Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
LANDON
It’s funny how your mood can turn around so quickly.
Leaving the bar, I was so agitated. I hate seeing Poppy dealing with so much.
It hurts me watching her trying to navigate yet another hurdle in her life.
But I know it’s not just that. It has something to do with Poppy’s biological mother trying to get in touch with her unexpectedly that has brought up feelings about my own parents I thought I’d buried long ago. Things I’d rather stay buried.
But after the phone call with Felix, I’m feeling more relaxed, which is also probably due to the fact that I’m now less than ten minutes from home.
I find myself singing to this song, “Golden” by Huntrix, from that K-Pop Demon Hunters movie soundtrack that the boys have become obsessed with.
Thank God there’s no one in the car to witness this.
Poppy’s name comes up on my screen as an incoming call, cutting off my music.
I wanted to surprise them, and she’ll know I’m in the car as soon as it connects.
But I won’t ever ignore a call from her, for fear something might be wrong.
My fear of missing a call became a panic thing for a little while after Lucinda died.
Not only that, but I would jump so quickly to answer it on the first ring, especially if the boys weren’t with me.
And now since that night of Poppy’s frantic call from the hospital, that fear will never leave me with her either.
I try to sound upbeat as I answer the call, because I know what a big emotional day she’s had. She could probably use a laugh.
“Hi! Let me guess, you’ve decided we should have a sleepover ton—” I don’t get to finish when I hear Nash.
“Dad?” His voice is a bit wobbly.
“Nash…?”
He cuts me off. “Poppy said to call you and say Tessa is here, and Poppy looks scared of the lady, Dad. She thought it was Felix at the door.” The way he’s talking so slowly and succinctly, I can tell he’s concentrating hard, trying to make sure he does what she told him to.
Nash saying she thought it was Felix also tells me she wasn’t expecting Tessa to turn up at the front door.
My foot immediately pushes down on the accelerator, the car picking up speed, and my good mood is shattered.
Panic rushes through me, and I don’t know why but something feels off about this.
How the hell did she find Poppy, and why didn’t she do as we asked and wait for us to contact her?
Why is she rushing this when it’s been thirty years since she abandoned Poppy?
What does she want from her? I’ve got a weird feeling about this woman, and I haven’t even met her.
She turns up out of the blue at the fire station and now at the house?
Sully didn’t even tell her Poppy’s name or where she lived.
“Fuck!” I growl loudly.
“Dollar in the swear jar,” I hear Kade say into the phone.
“Kade, don’t. I’m talking to Dad.” Nash is taking his job very seriously.
“But I can too, you aren’t the boss of me,” Kade replies, and I know where this is about to head very quickly.
I’m telling myself in my head to stay calm, just breathe.
I sound like I do when I talk to Poppy if she’s upset.
But this time its for me to try and contain my rage, so I don’t alert the boys how angry I am, but I’m not as successful as I would’ve liked.
Especially since I’ve already sworn loudly through the phone, I’m not sure there was any going back from that reaction.
At the same time, I’m driving like a maniac and swerving in and out of the traffic, blowing through a yellow light that was probably red by the time I’d finished going through the intersection.
“Boys!” I bark at them. “Stop. Now.”
There’s silence on the other end of the phone.
“Nash, where’s Granny B?” I ask quickly.
“Picking up the pizza,” he replies.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. That’s why Poppy told him to call me.
“Where’s Poppy?” I’m trying to paint a picture of what’s going on there.
“At the front door with that lady Tessa that looks like her,” Nash says, and then Kade’s voice follows straight away.
“But older and with wrinkles.” He laughs, thinking he’s funny.
“Dad, the lady said she was Poppy’s mom, but she’s not. Granny B is Poppy’s mom. Why would she lie?” Nash now sounds like he’s getting a little upset. I can hear the worry in his voice.
And that’s why I’m feeling this strange panic about trying to get home quickly.
Not only do I have a bad feeling about a woman I haven’t even met who has just ambushed Poppy, but now I’m pissed because Tessa has pulled my kids into this mess too.
There’s a feeling in my chest that I need to be there to protect my whole family from a stranger.
That just cements what I already knew: Poppy is part of my family now too.
Not that it’s any surprise, because I’ve known for a long time that she’s mine to protect.
The more it races through my head, I realize I’m not just pissed, I’m fucking livid!
“It’s okay, boys, I’ll be there in a few minutes. Dad will sort this out.” Shit, I need to warn Mrs. B before she arrives home and gets the shock of her life too.
“I want you to stay where you are and be really quiet, okay? I need to hang up, but I promise I’ll be there any minute now.
” I’m struggling to keep my voice at a calm level for them.
I can imagine how confused they are, which will be making Nash scared.
Kade’s never this quiet, so that makes me worry even more.
“Okay, Dad. We’ll be good. We promise, don’t we, Kade.” Nash is trying to be the brave big brother.
“Yes, I’ll be good. But can I go see Poppy?” Kade asks.
“No!” I yell at the same time as Nash replies.
“No, silly. Dad and Poppy said we need to stay here,” Nash tells him but much quieter than I did.
“That’s right, Kade. Sit still and don’t move until I get there. I’ll be home soon. I’m hanging up now. Do as you’re told.” I’m running out of time to reach Mrs. B before she arrives home, and is ambushed by Tessa’s arrival too. I hit the end call button on the screen.
“Call Mrs. B.” The boys made me change her name in my phone a long time ago. It made sense because I never call her by her full name.
She answers with her usual happy demeanor. “Landon, sorry, I’m out getting pizza if you want to talk to the boys.”
“Tessa’s at your house, the boys called me. I’m two streets away.” I get straight to the point because I’m running out of time.
“Oh, crap,” she replies, and that’s the equivalent of the word fuck for Mrs. B.
“I’m coming.” The phone goes dead, which worries me that she’ll panic and get behind the wheel to get to Poppy, putting herself in danger.
That’s why I didn’t tell her about Nash telling me Poppy looked scared.
I don’t know what’s making her scared, but I know she’ll be worrying about the boys more than herself, so hearing Nash say those words has certainly sent me into a panic.
I’m at the point now where I’m so over getting unexpected phone calls that send me spiraling about the unknown.
I’m picturing the last time I saw my parents.
They turned up at my apartment, and when I opened the door, they were high as a kite with a knife, demanding I give them money.
Rambling about how I owed them, because they brought me into this world.
Is that what’s going on with Tessa, is she at the house trying to get something from Poppy before we get the results back?
My past life won’t let me think that this is an innocent visit, and I could be totally overreacting, but I’m not prepared to take the risk.
“Fucccccckkkkkk!” I scream as loud as I can in my car, ramming the palm of my hand into the steering wheel. The pain jars up my arm, but I don’t give a shit. I ignore the radiating pain as I put my hand back on the wheel, needing it to turn the corner at high speed into our street.
POPPY
“Oh.” Tessa gasps as she raises her hands to her mouth. I can see tears running down her face.
Surprisingly my eyes are completely dry, and I’m too angry to become that emotional.
I don’t really understand it, because I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment, but the way she turned up here and totally threw me has wrecked this moment that I’d imagined would feel so special.
Maybe that’s why I can’t seem to find a tear to cry, and that makes me so sad and confused.
“You’re beautiful, look at you.” Her hands move out wide in front of her as she continues taking in the sight of me. “Even when I was your age, I never looked as gorgeous as you do.”
I don’t want to hear that from her right now. I don’t know how to take compliments from her about how similar we look. I already feel weird meeting her for the first time, and trying to process how alike we look.
“How did you find me?” I demand as I stop just inside the door, where we’re close enough without her having the chance to touch me.
“I’m sorry, Poppy, I just couldn’t wait.
I followed you from the firehouse yesterday.
” The tears are still falling on her cheeks, but she looks so happy to be talking to me.
The little girl inside me wishes I could feel the same, but being in such shock of her being here, following me home, I just can’t feel that happiness.
“How do you know my name?” I trust Sully. He told me yesterday he didn’t give her any of my details.
“The little boys told me. It’s a pretty name. Suits you. Are they yours, the boys? Oh, my word, am I a grandmother?” She starts bouncing up and down a little on the balls of her feet, getting excited, but I cut her off straight away.