Chapter 31
31
Brian went to his mother’s home after he helped Tracey. He’d gotten the list of places Renee could move into from his brother, and he’d reached out to her parents. If she felt comfortable enough calling his mom, then he’d felt justified in reaching out to her parents. He already knew Renee wouldn’t come up with her own plan despite his two-week deadline. He’d taken matters into his own hands and found a solution. He couldn’t have the situation with Renee hanging over his shoulder much longer. He could see in Tracey’s eyes today that she was torn, but he didn’t want to push her. If she came back to him, it would have to be her decision.
He went in the house and found his mom in the kitchen making breakfast. She was dressed as if she were going to church in one of her nicest dresses. Renee sat at the kitchen table, her son in a high chair next to her eating Cheerios.
His mom turned to him and smiled. “Brian, what are you doing here? I didn’t expect to see you this morning. How is Tracey and her dad?”
“She’s doing okay. Her dad’s back home now. I stayed with him while she went and got some groceries for him.” He looked to Renee. “How’s the house-hunting going?”
Renee gave him an incredulous look, as if she couldn’t believe he was asking her that question. “I haven’t had the chance to start looking for a place. There’s a lot going on. And who is Tracey?”
“We talked about you finding a place to stay. Your two weeks is up this week.”
Renee huffed and patted her son’s head. “I’ve been trying to find day care for him. It’s harder than it looks. There aren’t that many day cares around here.”
His mom turned off the stove and came over toward Renee. She picked up the baby and put him on her hip. “I’m just going to take him to get cleaned up before church,” she said. “You two go ahead and finish your conversation.”
She gave Brian a Be nice look before leaving the kitchen. Brian didn’t plan to be mean, but he also wasn’t about to be overly nice with Renee. She’d worn out her welcome, and she was doing this on purpose. If he hadn’t already worked this out, she would stay longer and eventually try to move in permanently.
Brian placed his hand on the back of one of the chairs and stared into Renee’s eyes. “Renee, quit playing. It’s time for you to leave.”
Renee crossed her arms. “Does this have something to do with this Tracey person?”
“Even if there weren’t a Tracey, I would still be asking you to leave.”
“Who is she?”
“Why don’t you focus on getting back with your husband or figuring out who the father of your child is instead of worrying about who Tracey is?”
Renee uncrossed her arms and jumped up from the chair. “You’re intentionally trying to be mean to me.”
“I’m not being mean, I’m just telling the truth. I’m not playing this game with you anymore, Renee. We are done. My mom is being nice to you, but she doesn’t want you to live here permanently. I am not letting you move into my house. You have real problems that you need to figure out. We’ve offered you help. But you are not trying to help yourself.”
She walked toward him and tried to put her hand on his chest. Brian threw up his hands and stepped back. “Don’t do that.”
She scoffed and looked at him as if his quick step back was an insult. “What, you don’t want me to touch you now?”
“No, I don’t want you to touch me, Renee. We don’t have that kind of relationship anymore.”
Renee tapped her toe on the floor. She eyed him for several long seconds. “Is it serious with her?”
Brian only answered because he knew she would keep going if he didn’t. “Yes, it is serious.”
There wasn’t pain or anger in her eyes. Instead, there was disappointment. “When did it become serious?”
Brian shrugged. “I really don’t know. I think it became serious before I even realized how serious it was.”
“I always thought that you and I would get back together.”
He didn’t respond to that. He’d once felt the same way, but he was so glad that he’d finally moved on. He couldn’t imagine playing games and dealing with this his entire life. He related to Tracey’s dad way more than he wanted to admit.
“It was our last time together,” Renee asked. “That’s what changed your mind, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, that was it for me,” he said. “That’s when I realized I was on a hamster wheel with you. I was ready to get off, and I knew I never wanted to get back on again.”
“I still love you, Brian,” she said almost sincerely enough that he believed she believed it. But he knew she didn’t. Not in a way that was good for either of them.
“I want what’s best for you, Renee.” He shook his head and pressed a hand to his chest. “But being with me is not what’s best for you.”
She let out a rueful laugh and rubbed her brow. “Then, is what is best for me going back to my husband? He doesn’t want me anymore.”
“Start by getting yourself settled. You’ve got a kid now. Right now he’s dependent on you for everything. The best thing you can do is provide stability for him.”
“That’s the thing—I don’t know how to be stable. I’ve only been stable when I was with you, and now I don’t have you and it’s scary. That’s why I’m still here. I’m trying to figure it all out.”
“I’m no expert on parenting. But there’s a ton of resources out there that can tell you what you need. Do you want to stay in Peachtree Cove or do you want to go somewhere else?”
Renee pursed her lips. “To tell the truth, I don’t want to stay in Peachtree Cove. It’s kind of boring, and I don’t know how you live here.”
Her words weren’t surprising. Small-town life was never something Renee was interested in. “No problem. I talked to my brother, and he sent me a list of decent places in Atlanta near your parents.”
“My parents?” She shook her head and waved a hand. “I don’t want to hear what they have to say.”
“I’ve already called them and told them you’re here.”
Her eyes widened before she scowled. “You called them?”
Brian shrugged, uncaring about the disbelief in her voice. “You called my mom and showed up on her doorstep. Yes, I did call them and told them you’re here.”
She pressed a hand to her temple. “I can already imagine how disappointed my dad was when you told him I don’t know who my kid’s father is and it’s not my husband.”
Brian walked over to the table and picked up Renee’s cell phone. He turned and held it out to her. “I know how you feel about your parents, so I didn’t tell them the details. I only said you were having problems and came here. They love you, Renee, and they’re willing to help. Will they judge you when you tell them? Maybe, but Atlanta is a lot more fun and interesting than Peachtree Cove. Call them.”
She looked up, sadness finally reaching her eyes. “We’re really done, huh?”
“Yeah, Renee, we’re really done.”
She stared at the phone and finally took it from him.