Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Maren
It’s Monday afternoon, and there’s a knock at my front door. I know it’s not Dad, since he would go to the back entrance, and I assume if it were Camden, he’d do the same.
I haven’t heard from him since we parted ways post-sledding. I wanted to call him, to invite him over for pizza or something as a thank you for such a great time. But that’s not really appropriate. I need to follow his lead, and right now, that lead offers no communication.
So when I glance through the peephole and see Linda Miller standing there, to say I’m shocked would be an understatement. At first, fear rips through my entire being. Did something happen to Camden? I’m almost afraid to open the door, afraid to hear what she has to say.
But I do it anyway. Releasing the locks, I pull open the door and come face-to-face with Camden’s mom, a woman I haven’t seen in over seven years. “Hi.”
Her smile is familiar and friendly. “Hello, Maren. I’m so sorry to just drop by without calling first, but I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d take a chance you’d be home.”
I step back, opening the door widely. “Please, come in.”
She steps inside and promptly removes her slip-on boots, placing them beside the door, and then her coat, draping it over the arm of my chair. Then, she smiles once more, stepping forward and pulling me into a warm, familiar hug. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you,” I reply, returning the gesture and hanging on a few moments longer than normal.
When she pulls back, she looks me over from head to toe once more and gently shakes her head with a smile on her lips. “It’s so good to see you.”
Tears prickle my eyes and my throat is suddenly thick. “Good to see you too.” Clearing my throat, I add, “Would you like to sit?”
She nods, taking a seat on the couch. “If I’m not interrupting something.”
“Oh, no. I was just unpacking another box. This is a welcome reprieve,” I tell her, joining her on the couch.
“Well, we’ll consider it a good thing then that I just dropped by unannounced,” she states with a chuckle.
I can’t help but grin. “It is a good thing. It’s good to see you,” I state once more, knowing I’m repeating myself. But it’s true.
“How does it feel to be home?” she asks.
I glance around. “Well, it feels right, actually.” Clearing my throat, I add, “It was time. I wanted Theo to have a yard and I know how great it is to live in a small town.”
“Is he here?”
“He’s napping. Right now, the salon isn’t open on Mondays, so moving forward, I’ll keep him home with me. Otherwise, he’ll go to daycare at Little Learners.”
She smiles. “Ellen’s a true gem, isn’t she?”
“She is. I was so excited to hear she’s still running it.”
“I don’t think Ellen will ever retire,” she replies with a chuckle. “I see your dad every now and again. He’s excited to have you back in town.”
I glance down at my hands. “He is.” I swallow hard. “I wish we hadn’t lost so much time.”
She reaches over and places her hand on top of mine. “You’re here now. You can’t change the past, so focus on today.”
It feels like her words aren’t just about my dad but perhaps directed toward her son too.
“I’m trying,” I reply softly.
“How’s your mom?” she asks, and once again, I look down.
“Umm, she’s okay.” Feeling her eyes on me, I meet her gaze, and add, “I haven’t talked to her much since I moved here.”
Linda doesn’t reply, just sits there and waits with a listening ear, and for the first time, I want to purge all the crap with my mom.
Dad knows a little, but I intentionally only shared a few highlights that truly pertained to him and what happened, both more than seven years ago and over the last few months.
Why? Because he was owed a huge apology for my part in our strained relationship.
Not to mention, I didn’t want to be like my mom, openly complaining about the other parent all the time, as if that’s appropriate.
I exhale. “She was upset when she found out I had been communicating with Dad. She didn’t want that, and I just couldn’t understand why.
She felt everything that was wrong between her and Dad’s marriage was supposed to continue driving a wedge between my relationship with him.
He was a really good dad, and I’m embarrassed to admit I let her project her feelings for him onto me for too long. ”
Again, she reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You were a child, Maren. Give yourself some grace. You’re making up for it now and moving forward.”
I nod and sniffle, not realizing I had a few tears slip from my eyes.
“Mommy!”
I turn toward the hallway just as Theo comes running out from his bedroom.
“I wakedid up,” he announces, running over to where I sit and leaning into me. “Who dat?”
“This is my friend, Mrs. Miller.”
Our guest grins widely. “You can call me Linda.”
“Hi, Winda. I gots to potty.”
Linda chuckles, while I quickly stand up to escort Theo to the bathroom. “Let’s go.”
He does his thing quickly, because he’s anxious to get back out to the living room and find out more about our guest. “Weady,” he tells me after washing his hands and jumping down from the stool I keep in front of the sink.
“Hi, Miss Winda,” he says, running back to where she sits. “You wike Bwuey?”
“I love it,” she confirms with a wink sent toward me.
“Mommy, we watch Bwuey?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Miss Linda and I might go in the kitchen so we can chat a little though.”
“’Kay,” he agrees, moving to his small chair.
I get him settled with an episode of Bluey and wave to Linda. “Join me in the kitchen?”
She follows me and takes a seat at the small kitchenette table. “He’s a doll.”
I can’t help but smile. “He’s a great boy. We’ve learned a lot together,” I tell her, pulling a pitcher of lemonade out of the fridge, as well as the jug of apple juice.
“You’ve done great, Maren,” she replies.
I look her way, wanting to ask how she knows that, because there have been plenty of times over the years when I felt like I was failing miserably.
Being a single mom wasn’t on my bingo card, that’s for sure.
But through the tough times, the tears, and the struggles, there was so much love it makes my heart soar.
We learned together from day one, and even with the good and bad, I wouldn’t change a single moment.
“Thank you,” I finally reply.
We spend the next thirty minutes catching up.
I don’t ask, but she openly provides info about Camden and his siblings, though what she tells about my neighbor is pretty vague.
What I do know is she’s absolutely in adoration with her new granddaughter.
June is three weeks old, and after Linda leaves my place, she’s going over to spend a few minutes with her granddaughter and make dinner for her daughter and boyfriend.
I remember Quinn well. He was always with Camden, and in many cases, with me too.
Before I started dating Cam, he was his sidekick, and after we started our relationship, we were The Three Amigos.
When I left town, I left Quinn too. I had other friends, of course, a few I kept in contact with when I left Cooper Town, but when it came to Quinn, I left him behind too and hate that I cowardly didn’t say goodbye in person.
“I’m so happy for them,” I tell her.
“They make such a wonderful couple and even better parents.”
I glance down and whisper, “Honestly, I’m not surprised. He always had the biggest crush on her in high school.”
“Oh, don’t I know it,” Linda replies with a chuckle. “Even when he was a young boy and had no clue what love really was, he looked at her like she hung the moon and all the stars.”
“And she wasn’t a fan,” I recall. The five-year age difference was always a big deal back then.
When she was in high school and into boys, Quinn was just too young.
And then when he was finally old enough later in high school, she looked at him as more of a nuisance than anything else.
“Those two used to be able to push each other’s buttons like no other. ”
“Oh, they still do,” she agrees with a hearty laugh. “But now, it’s just foreplay.”
I feel my cheeks heat up. I’ve never heard Mrs. Miller say anything like that, and all she said was a single word. Clearing my throat, my eyes automatically turn to my side, right out the window facing my neighbor’s property.
“He missed you a lot.”
I return my attention to Camden’s mom. “I missed him too.”
“I can’t tell you what to do about all that, but I can recommend you just follow your heart.”
I swallow hard and nod, unable to find the words I need to reply.
“If you don’t mind me getting a little nosy, can I ask about Theo’s father?”
I exhale and relax a bit. This is a topic I can discuss without feeling like my heart is going to leap from my chest. “His name was Steven, and we hadn’t been dating very long.
About five months or so, when I found out I was pregnant.
When I told him, he informed me he didn’t want to be a dad.
He handed me a thousand bucks and walked away. ”
I can see her emotions on her face. It’s a combination of annoyance, anger, and disappointment, all on our behalf. “Well, as difficult as I’m sure it was for you in the last few years, it’s probably best he walked away when he did. It doesn’t sound like he was father material, if you ask me.”
“Well, I agree with you, Linda.”
She finishes her lemonade and stands. “I should get going. Thank you for opening up your new home and welcoming me inside.” She steps forward and wraps her arms around me as soon as I stand too.
“Thank you so much for the jam. I hope you stop by again,” I whisper, referring to the jar I received from her husband.
“You’re very welcome, and yes, I will, honey,” she murmurs. “And don’t you be a stranger either. You’re welcome anytime.” She grins as she adds, “Especially with that adorable little boy. I think Ty would get the biggest kick out of him.” Ty is her husband, Tyson.
“I’ll try to stop by soon and introduce them.”
“Do that,” she replies before we turn and head for the living room.
“Theo, Miss Linda is leaving.”