that it’s in his best interest to know her.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
“It’s worth a lot. Did I mention that your grandmother told me we should go to Galveston for the weekend? So I got us a hotel room there starting tomorrow.”
Her eyes lit up with happiness. “Remind me to thank her for putting that idea in your head.”
“She thought we might enjoy some time alone.”
“It’s funny how things change, huh?”
Max laughed. “Your parents always wanted to hang out with us when we were at your house.”
“I know! And now my grandmother is suggesting a weekend away together.”
“We’re not kids anymore, and after what you guys have been through, they’re thrilled to see you moving on with your life.”
“I told them I want to go back to Butler, and they said they do, too.”
“Really? That’s great news.”
“We all want to be home again.”
“What about your grandmother’s arthritis?”
“She said she’s on much better meds than she was when they lived in Vermont, and she misses it so much there.”
“That’s great. I’m glad for you that they’re coming, too. We’re still on for January?”
“That’s the plan.”
“I’ll come drive the moving truck for you.”
“Really? I was going to drive myself.”
“Now you don’t have to. Work shuts down the week after Christmas, so it’s no problem.”