43. Chapter Forty-Three
Over the next week, I handle all the arrangements. I pay the rent in advance and stock up the food shelves, since Mrs. B will be staying for the entire duration while I’m away. Every day, I try to spend as much time as possible with Alex because the mere thought of being separated from him is unbearable.
Yesterday, I had a conversation with my boss, Nicole, about taking some unpaid time off. However, it didn’t go as I had expected. I think she is still upset with me because I failed to introduce her to Ace or Xander. Unfortunately, this situation has led to my decision to finish my current job by the end of this week. It’s disheartening to know that when I return, I will have the added stress of finding a job.
Earlier today, I got a text from Ace, asking for my address so he could arrange a car to pick me up and take me to the airport. In response, I asked if Xander knew I was coming on the tour. Ace told me that Xander still does not know. I hope they tell him soon because I don”t know how he”ll react when he sees me getting on the plane. I know for a fact that he”ll be pissed.
With just four days remaining until I depart, there’s still a lot of tasks left to complete. I haven’t even begun packing because I still need to buy a new suitcase. The stitching on the zipper of my old one came undone.
While I patiently wait for Alex to put on his socks and shoes, I suddenly hear a knock at the door. I quickly move over, eager to find out who it could be. But as soon as I see Mrs. B, with tears in her eyes and a troubled look, I know something”s wrong.
“What’s happened?” I ask, taking a step back to let her come inside.
“It’s my daughter. I just got a phone call from Simon.”
I’m familiar with Simon, Mrs. B’s son-in-law. She can”t stop talking about how great he is with her daughter and grandkids.
“It’s Sienna. She’s been in a car accident. Simon rang a few minutes ago. He’s booked me a flight out this afternoon.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, stepping forward to give her a hug. “Is she going to be okay?” I ask, taking a step back.
“I’m not sure,” Mrs. B says, lifting her glasses and wiping her eyes. “She hit her head and Simon said they”re gonna operate, so I won”t have more information until I”m there. I’m so sorry, Poppy. I have no idea how long I”ll be gone for.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I reassure her. “Go, be there for your daughter.”
Just then, Alex comes running into the room. “GG,” he says as he approaches.
“Hello sweetheart,” Mrs. B says, with a faint smile, trying to put on a happy face.
“So, what time is your flight?” I ask.
“The flight is at two. I’ll have to pack and leave shortly.”
“I’ll give you a lift to the airport,” I offer, feeling indebted to Mrs. B for everything she has done for us throughout the years.
She reaches out and grasps my hand. “If it’s not too much trouble, I would like that. Again, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for taking care of your family. I completely understand. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help?”
I open the door, allowing her to move out of the apartment. “Just knock on the door when you’re ready to leave.”
“Thank you, dear,” she responds, then heads to her apartment across the hall.
After she shuts her door, I close ours and head back to the table where Alex is engrossed in the puzzle we had started earlier. I suddenly feel trapped, with no escape in sight. The ten grand that Reg gave me has already been spent, and now I have to figure out a way to repay it. But what if they demand the full amount all at once? It’s completely impossible for me to come up with that kind of money. And to make matters worse, I’ve already lost my job. They brought in a new girl last week, and I was the one training her. What the hell am I supposed to do now?
I grab my phone off the table, determined to text Ace to let him know I might not make it if I can”t figure out a solution to my problem. But then Alex comes over and jumps on my lap, so I stop.
“Why was GG crying?” he asks.
“Her daughter was in a car accident today and she’s worried about her.”
”Is she gonna die?” He gives me a stare with those familiar brown eyes.
“I hope not. But don”t ask GG that, okay. It might upset her.”
He nods and goes back to his puzzle.
When Mrs. B knocks, Alex swiftly gets up from my lap and hurries to open the door. I quickly lock my apartment as I step out, taking Mrs. B’s suitcase. She holds Alex’s hand and guides us to the elevator, the two of them chatting along the way.
I hate seeing Mrs. B so upset. On the way to the airport, I saw she was trying to act happy whenever she spoke to Alex.
After saying our goodbye, Alex and I sit, gazing out the glass windows watching the planes take off. Alex just sits there all afternoon, wanting to watch the planes. It”s crazy how something so small can hold his attention for so long. Meanwhile, I”ve been sitting here, attempting to text Ace to tell him I can’t make it, but I keep chickening out and deleting it every time.
The only option I have is to find another babysitter for Alex, and unfortunately, the only person I know is the last person I ever wanted to leave him with. My mother. But I have no choice. Not after I’ve already spent the ten thousand. I have to go to my mother and see if she would be willing to watch her grandson. It might only be for a few days anyway. Mrs. B said that as soon as she has more information she will let me know. It”s possible that Alex will only be at my mom”s for a week, tops, and then Mrs. B might be back.
As I drive to my mom”s house, I’m feeling anxious as I go over the verses in my head, rehearsing the words I will say to her.
It’s been over two years since I last saw her. Since I stopped taking Alex over to see her. I”m not sure how she”ll react when she sees me. And especially when she hears the job is music related.
As I pull up to the curb, a lump forms in my throat as I spot her out the front of the house, tending to the garden. When she turns around and spots my car, I see the shock on her face. Resisting the powerful urge to flee, I turn off the car engine. I take a deep breath and force myself to open the car door. As soon as I get out, I go around the car to open the back passenger door for Alex to get out.
While we head towards the front gate, my mother keeps a close eye on us. The moment we reach the gate, she swiftly removes her gardening gloves and approaches us. Although no one has spoken, I can already feel the tension in the air.
”Hey, Mom,” I say, trying to make things less awkward.
“Hey Poppy, what brings you here?” she asks, glancing down at Alex. “He looks more like his father every day.” I pick up on the tone in her voice.
Under her intense stare, Alex finds refuge behind my legs. I’m tempted to just quit and not bother asking her, but I”ve already spent the ten thousand dollars.
“Can we talk?” I ask, noticing she’s blocking the gate, not allowing us to walk through. Taking a brief pause, she continues to gaze at Alex, before eventually granting us access by opening the gate.
Alex and I move through the gate and wait off to one side.
”Hello Alex,” my mother says with a warm smile as she closes the gate behind us.
”Hi,” Alex”s tiny voice sounds from behind my leg.
Mom moves around us and leads us to the front steps. When she gets to the front door, she takes off her gardening gloves and puts them on the small table on the patio, before she heads into the house.
I close the door behind us and move further into the house. I see that the interior of the house is still the same as before.
“You never said why you were here?” she asks, making her way to the kitchen.
“You won”t believe it, but I”ve got an opportunity to make a huge difference in our lives.”
She walks around to the other side of the kitchen counter as if to put a barrier between us. I try to keep it positive because as soon as I tell her what it is, she’ll be annoyed.
“So, what’s this opportunity?” she asks.
“This is a real chance for me to get us into a house.”
“Okay. So what do you need from me?”
She gets straight to the point. As I look at her and listen to her tone, I notice she has become even more hardened since the last time I saw her.
When I first brought Alex home after he was born, she offered no help whatsoever because he shared the same name as his father. Every day, she kept pestering me to change it, but I wanted their names to be linked. Eventually, she realized that I would not change Alex”s name, so she gave me some help, but it was minimal.
I never want to follow in my mom”s footsteps with how she would avoid talking about my dad. I didn’t want that for Alex. Even though Xander doesn”t care about us, I”ve always been honest with Alex about his dad. Well, at least as much as I can be. I haven”t broken the news that his dad wants nothing to do with him. But he knows who his dad is, and I”ve told him he”s doing something really important. When he”s older, he can ask Xander all the questions he needs. Hopefully, Xander will be interested in meeting him someday.
“I was wondering if you could do me a favor and look after Alex for a few days. The lady who was supposed to watch him had to leave for a family emergency. Hopefully, she”ll be back in a few days.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
I swallow hard as I’m about to drop this bombshell. “I”ve been offered a chance to go to Australia and New Zealand for eight weeks.”
“Eight weeks?”
“Yes,” I respond. “However, Mrs. B, who lives across the hall, is more than willing to take care of Alex for the majority of the time. Unfortunately, her daughter had an accident and she had to leave unexpectedly today.” I realize I’m waffling but I can’t seem to stop. “It’s just for a few days until she returns, and then she’ll be able to stay at the apartment to look after Alex.” I let out a sigh and finally shut my mouth.
“So essentially, you need me now because the person you initially asked is unable to do it at the moment.”
I can”t help but notice the sarcasm in her voice.
“Well, that”s one way to look at it but-.”
“So, why are you heading to the other side of the world?” She cuts me off.
Here we go. I lick my lips, feeling unsure of what to say to her because I know that as soon as she hears this news, it will make her mad. “So, here’s the deal. I’ve been offered a position to join a band on tour,” I finally say.
In an instant, she withdraws into herself. Her face becomes rigid, her body tenses up, and she folds her arms tightly.
“Mom, it’s a great opportunity. I can’t pass it up.”
“How much are they paying you?” I can’t help but notice her snarky tone.
“Once the tour is over, they will pay me two hundred thousand.”
She stays silent for a moment, and I can tell that she is somewhat taken aback by the substantial sum of money. She knows how money can make a difference - she inherited her grandmother’s life savings not long after Alex was born and she quit her job.
“Mom, getting this money means we can finally leave the apartment and move into a house,” I say, trying to emphasize the importance of how things could change for us. “And as you can see-” I don”t even get to finish the sentence because once again she interrupts me.
“So, which band wants you to go on tour and what will you even be doing since you don”t have any skills?”
I hold back my response to her snarky comment, opting to bite my tongue. Thank goodness Alex”s stay will be short and then he can return to the apartment with Mrs. B. For the time being, I prefer to remain silent, as I’m not prepared to engage in a heated argument with her.
“It’s him, isn’t it? That lowlife,” she says when I don’t answer her previous question. “It all makes sense now. He was here two weeks ago. Because who else would offer you something like that.”
“It’s Xander’s band, yes, but he has no clue that the label is paying me to go.”
“So, what will you be doing while you’re there?” she asks. “It’s obvious you’re back with him. Why else would they offer you a position?”
There was no way I could tell her about what happened with Xander’s dad and that I was the only one who could get through to him, because I knew she would only mock it. Anything to do with Xander and she doesn’t listen.
“No Mom. I promise you, it’s not at all what you think. I’m not back with Xander.”
“I still can’t figure out why they’d want you.”
That’s the thing about my mother. She’s never been my biggest supporter.
“So, do you think you could look after Alex for a few days until Mrs. B comes home?”
By now, Alex has moved out from behind my legs and is looking around the room. My mother stares at Alex for a long time before she looks back at me.
“Well, I guess so,” she says. “It”ll be nice finally getting to know my grandchild since you always keep me away.”
I’m about to open my mouth and tell her I never stopped her from seeing him, but I decide against it. Engaging in an argument with her in front of Alex is something I want to avoid.
“So, when do you leave?”
“In three days. And trust me, Mom, I have no desire to be with someone who hasn’t even made an effort to get to know Alex.”
She gazes at me for a moment and then nods as if believing the truth in my words.
”Okay,” she says, glancing at Alex, who stands next to me staring up at her.
”Hey Alex, do you like milkshakes?” she asks, smiling as she moves back around the kitchen cupboard and comes to stand in front of us.
It”s surprising to see her like this because I haven’t seen her smile like that since my dad was around.
Alex looks up at me as if asking for my approval. I nod, giving him the go-ahead.
He moves over and my mother holds her hand out for Alex to take.
I stand there watching as they walk back around the other side of the kitchen counter.
I move onto one of the stools, watching the interaction between my mother and her grandson.
I send Ace a text with the new address for the car to pick me up. My mother’s address. I”ve been spending time with my mom so she and Alex can bond. He”s way more comfortable with her now than when we first came back here. She”s been good with him. The only time she brings up Xander is when she”s talking about how Alex looks.
When we came back the next day, my mom told me she got in touch with a handyman to build a sandpit for Alex in the backyard. She didn”t have to do that, but I”m so thankful. At least Alex will have something to do while I”m gone.
He”s really excited to come to my mom’s today because the sandpit is finally done.
As I wait for the town car to arrive, Alex is happily playing in the sandpit. It”s so great to see him playing outside and what I”m doing for the next eight weeks is all for him, so he can do this every day.
Yesterday I heard from Mrs. B. She was so upset. She rang to tell me that her daughter suffered a stroke during her surgery and she needs to be with her family. And that it could be a few more weeks before she returned. Surprisingly my mother was happy to have Alex for that length of time.
”I”m pretty sure I didn”t forget anything for Alex,” I say, coming out the back door to stand with my mom as she watches Alex play in the sandpit. ”I think I”ll stand over there so I can see when the car arrives.” I move to the side of the yard for a better view of the street.
My mother walks over and waits with me.
“I’m going to call you every night.” When I hear a car pulling up, I quickly turn my head. ”That”s my ride,” I say, moving in to hug my mom. ”Thanks, Mom, for doing this for me,” I say.
I release the hug and notice the driver is already out of the car.
”I”ll be there in a second,” I shout out, before going over to say goodbye to Alex. It”s heartbreaking that I won”t be with him, but I have to do this for our future.
”Alright, buddy, I”m gonna go now,” I say, tears welling up.
He stands and rushes over, his arms and legs covered in sand, but I don’t mind because as a mother, those little things no longer bother me. Not anymore. There was this one time when Alex was a baby that I went to the supermarket and unknowingly had baby vomit in my hair.
“Bye Alex,” I say, holding him in a tight embrace. However, I can feel his excitement to get back to the sandpit. “I love you.” The moment I release him, he dashes off, as if the sandpit holds the utmost significance in his world.
”I love you too!” he shouts, grabbing the red bucket and spade, and returning to his digging.
I make my way back to where my mom is and continue circling the house. Just as I’m about to enter the front yard, I pause for a moment to steal one last glance at Alex. He’s got his head down, totally engrossed in the sand. I turn away, grab my bag from the front patio, and head towards the front gate, where the driver patiently waits for me.
“Miss Poppy Reeves,” the driver says.
“Yes,” I add.
“Hi, I’m Nigel, and I’ll be chauffeuring you to the airport.”
He takes my bag, heads to the car, and pops open the back door so I can get in.
As I settle into my seat, he shuts the door. I steal a quick look toward the spot where my mother was standing earlier, only to find she’s already left.
Once Nigel puts my suitcase in the trunk, he hops in and starts the engine. I give my old childhood home one last look as the car leaves, already missing my son.
Four hours later, following a business class flight and another town car ride from the airport, I’ve checked into the most luxurious hotel I’ve ever laid eyes on. Without wasting any time, I indulge in a delicious meal and take full advantage of the mini bar, while treating myself to a binge-watching session of the latest season of my all-time favorite show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It’s a rare opportunity for me to catch up, as it has been years since I’ve had the chance to sit and enjoy a binge-watch marathon like this.
Ace kindly left an envelope for me at the front desk, informing me that a car would pick me up early in the morning. So, I avoid drinking any alcohol, as I certainly don’t want to oversleep and miss my wake-up call.