Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
AARON
“Ican’t believe you’re already leaving me,” Vi said with a dramatic sigh as she flopped onto Aaron’s bed.
He chuckled, glad they seemed to be back to normal. “It’s just a few days.”
“So, Mel’s really thinking about moving to England?” She sat up and crossed her legs beneath her. “That’s crazy.”
He grabbed a couple more T-shirts from his dresser. “I guess. Lars is a fucking mess. He’s terrified she’s going to go and try to take the girls with her.”
Vi grabbed the pile of shirts he’d tossed into his open suitcase atop his jeans and sweats. Rolling her eyes, she began folding them and setting them in nicely.
“You should’ve seen him last night.” Seeing his friend that frazzled, that close to a full meltdown, had broken his heart.
Lars was one of the kindest men he knew.
He loved his family more than anything in the world, and Aaron knew just how much this was tearing him apart.
“He’s a wreck, Vi. If I can help take some of that stress, I have to try. ”
“So, you’re going to play house.” She nodded, putting the rest of the now-folded shirts in his luggage.
He let out a little half. “It’s not that big of a deal. I lived there after the wedding fiasco for almost four months.”
“When Mel and Lars were both there. This is different.”
His brow furrowed. “How is this different? I’m staying in the guest room to help out with the girls.”
“So that your best friend isn’t overwhelmed and struggling alone.”
“Yeah?” Aaron tossed a handful of boxer briefs and socks into the suitcase. “I still don’t understand what you’re getting at. I’d do the same for any of my friends.”
She made some noncommittal noise. He didn’t have time for these riddles though. He’d told Lars he would pick up Chloe from preschool and Allie from kindergarten on his way there. Putting the toiletry bag he’d already packed into the luggage, he zipped it up.
Aaron hooked his laptop bag over his shoulder from where it sat on the floor before pulling the suitcase off of the bed. He rolled it toward the bedroom door, and Vi followed. Stopping before reaching the hallway, he turned to face her with a sigh. “Just say it.”
“Nothing, really. I’m not saying anything.” Her smirk told him otherwise.
Giving her a one-armed hug, he said, “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
“Uh huh.” As he headed toward the living room, she added, “Have fun playing house with your boyfriend!”
He froze mid-step. Brow furrowed, he whipped around. Was that what she was getting at? “Why would you think that?”
Arms crossed, she leaned against the corner of the hallway that opened up to the living room.
“Why would I think you, a man who’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, whom I’ve known since birth and recently came out to me, might be falling for your best friend?
The person you arguably care for more than anyone? Yeah, absurd.”
Aaron opened his mouth to argue, but he didn’t know how. She was right; Lars was the closest person in his life. The only people cared for more… were the man’s three daughters.
“Oh shit.” Vi straightened and shook her head. “Nope, forget I said that. Don’t go into bi-panic mode and overthink this.” She moved closer. “I was just teasing you.”
“But you think it’s possible,” he said in a hushed voice. “Why else would you say it?”
“Because I like stirring up drama? I don’t know. Please just forget it.”
Aaron nodded, but how was he supposed to forget that? “I’ll see you later.” He opened the door and stilled. “Oh, hi.”
A young girl who looked maybe eight or nine stood just outside, fist raised like she’d been about to knock. She stared at him in shock.
Searching behind her for a sign of a parent or literally anyone else, he asked, “Can we help you?”
Vi joined him, telling her hello too.
The girl slowly lowered her hand. “Are… are you Aaron Barnes?”
“I am,” he said, forehead creasing in confusion.
After a second of hesitation, she raised her chin a fraction. “I’m Brianna—Bri…” She visibly swallowed. “Your sister.”
“Sweetheart, how’d you get here?” Charlie asked, sitting on the couch beside Bri. Unsure what to do, Aaron had called his brother. Aiden and Charlie came right over with Harper. They’d shut down the whole damn shop to get here quickly.
“My friend’s sister,” she said with a shrug. “She works at the diner, so I asked if she’d drop me off.”
Aaron’s head still couldn’t make sense of this. He stood leaning against the opposite wall next to Aiden. “But… I’ve only lived here a few days. How’d you know where to find me?”
She chewed on her bottom lip, as if nervous. Harper stepped closer and knelt. “It’s okay; no one’s mad. We’re just confused.”
Bri nodded and looked at Aaron. “I heard Dad talking to some woman on speakerphone. She was telling him that you moved, and she gave him your address because she wants him to come see you to tell you what’s going on, but… he said he couldn’t, so I…”
“So, you came to find him yourself?” Harper asked when she didn’t go on.
Aaron’s jaw clenched. He glanced at his phone again.
He didn’t have time for this, whatever it was.
It didn’t matter what she was here to tell them; he wanted nothing to do with the man who’d left him eighteen years ago.
Shaking his head, he told Aiden, “I have to go pick up the girls. I’m going to be late. ”
Aiden stared at him like he was crazy for leaving right now.
“I told Lars I’d get them from school,” he hissed. “I can’t just not show up.”
With a sigh, Aiden said, “Fine. You’re right. We’ll handle this.”
“Thanks.”
As Aaron headed for the door, Vi asked, “What did the woman want your dad to tell Aaron?”
He paused after pulling open the door just long enough to hear her say, “Dad’s really sick.”
Aaron kept thinking about those words the whole way to Summersville. It was still consuming his mind when he reached the preschool. He pulled up to the front and climbed out just as he heard one of his favorite voices in the world.
“Unc Aaron!” Chloe shouted as he neared the door, her little face peeking through the window. And just like that, the panic faded. She always made him feel better. Her teacher opened the door, and Chloe raced out to him.
He lifted her up and kissed her cheek. “Hey, Little Monster.”
“Where’s Daddy?”
“At work,” he said, stepping inside. This wasn’t the first time he’d picked her up, and he knew her teacher from high school. “Hi, Morgan.”
“Hey. How’s it going?” She held out Chloe’s backpack.
Shifting Chloe to one side, he took the bag and slung it over his other shoulder. “Good. How about you?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Good. Tired,” she added with a chuckle. “These guys have zapped my energy today.”
Aaron looked at Chloe, who just grinned and hugged him around the neck. He squeezed her tightly and said, “Well, let me get this little monster out of your hair.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Chloe,” she said with a smile.
“Bye, Miss Morgan!”
“Come on, let’s go get your sister.” He carried her out to his car and helped her into the car seat Lars had given him last night when they’d ironed out the plan for the next few days. Buckling her in, he rounded to the driver side and climbed in.
“Can we get ice cream?” she asked as he pulled onto the road, heading to the elementary school next.
Aaron couldn’t help but laugh. This girl and her damn ice cream. “Not today. I told your dad we’d come straight home.”
“Aww,” she said, dragging out the groan.
“Maybe this weekend if you’re good.” He got into the pick-up line at the elementary school and slowly made his way to the front. And just like her sister, the moment he got out, Allie ran to him, shouting, “Uncle Aaron!”
She collided with his legs, hugging him around the waist. He grinned and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Then, he lifted her into his arms.
“I thought Daddy was picking me up.”
“We thought it’d be fun to surprise you and Chloe.”
As he helped her into her booster seat, she glanced at his suitcase in the front seat.
But it wasn’t joy on her face when she looked at him again.
Tears lined her eyes, and Aaron realized he understood exactly what people meant about tearing the world apart for their kids.
Because Aaron would destroy it for these girls.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Are you leaving like Mommy?”
His heart shattered. He hadn’t considered she might jump to that conclusion.
Chloe froze in her seat, staring at him with such profound sadness for a three year old.
“Oh, no, I’m not going anywhere,” he said, squeezing Allie’s hand and reaching over to pat her sister’s leg. “I’m just coming to stay with you until Mommy comes home next week.”
Both girls’ eyes widened. It was Allie who asked, “Really?”
“Yes.” He leaned in to kiss her temple. Noticing her teacher approaching, presumably to tell them they needed to get going so other parents could move up, he double checked Allison’s seatbelt then quickly returned to his seat.
As he drove toward the house, he said, “You guys know your mom is coming back next week, right?”
“Yeah,” Chloe said. But when he looked in the rearview mirror, he saw Allie just nod while looking out the window.
“Allison,” he said, wanting her to really hear him.
“I know.”
“Good.” He started some music through his phone once at a stop sign, going to the pop-filled playlist he’d made just for the girls.
Both immediately started singing, Chloe bopping her head back and forth.
He watched her in the mirror for a second as her little feet kicked to the beat.
Her happiness was contagious, melting away his worries.
Or rather, most of them. Bri’s face kept appearing in his mind though.
Was she really his sister? He didn’t want to know about his dad, but if she was his half-sister… Their dad’s actions weren’t her fault.