Chapter 19
Henley
Meeting the Parents & Harsh Truths
“Sorry, Mom. I was sicker than a dog and have other things going on right now.” Elodie’s voice rings out from the kitchen as I enter the house.
It’s Friday night and the first day I’ve been back at work all week.
Elodie was finally feeling like herself, so I left feeling confident that she could survive the day with Remy so I could get caught up with my business.
Unfortunately, it sounds like she’s getting an earful from her mom right now.
“I just don’t understand why you couldn’t answer the phone,” her mother says. As I round the corner, I see Elodie staring down at her phone propped up on the kitchen counter as she sways side to side with Remy on her hip. Her eyes lift to meet mine, rolling before she mouths “hello” to me.
“I literally didn’t get out of bed for three days, Mom.”
“Who was taking care of the baby then?”
“That would be me,” I say, stepping into the camera’s view, waving at the woman on the screen who looks just like an older version of the woman standing next to me. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olsen. I’m Henley Clark.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, uh…hello there.”
“Elodie had the flu. I can attest to that myself.”
“See?” Elodie says. “I wasn’t ignoring you.”
“Well, still. You could have answered my texts.”
“I would have but I don’t have an answer for you about Thanksgiving. I just need to get through tomorrow, then I’ll be able to think.”
“What’s tomorrow?”
Elodie darts her eyes toward me and then back to her mom. “I’m, uh…performing at the Hart Winery for their last Concert in the Courtyard.”
“Really?” Her mom’s voice rises an entire octave.
“Yes.”
“Are they paying you?”
“Well, no…”
Her mom lets out a heavy sigh. “Elodie Anne,” she starts just as her father comes onto the screen now.
“Hey pumpkin,” he says then darts his eyes to me. “You must be the boss.”
“Yes, sir. Henley Clark. Nice to meet you.”
His response is a grunt as he turns his attention back to his daughter. “I think it’s time for you to come home, Elodie.”
“I’m twenty-five, Dad.”
“Exactly. You should have a career by now, or at least be married and working on a family.”
I can see the emotion on Elodie’s face that she’s trying to keep at bay. “Glad to know that’s all you think women are good for.”
“You know what I mean. Music is a hobby, pumpkin. That’s what your mom and I have been trying to tell you…”
“Have you even seen her perform?” I interject. I can’t stand here and listen to them speak to her like she’s a child who doesn’t know how to make her own decisions.
“Of course we have,” her father replies. “Do you know how many talent shows her mom sat through?”
“So you weren’t there then?” I counter. “Makes sense.” Grinding my teeth together, I widen my stance and cross my arms. “Look, I know that we don’t know each other, but I’m not one who ever sought out to impress a girl’s parents, so I’m going to be frank.
” I lean closer to the phone and lower my voice.
“Your daughter is talented, like jaw-droppingly amazing and hearing the way you dismiss her aspirations makes me think I prefer absent parents to the lack of support you show her.”
“Henley,” Elodie gasps beside me, but I continue.
“Maybe if you would stop trying to force your ideas on your daughter of what you think her life should be like, you might realize timing is everything. That’s certainly something she’s taught me.”
“Are you done?” her father clips.
“Not even. I’ll have you know that getting to know your daughter over the past three months has made me a better man, and if you think her chasing music is a waste of her time, then I invite you to her performance tomorrow where you can see for yourselves how incredible she is.”
“I have to work,” her father replies.
“Of course you do.” My eyes dart to her mom. “What about you?”
“Well, I, uh…”
Elodie reaches for my arm. “Henley, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. It’s bullshit that they don’t support you.”
“I’m used to it.”
“We support you, sweetie,” her mother interjects.
“Then come to her performance tomorrow,” I reply.
“I’ll—I’ll think about it.” Her mother’s voice is low, but it’s loud enough that Elodie is surprised by her response.
“Really?”
“Yes, but only if you promise to come to Thanksgiving.”
“Wow, blackmail at its finest.” Elodie rolls her eyes and adjusts Remy on her hip. “Fine. I’ll be home for Thanksgiving.”
“Susan! Wheel of Fortune is about to start and I need a beer!” Elodie’s father’s voice booms through the background.
“I’ve got to go,” her mom says.
“Okay. See you tomorrow then?” Elodie asks.
“Uh huh.” And then her mom ends the call.
Elodie stares down at the phone, processing the end button before she finally lifts her eyes to mine. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“I can’t believe you let them talk to you that way. I know damn well you’ve given me more sass for less.”
“Well, they’re my parents.”
“Doesn’t matter. You don’t deserve to be spoken to that way,” I say, pulling her into me by her hips.
Her reply comes out as a whisper. “Thank you for sticking up for me.”
I cup the side of her face. “Thank you for letting me.” And thank you for changing my life.
We stand there, our eyes bouncing back and forth before she presses up on her toes and kisses me softly.
And in the back of my mind, I admit what I already know: she might have changed my life, but if I ask her to stay, I’d be just as bad as her parents for asking her to change what she’s always wanted for hers.
***
“Her parents really said that?” Fletcher asks as Rhonan shuffles the deck of cards.
“Yeah. I swear, I’ve never wanted to cuss out a grown man and woman before, but I came really fucking close.”
Elliot scoffs. “Trust me, it’s not as satisfying as you’d think.”
“Speaking from experience?” Rhonan asks as he begins dealing the cards. It’s Friday night, and since Fletcher’s team played last night, he came home for the rest of the weekend to be with Laney and see Elodie perform. Which is why we decided to sneak in a blackjack night.
“I may have left a few choice words on Tori’s voicemail.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, well, seeing as how these people are Elodie’s parents, I’m not sure I made the best impression even with the little restraint I exercised.”
Elliot takes a chip and slides it toward the center of the table, placing his bet. The rest of us follow suit. “Speaking of parents, I have those papers ready for your daughter’s egg donor to sign.”
“That’s awesome. Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Just let me know when you’re free to meet with Meghan, and I’ll have my paralegal set it up. Unless you want to call her yourself?”
“The sooner the better. Just give me a time and I’ll be there.”
I shake my head. “No, I’d rather all communication go through your office just in case. Just find a time that works for Meghan, and I’ll be there. The sooner I get legal custody, the better.”
Elliot nods. “Got it. You need another card?” He flicks his chin in the direction of Fletcher.
“Yeah, hit me.” Rhonan flips over a five, which brings Fletcher’s total to twenty. “Hell yeah.” Elliot chooses to stay with his hand totaling eighteen, and I only have twelve, so I ask for a hit and end up busting with twenty-two when Rhonan flips over a ten.
“Shit.”
“Never can be sure with twelve,” Rhonan says as he flips over his second card and reveals that his hand totals twenty-one.
“Mother fucker,” Fletcher says, grumbling as Rhonan takes the chips from all of us. “Anyway…do you think Elodie’s parents will show up tomorrow?” he asks, redirecting the conversation back to my issue.
“I honestly don’t know. Her dad said that he had to work, but her mom made it sound like she’d be there.”
“What if she doesn’t show?” Rhonan asks.
I push a hand through my hair and lift my soda to my lips since I still haven’t touched alcohol since the night out with Warren. “I think as long as we’re all there, Elodie will be okay. Truth be told, we’ve given her more support in a few months than her parents have her whole damn life.”
“So does this mean she’s still planning on leaving before Christmas?” Rhonan asks as he passes the cards to Fletcher to deal next.
“I don’t know, and part of me doesn’t even want to fucking ask.”
Fletcher slaps me on the shoulder. “Dude…”
“I know, but…”
“Do you want her to stay?” he asks.
Yes, my mind says, but my mouth says otherwise. “I—I don’t know what I want. All I know is that I have feelings for the woman I hired to be my nanny but has turned into so much more than that, and I don’t know what to fucking do about it.”
Rhonan clears his throat. “Crazy hearing you admit that, man.”
“Does that mean the shit-talking is about to begin?”
Rhonan shakes his head. “No. In fact, I was just going to say that hearing you say that out loud shows how much you’ve changed in the past three months.
I’m—I’m fucking impressed. You took your role as a father seriously from the start, Henley.
” With a dip of his chin, he continues. “That first night you went home with Remy to now? Look at how far you’ve come.
It’s not easy raising a child on your own. Trust me, I know.”
“Well, none of my confidence and skills would exist without Elodie.”
Fletcher shuffles the cards. “Then ask her to stay.”
“And what if she says no?” I counter. “I’ll be right back where I’ve always been—alone.”
Elliot throws his hands in the air. “Then who the fuck are we?”
“You know what I mean,” I say, twisting to face him, but he cuts me off before I can continue.
“No, I don’t. In fact, the three of you are the people I can depend on to be there more than anyone. Did I read that wrong? Is it just me who feels that way?” he says, looking to Rhonan and Fletcher.
“You don’t get it,” I argue before they can chime in.
“No, you don’t.” Elliot’s jaw tightens. “I’ve been going through the shittiest time of my life, Henley, and I know I’ve been an asshole. But I also know that you three will be there no matter how ugly it gets.”
“You still have your family, though,” I reply. “My family is Dilynne.”
“What about Carol and Nick?” Fletcher adds. “Pretty sure they’ve been better parents to you than your own.”
“Yeah, out of obligation. And if I ask Elodie to stay, I’m afraid she’ll either stay because she feels obligated or leave because I forced her hand. I don’t want her to make the decision because I asked her to. I want her to make the best decision for herself.”
Rhonan furrows his brow. “Do you honestly think that Carol and Nick have stayed in your life out of obligation? When you wrote that letter to the deputy district attorney, asking for you and Dilynne to stay in their care until you both turned eighteen, you know they did that by choice, right? Because they love you.”
“It’s not real love,” I blurt before I can stop myself.
My three best friends stare back at me, bewildered.
“Holy shit,” Fletcher says. “That’s what you think?”
“It’s what I know,” I grate out, pointing a finger to the felt under my hands as I clench my jaw. “And I made peace with it a long time ago.”
Rhonan scoffs. “Wow, Henley. Jesus, I never realized you were so fucking clueless.”
Fletcher glares at me. “You still haven’t said it back to them, huh?”
“Who?” My blood pressure is rising the longer this conversation continues, especially because I can feel my insecurities about Elodie lurking in the background to join the party.
Let’s just air all of my fears tonight, shall we?
“Carol and Nick,” Fletcher finishes, leaving me silent.
Our eyes remain locked until a puff of air bursts from his lips.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He leans toward me with narrowed eyes, and I brace for what he’s about to say.
Sadly, no preparation could make it sting any less.
“You ran the first time Nick said it to you, tried to fucking cheat death so that you could ignore how it made you feel, and you’ve been running from it ever since. ”
I pound my fist into the table, chips scattering to the floor. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! And besides, you’re one to fucking talk, Fletch.”
He moves his face even closer to mine. “No, I’m the one that has every right to call you on your shit because I did the same fucking thing, Henley.
I ran from this town to escape my father, and guess what?
It still caught up with me. And if you don’t face this lie you’ve been feeding yourself that you don’t deserve to be loved, it doesn’t matter if Elodie chooses to stay or not, you’re going to fuck it up anyway.
Because that’s what you’ll let yourself believe—that you don’t deserve her.
” He sizes me up, a look of disgust gracing his features.
“And right now? I’d have to agree. You haven’t earned her, Henley.
She deserves a man who is willing to face his past to give her a future. ”
I stand from the table and slam my glass down on it. “You know what? Fuck this. I’m going home.”
“She’ll never stay for you if you don’t think you’re worth staying for!” Fletcher yells after me as I storm out of Elliot’s house. I stomp out to my truck and drive home with a grip on the steering wheel so tight it feels like I’m trying to strangle the damn thing.
But deep down, I know Fletcher’s right.
I’ll never be enough for her if I can’t believe I am.
My parents fucked me up far worse than just abandoning me at a young age.
They stripped me of my self-worth and made me doubt that I could ever be enough for anyone.
And Elodie deserves a man who knows his own worth and hers. Turns out I’m not that man, and I don’t know if I ever will be.