Chapter 19 #2
While Max tended to his son, Lexi had been making plans to move home to Vermont as of early January. She was on a tight budget and would shop for used furniture at secondhand shops when she arrived. All she needed was a bed and a few kitchen items to get by for a while.
She’d also been doing some research about online classes so she could pick up her education where she’d left off when illness struck. Finally, she’d been job hunting, applying for several jobs within the Abbotts’ company, which was the town’s largest employer.
Her mom came to the door of her bedroom, where Lexi was seated at her desk. “I thought you might want a cup of that Sleepytime tea you like.”
“Thank you.”
“What’re you up to?”
“Making plans.”
“To move home?”
Lexi nodded and took a sip of the tea.
“Us, too. I hired movers today, and we’re putting this house on the market next week.”
“Are you prepared to go back to those winters after living here?”
“That’ll be an adjustment, but I miss the New England seasons. I never thought I’d miss snow, but I do.”
“Me, too, even though I’m always cold.”
“You’ll have Max to keep you warm.”
“I hope so.”
“You sound uncertain.”
Lexi shrugged. “It may not happen. His son isn’t digging me.”
“He must barely know you,” her mom said. “You were only there a few days. How much time did you spend with him?”
“Not much.”
“It’s the idea of you he doesn’t like. He isn’t opposed to you. He’s opposed to any woman who takes a portion of his father’s time and attention from him. I suppose that’s to be expected when it’s just been the two of them for all this time.”
“I worry that he’ll never accept me as part of their lives.”
“He will. It just might take some time and finesse on your part.”
“How so?”
“Small doses at first until he gets used to having you around. Take the time to really get to know him and his interests. Participate in things he likes to do and make him see you’re no threat to him or his relationship with his dad.”
“I can do that.”
“Sure, you can. It’ll be fine, but it won’t happen overnight.”
“It’s strange how I hoped I’d see Max at the reunion, but I never thought for a second that he’d be a single father.”
“Did that change how you felt about him?”
“No, it only makes me admire him more. He’s done such a great job with Caden and has their lives running so smoothly. Part of me wonders if I should just leave them alone and focus on getting my own life back on track.”
“Why can’t you do both?”
“I can, it’s just that I want to be sure that Max is committed to bringing me into Caden’s life before we go any further. It can’t happen without him.”
“If you ask me, from what I saw of him, Max is very committed to you and to making this work.”
“I guess we’ll see. Sometimes I worry that it was too much to hope that we could just pick up where we left off and go forward like the last ten years didn’t happen.”
“You were both dealing with big things during those years. Now you can focus on what’s next together.”
“Is it that simple? Can we see each other twice in a decade and make this work long term?”
“If it’s what you both want, absolutely. I remember telling your dad when you and Max were first together that you were going to marry him someday. I kept waiting for you to tell us you’d taken a pass on Berkeley so you could stay with him.”
“I should’ve. Everything might’ve been different if I had.”
“You still would’ve gotten sick, and he might not have had Caden, which he would say was meant to be.
Life gets in the way of plans all the time, and that’s what happened to you two, but I’ve always thought you and Max belonged together.
Why do you think I encouraged you to go to the reunion?
I was so hoping for exactly what’s happened. ”
“Apparently, his family pushed him just as hard to go. I’m not sure if they were hoping he’d see me, but they wanted him there.”
“They were probably hoping you’d show up. No doubt they saw what we did with you two, a forever kind of love that happened long before either of you was ready for it.”
“I want this to work out so badly, Mom. Other than surviving my illness, I’ve never wanted anything the way I want him.”
“I know, sweetheart, and I have a good feeling you two will make a go of it. That’s a big reason why we want to be back in Butler, so we can be there to watch you live your happily ever after with him.”
“Your faith that it will happen is very reassuring.”
“Good.”
“What if…”
“What, honey?”
“What if we make a go of this and the cancer comes back?”
“It won’t.”
“And you know that for certain?”
“No, but I feel confident that you’ve beaten it, and I’ve chosen to believe the worst is behind us.”
“I probably can’t have kids, and he’ll want more.”
“You have the eggs frozen, and there’re other ways to have them besides the natural way. If I know Max at all, I’d bet he’d rather have you than six kids with someone else.”
Lexi’s phone rang, and she pounced on it, checking the caller ID. “It’s Max.”
Her mom got up and kissed Lexi’s forehead. “I’ll let you talk to him.”
“Thanks again for the tea—and everything else.”
“Love you, sweet girl.”
Lexi took the call. “Hi there. Did you get home okay?”
“A couple of hours ago. My siblings were all here with food to welcome us home.”
“Caden must’ve enjoyed that.”
“We both did. Gramps brought Daisy home, too, and they’re asleep together in Caden’s bed.”
“Everything is as it should be.”
“Almost everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“You should be here, too. I’m sorry that I discouraged you from coming the other day. That must’ve felt like a slap in the face considering what we’d been doing right before my mom called.”
“You were thinking of Caden and getting to him. I understand.”
“I should’ve brought you with me.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Max. You were in a panic.”
“You’re being too forgiving. I’m sure you were hurt when I left without you.”
“Please don’t stress about that. You’ve got enough going on.”
“I want you here with us. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, and I’m making plans to move home.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You sound exhausted.”
“I am. Three nights sleeping on a recliner in the hospital and worrying about the boys has me worn out.”
“How’s Chase doing?”
“Much better. The jaw injury is a big deal, so they had to get some additional support for that before he could leave the hospital.”
“I hope they can get home soon.”
“Hoping for tomorrow.”
“Weren’t you supposed to see Caden’s mom this week?”
“I put that off until next week.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I don’t want to wait weeks to see you again, Lex.”
“It’ll go by so fast.”
“Every minute will drag until then.”
She laughed. “Quit being dramatic. You have a lot to do getting Caden back on his feet and preparing for the holidays.”
“I don’t want to do any of it without you here. It only took a few nights of sleeping with you to get me addicted to it.”
“Max,” she said with a sigh.
“What?”
“You’re making me breathless again.”
“I miss you like crazy.”
“I miss you, too, and the next few weeks will go by fast, I promise.”
“No, they won’t.”
“Yes, they will.”
“Are we having our first fight?”
Lexi laughed. “Nah, you just need to accept that I’m always right, and then we’ll never fight.”
“Um, well…”
She laughed again.
“You always were too quick for me, Lex.”
“I’m just right for you.”
“Yes, you are, and now that I’ve found you again, all I want is everything.”
“Easy does it,” she said.
“We’re going to have it all. I know it.”
“That would be lovely, but one step at a time, okay?”
“We’re going to have our second fight if you keep up this slow-and-steady-wins-the-race theme.”
“I’m going to keep it up, because you know as well as I do that it’s what we have to do.”
“I can’t talk right now. I’m mad at you.”
“Whatever,” she said, giggling. “Go to bed and get some rest.”
“Hey, Lex?”
“Yes, Max?”
“When we have kids, they’re going to have to have the letter X in their names, okay?”
Her heart skipped a beat when he said that. “What part of ‘one step at a time’ are you not hearing?”
“The part where you’re gonna make me wait to have it all with you.”
“I won’t make you wait that long.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”