Chapter 7 #2
Dominic puts down the knife and glares at me. “What do you expect me to do? Give up on my dreams entirely because you forgot to use a condom one night?”
My head snaps back and I say, “Wow, tell me how you really feel.”
His face fills with regret. “I didn’t mean that.
I’m… I don’t want to fight. You and Henry are the most important people in my life, and that’s not going to change.
But I can’t stay here forever on this dinky little island singing the same songs and playing meaningless characters night after night after night until my entire life passes me by!
I was about to leave when that little baby showed up.
And I didn’t. I canceled everything to be here for you.
But you don’t need me anymore. You’ve got this.
You’re a wonderful dad, and Henry’s incredible, and he’s going to be just fine. Seriously, you don’t need me anymore.”
I look outside to avoid eye contact. Running my tongue over my teeth, I let his words hang in the air.
I want to tell him I do need him, that I don’t think I can do this alone, and that if Henry is an incredible kid, it’s as much because of him as it is me.
But I’m too upset to say that. I’m too hurt.
And besides, he’s right. He did put everything on hold for me.
For five years. It’s already too much to ask.
I can’t very well stand here and guilt him into more.
So I sniff and look back at him. “So, she’s a big-time influencer? ”
We stare at each other, a silent acknowledgment that the conversation is over, for now, at least. He can go if that’s what he wants to do, and I really can’t stop him.
After a second, he says, “Yes, and she’s losing her audience.
They’re all moving on to have weddings and babies, so she needed to do something drastic to keep them. ”
I consider what he’s saying, a fleeting sense of hope appearing that maybe I can convince him not to go so far. The Big Island is far enough. “But how is that our problem?”
Chop. Chop. Chop. “It’s not our problem. It’s her problem, and lucky for me, it’s a wonderful opportunity. A win-win if ever there was one.”
“A win-win? She could be some sort of psycho.” I get the pasta pot out of the pantry and start filling it with water.
“She’s not a psycho. She’s a very nice, normal woman.”
“She’s got to be a little bit crazy to come live with two strange men.”
“She’s not crazy. She’s desperate.”
“Yeah, well, desperate people sometimes do crazy things.” Setting the pot on the stove, I turn it on, then walk over to the patio door.
Out in the yard, Vivian is standing on the grass outside of the playhouse.
She knocks on the door and Henry opens it, pretending to be surprised.
He steps back and she goes inside, which I don’t like at all.
No way I want him alone where I can’t see him with some stranger.
Why did I make that stupid playhouse in the first place?
I turn to look back at my brother, who is casually chopping up a cucumber and the sight of it makes me want to scream. “She just went into the clubhouse with him,” I snap.
“So?”
“So, go get her. I don’t want him alone with some strange woman.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Are you serious right now?”
“Yeah, I’m serious. There are women serial killers too, you know.”
“Name one.”
“Name one? I’m not going to name one.”
“Because you can’t name one.”
That’s true. I can’t. “There was that one they based Dracula on.” Ha! So there! “She killed hundreds of young girls.”
“Most historians think that was all made up. Besides, you don’t know her name. Name an actual woman serial killer.”
“No! I’m not going to waste time naming serial killers while my son is alone with one in his clubhouse! Now, go get your little wifey out of there! And while you’re at it, tell her she can’t live here because she’s a total stranger and we have a vulnerable child in the house!”
I spin back to the patio door, only to see Vivian on the other side, looking like I just slapped her. “Henry asked me to bring him some juice and some animal crackers.”
Shit. My shoulders drop, guilt creeping across my skin.
As much as I don’t want her here, I also don’t want to hurt her feelings.
“Not this close to supper,” I answer. “You know what? I’ll tell him myself.
I don’t want to make you the bad guy.” I say it as if I wasn’t just accusing her of being a serial killer.
I step outside and her voice stops me. “Um, I know I’m a total stranger and I completely agree with you—you’ve got a young child in the house. You can never be too careful. But I do have a good reference. You know Mac Gamble?”
I stop and turn, thinking she’s about to say she and Mac were a hot item for a while. “Yup, I know Mac.”
“My best friend, Paige, is living with him, and I’ve gotten to know him pretty well over the last year. Maybe you could call him and ask his opinion?”
I glance at Dom, who purses his lips at me, then says, “See? Told you.”
“It’s okay, Dominic,” Vivian says. “I understand why he’s worried. I did a little digging before coming here too for the same reason. I asked Paige to find out if Mac knew you—small island and all. He said you two are the salt of the earth and he would trust you with anyone he cared about.”
We stare at each other for a moment as if we’re trying to figure each other out. Finally, I say, “I’m sorry I suggested you were a serial killer.” I give her a sheepish grin, then add, “To be fair, you weren’t meant to hear that.”
She laughs, which causes my heart to do this weird flippy thing.
“Noted. And it’s okay. I get it. This is weird. And to be honest … yesterday I accused your brother of being a psycho because he was eating a salad.”
“A salad?”
“We were at the burger bar so…”
I grin down at her. “Oh right. Totally makes sense.”
She glances into the kitchen, then looks at me and in a stage-whisper, adds, “It looks like he’s planning to do it again.”
Then I find myself doing the last thing I thought I would do right now—I laugh.
Henry races up the steps to the wooden deck and steps in between Vivian and me. “Umm, she was having fun with me, Dad.”
“Right, yeah, I forgot,” I answer. “I was about to come tell you there is no way you’re getting a snack right now. Not when Uncle Dom and I are cooking supper.”
He snaps his fingers, only they don’t make a sound, on account of him still working on that particular skill. “Butts. I really wanted some animal crackers.”
“We’re having spaghetti and salad.”
“Okay,” he says, as if he has a choice in the matter. “Can we have garlic bread too?”
“Pardon me?”
“Please?”
“Yeah, I can probably make some.”
He grins up at me. “Sweet! Can Vivian and I go for a walk on the beach? I want to show her that dead sea star.”
I glance at Vivian, who definitely doesn’t look like a murderer. “All right, but be fast and no going in the water. Supper will be ready soon. And if you can’t see the house, that means I can’t see you.”
He stares up, genuinely confused. “But I’m with a grown-up.”
“Stay where I can see you,” I answer.
“Okay, Dad,” he says with a nod. “Come on, let’s go!” he tells her.
They start down the stairs and I hear him say, “I hope the sea star’s still there. It’s super stinky. Uncle Dom made a funny gagging sound when we found it.”
She glances back up at me, looking both amused and a little worried, and I can’t help but chuckle.
I watch as the two of them make their way down the path from the grass to the beach, feeling the same weird pang I get every time I see him with a woman and the thought pops into my head that a child needs a mother.
This sets off a panicky feeling in me, because I’m terrified that I’m going to screw it all up and he’s going to wind up having no self-confidence or no empathy or all the other things you get from having a mother who loves you unconditionally.
But I can’t panic about that right now, because the water just started to boil.
I rush over to the stove to turn the heat down.
“Told you she’s not a threat,” Dom says. “She’s just a very nice, normal, beautiful woman.”
“Oh no, she’s definitely a threat. A very nice, normal, beautiful threat.”