20. Chapter 20
On my way to Mom and Dad’s, I stop at the coffee shop and pick up some chocolate croissants. They’re Holly’s favorite.
I sit down with a cup of coffee while Holly gets ready and chat with my parents. I let them know I’m buying a condo in Boston.
After Holly eats a croissant and drinks some milk, she wipes her mouth with a napkin and takes her plate and cup to the sink.
“Princess, it’s time for us to go. Go get your coat and backpack from the bedroom.”
When she’s out of earshot, I turn to Mom and Dad and say, “I’m thinking about asking Loren Linder out on a date.”
Their smiles say it all.
“You won’t get any argument from us, Son,” says Dad.
“She’s a lovely young woman,” says Mom, “We really like her.”
Holly returns wearing her coat with her backpack flung over one shoulder and the plate she made at Loren’s studio in her hand. She hands it to me, and when I look at it, I feel a lump forming in my throat. My daughter is enamored with Loren.
“Is this you and Loren?” I ask her, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, Daddy. Do you like it?”
“I love it! Where are you going to put it?”
“I’ll put it next to the last one I made. Do you remember that one, Daddy?”
“The one by our front door? I think that’ll be a perfect spot for it.”
I look up at my parents, who give me a knowing glance. They know what I’m thinking without me having to say a word. If things go south between Loren and me, Holly would be the most affected. I’ve got to be careful.
I take Holly to school, and before I kiss her goodbye, I ask her, “Holly, how would you feel about me asking Loren to join us for dinner one of these days?”
“Is she your girlfriend, Daddy?”
“No, Sweetheart, Loren and I are just friends. The three of us are good friends, so we might go out to eat together. Do you understand?”
“I do, Daddy. She’s our girl friend.” The long pause between girl and friend tells me she understands.
When I walk into Linder and Morgan, I head straight for Adam’s office. He’s not there, so I turn the corner and ask his secretary, Lydia if he’s coming in today.
“He’ll be in after ten,” she says.
I go into my office and start making phone calls, answering e-mails, and dictating correspondence. At five minutes to ten, I hear Adam’s familiar footsteps coming down the hall. He stops in his office and puts his briefcase down before heading to the break room to pour himself a cup of coffee. Then he comes into my office to say good morning. Our usual routine is still intact.
“Want more coffee?” he asks, lifting his cup to me as if to say, “Cheers.”
“No, thank you,” I say, “I’ve already had two.”
He takes the seat closest to my desk, and we spend almost two hours discussing business. I let him know about the condo I’m buying in Boston.
“I had been considering the same move,” he says, “But I’ve been on the fence about such a big investment. Especially since I’m trying to cut back on traveling now that Jon is here.”
“That’s understandable,” I say, “I don’t mind taking care of all business requiring travel going forward.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that,” he says.
“Speaking of family, Adam,” I begin, “I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s that?” he asks, focusing his full attention on me when he hears the tone in my voice.
“I want to ask Loren out on a date,” I pause to gauge his reaction.
“Okay, well, as long as she wants to date you, I’m on board.”
“Adam, I was honestly expecting some pushback. Especially after our last conversation.”
“I spoke to Katie,” he says, “Loren was visiting her and the baby when Christina and Peter were there with Holly. Your name came up, and from Loren’s reaction, Katie immediately knew something was up. Between that and Tori’s little song and dance, well, we knew it was just a matter of time.”
“You don’t mind that I’m older than her and have a child?” I ask.
“I love Loren like a sister, you know that. You’re my brother, and I know the type of man you are. I know you can make each other happy. I’m sure Jon and Sharon feel the same way.”
“I hope so.”
“After a few dates, you two should know whether or not you get along and mesh well together. For lack of a better word.”
“Oh, we mesh,” I say, forgetting that while I’m talking to my brother, he also sees her like a sister.
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” he says, smiling, “Just remember who she is and what she’s been through. Don’t hurt her.”
“I would never hurt her. I think we can be good for each other because we understand what we’ve both been through.”
“And Holly?” he asks.
“Holly has been told that Loren and I are friends. I think we’ll leave it at that for the time being.”
“Good plan,” he says, looking at his watch, “Are you ready for lunch?”
After lunch, Adam returns to the office, and I pick up Holly from school. After being gone for a week, I plan to spend extra time with her.
“How would you like to go see a movie with me?”
“Right now?” she asks.
“Yes, right now. We can grab a pizza afterward. Would you like that?”
“Yes! We’re going on a daddy-daughter date.”
“We haven’t had a special day for just the two of us since we moved back to New York.”
“Daddy, can Loren come with us?”
“Then it wouldn’t be a daddy-daughter date.”
I can almost see her wheels turning as she considers the two choices.
“Okay, but can we invite Loren to come with us next time? Please, Daddy.”
“We’ll call her tonight and see if she wants to go out with us tomorrow.”
We go to the show and watch the latest animated movie. Holly has popcorn and soda. It’s the only time I allow her to have a sugary, caffeinated drink. She’ll bounce off the walls later, but it’s worth it. She’s having fun. It’s all that matters.
By the time Holly was old enough to sit through a movie, Julie was already too sick to sit through one herself. They never got to enjoy a moment like this. We would have movie nights in the room with Julie. Holly has always loved Wizard of Oz, and we would watch it almost every day when Julie could no longer get out of bed except to bathe, use the bathroom, and attend doctors’ appointments.
As soon as we walk in the door, Holly reminds me about Loren.
“Daddy, are you going to call Loren now?”
“I’ll call her right after you go to bed.”
“Okay, can I go to bed now?”
“You still need to take a bath and brush your teeth. You had a lot of sugar tonight.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she says, smiling.
As soon as she climbs into bed an hour later, she reminds me again.
“I’ll call her right now, but you have to go to sleep.”
“Okay, good night, Daddy. I love you.”
“Good night, Princess. I love you too.”
I turn the light off in her room and walk into my bedroom next door. I open the top drawer of my dresser, where I keep some documents and my wallet. I slip my wedding band off my finger and place it in the corner of the drawer. Then I pick up the phone, and I call Loren.
She picks up on the first ring, “Hi, Aaron,” she says.
“Hi, Loren. Holly and I were wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with us tomorrow night.”
There’s a long pause. “Loren, are you there?”
“I’m here. I’m sorry, Aaron, I’m not available tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I say, “How about Sunday night?”
“I’m sorry. I’m just not going to be available anytime soon. Things have gotten hectic at the studio. I have to train Sam, and I’m planning a trip with my parents, so I’m just not going to have a lot of free time on my hands. I hope you understand.”
“Loren, is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. I have a lot going on right now.”
“Did something happen last night after I left?”
“No, nothing happened. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“Okay, I’m sorry to have bothered you. Have a good night.”
‘Good night,” she says, her tone cool and distant.
I end the call, wondering what the hell just happened.