Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Jenna
When I arrived at Aaron’s house, I didn’t think anything of the car parked behind his truck. He’d said his mom would be here, after all, and while I know she lives on the property, it’s dark and cold enough that depending on where on the property her little cottage is, she might drive.
But when I walked up to the door, I realized it must be Amelia’s car. I hung back, deciding to give them time to finish their conversation, debating whether it would be more awkward to stand here or to go back to my car and wait there for her to leave.
Before I could decide either way, though, Amelia turned and saw me. After our encounter on Sunday, I didn’t really expect she’d be thrilled to see me, but I did not expect her to react like she did.
Waiting in the car seemed like my best option at that point.
While her trying to warn me away the other day stirred up a few misgivings at the time, Aaron’s attitude about her trying to change their holiday plans and everything else made me think that her claim that she and Aaron were talking about getting back together was, charitably, wishful thinking on her part.
Though her reaction to seeing me tonight confirms my thought that she sees me as a big threat.
Retreating to my car seemed the safest option, and I’m sitting here in the cold, debating if I should turn my car on so I can have heat. How long is this going to take?
My plan is to wait for her car to leave, give Aaron a minute to collect himself, then go knock on the door and see what’s waiting for me. I don’t know how much of a wrench her behavior will throw into our plans.
If she’s this threatened, will Aaron decide dating me—or dating anyone—is too much trouble? What they’ve had for the last almost six years has worked well for them. He’s pragmatic, an if-it’s-not-broke,-don’t-fix-it kind of guy. I could see him deciding that.
I just … I really hope he doesn’t.
And I also really hope that he can convince Colin’s mom to stop acting like that because it’s not great for any of us.
Will I be able to handle it if she acts like that every time she sees me?
Would a grown adult woman who seems to have a solid career decide that acting like that indefinitely is a good choice?
I’ve known enough terrible people to realize that yes, that’s not impossible. But …
God, I hope that’s not how things play out.
I just want to have a happy Christmas Eve and Christmas with my new boyfriend and his family. Is that really too much to ask?
A knock on my window startles me so much I about jump out of my skin. “Jesus Christ!” Scrambling for the door handle, I open it a crack to find Aaron standing next to my car. “You scared the living shit out of me.”
I sound kind of angry, which, part of me is, I guess? But not at Aaron.
He eyes me warily. “You waited.”
Sighing, I climb out of the car. I’d rather have this conversation with both of us on our feet rather than peering up at him from my car door. “I did. I wasn’t sure …” I gesture toward his house. “And you have my stuff.”
“Ah,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets and nodding. “Is that why you waited? So you could get your stuff?”
Sighing too, I cross my arms around myself and shake my head.
“No. I just …” Gritting my teeth, I spit it out, letting my irritation show.
“I didn’t know what to do. Amelia has decided I’m the enemy.
I thought so after Sunday, but I tried to rationalize it away, telling myself she was just worried that me being around might disrupt her relationship with Colin.
I don’t see how it would, but I’m not a mom of a kid I don’t see very often, so what do I know?
” I throw my hands in the air, then cross my arms over my chest again.
It’s too damn cold out here. “But her reaction to me tonight …” I shake my head.
“Me standing there wouldn’t have helped anything, so I came back to my car.
When I first saw her in the doorway, I almost came back to my car then.
” I bury my face in my scarf. “I wish I would’ve. ”
Aaron grunts, waiting a second to see if I’m going to add anything else.
When I don’t, he looks away. “I know this’ll probably sound messed up, but I’m kinda glad you didn’t wait in your car.
I’m sorry for how she acted tonight and for whatever she said to you on Sunday when I wasn’t there.
I take it that her claim that she needed to go to the bathroom was just an excuse to corner you?
” At my nod, he grunts again. “Makes sense,” he says quietly, then shakes his head.
“But her seeing you tonight gave me the opportunity to hash out what her deal has been lately and set the record straight.”
“Which is?” I ask, almost too afraid to ask the question.
He gives me a funny look. “That she and I would never work. She knows it, she’s just caught up in some fantasy right now.
She feels like she’s missed too much of Colin’s life and is having trouble keeping up with how changeable kids are at this age.
It’s …” He sighs, shaking his head again.
“Anyway. I told her that I’m with you, and that even if she got her wish and broke us up, she and I still wouldn’t be together. ”
I swallow hard, deciding to give voice to the worries that have been plaguing me this week no matter how many times I tried to tell myself they were silly and that Aaron’s done nothing to make me doubt him. “You don’t ever wish that you and her and Colin could be a family?”
His brows furrow. “We already are a family. Sure, it’s not what people normally think of, but we’re Colin’s parents.
He’s our son. The fact that she and I have never been married doesn’t change that.
” He shakes his head again. “Maybe that’s really what she needed to hear.
That our family, no matter how unconventional, is exactly what the three of us need.
And adding more people because she and I are ready to have serious relationships—with other people, not each other—won’t detract from that.
In fact, I hope it’ll only make things better.
Who doesn’t benefit from having more people to love them? ”
“That’s … that’s a really good point.”
He smiles at me. It’s tentative at first, but when I smile back, his relaxes into something more certain. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I sniff, rubbing my nose that’s starting to run from the cold.
“I mean, I’m freezing my ass off, but I’m not upset.
I was just …” I shrug. “I wasn’t sure what to do.
I know we’re dating, but it hasn’t been that long.
I didn’t know if you’d decide all this drama was too much and decide to go back to your status as a non-dating single dad. ”
He chuckles a little at that. “And here I was worried that you’d decide my drama with my son’s mom was too much and run away.”
Grinning, I shake my head. “As long as she’s not like that all the time. And I don’t have to deal with her all the time. I think I’ll be okay.”
He sucks in a breath, then lets it out slowly.
“I can’t make any promises about her behavior, but I hope that after tonight, she won’t do anything like this again.
If she does, though, if every time she sees you, she reacts badly, we’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t get that opportunity.
” He presses his lips together, and I can tell he’s thinking through all the future opportunities for something to go wrong.
And if we stay together for the long haul, there’ll likely be times when she and I will have to be in the same place at the same time for Colin’s milestones and events as he grows up.
“Hopefully she’ll have time to adjust to the idea of me before we bump into each other again. And I think I’ll make myself scarce when she comes back to pick up Colin.”
Smiling, Aaron steps forward and wraps his arms around me. “Probably a good idea, at least for tonight.” I lift my face, and he kisses me, which makes me feel like things are secure between us once more. “Let’s go inside,” he murmurs. “Dinner’s waiting.”
When we get inside, Aaron leads me to the dining room where his mom and Colin are finishing setting the table.
“Daddy!” Colin yells, running to his dad and throwing his arms around his hips. “What took you so long?”
“I had to talk to your mom for a few minutes, and then Jenna got here.”
“Hi, Jenna!” Colin says. “Wanna play with Magna Tiles after dinner?”
“I’d love to,” I tell him, smiling.
Aaron makes the introductions between his mom and me, and in short order, we’re all settled around the table, delicious food in front of us while Colin regales us with retellings of all the Christmas movies he’s watched with his mom this week. It’s funny hearing his take on the old classics.
“Have you watched The Santa Clause?” I ask. “The one where the kid’s dad has to replace Santa?”
Colin screws up his face, holding his fork in the air as he thinks for a second, then shakes his head. “No. I don’t think so. Why does the dad replace Santa?”
“Tell your mom to show it to you, and maybe you’ll find out,” Aaron says, leaning over and tapping the edge of Colin’s plate.
“Finish up your dinner, though. Grandma made cookies for dessert, and I thought you’d want to help me put out cookies and carrots for Santa before you go.
And I know you want to show Jenna your Magna Tiles. Plus, I have a present for you.”
Colin perks up, eyes wide, and he scoops a giant bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. Aaron laughs, shaking his head. “Don’t choke yourself. We’ve got some time. But you gotta eat or your mom’s gonna think I’m starving you.”
“No she won’t,” Colin says around his mouthful.
“Swallow first, then talk,” Aaron admonishes.
Dutifully, Colin does as he’s told. “She won’t think that,” Colin says, shaking his head emphatically. “She says you’re a better cook than her. Can I bring some carrots to Mom’s house? I asked Mom, and she said she doesn’t have any.”
“Course,” Aaron answers easily. “We don’t want the reindeer getting tummy aches, do we?”
“Nope!”
The rest of dinner passes in comfortable conversation, laughter, and good food. Aaron’s mom is lovely, warm and friendly, and I catch her smiling at us any time Aaron and I exchange looks or he says something to me to provide context for one of Colin’s stories.
After dinner, we all move to the living room, where Colin brings out his Magna Tiles, showing me how they work. We build a castle together, and Colin stands, clapping at our handiwork. “Dad! Take a picture!”
“Course,” Aaron agrees easily, snapping a few photos on his phone. I get mine out and do the same.
Colin even gets in the photos, giving a thumbs up. “One more with you too, Jenna,” he says, beckoning me closer.
Leaning in, I smile at Aaron, who smiles back at me.
After he finishes taking pictures, he tells Colin, “I have something for you to open. C’mere.”
Colin bounces over to his dad, while Renee, Aaron’s mom, watches from her seat on the couch, a mug of tea in hand, smiling at all of us.
Aaron hands Colin a package wrapped in red paper covered in penguins wearing scarves.
Colin wastes no time ripping into it, pulling out a set of PJs with red plaid pants and a white long sleeve shirt with Santa’s face on it.
“Thank you!” Colin shouts, throwing his arms around his dad.
Aaron cradles his son against his chest, his eyes closed. “You’re welcome, Colin. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas!” Colin shouts, pulling away and picking up his PJs. “Can I put them on now?”
Aaron checks the time again. “Why don’t we put out the cookies and carrots first, and then if there’s time, you can change quickly before your mom gets here.”
Colin slumps on the ground at the reminder that his mom is coming to pick him up, and Aaron rubs his back.
“I know, man. But Santa’s expecting you there, remember?
You’ll have a great Christmas with your mom, and then we’ll open all your presents together when you get home, okay?
Just think, you’ll get two Christmases!”
Perking up at that, Colin straightens. “Can I get out the special plate?” he asks.
“Of course,” Aaron replies, ruffling Colin’s hair and leading the way back to the kitchen.
I settle on one of the chairs across from Renee, and she smiles at me. “How are you feeling now that ChristmasFest is over?”
I shake my head. “I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet. Intellectually, I know I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow, but some part of me keeps trying to think of what I need to check on.”
She laughs, nodding. “I know that feeling. When I was teaching, the first week after school let out was always a transition. It’ll get better, though, I promise.”
Grinning, I nod. “I’m sure it will. I’ve planned big events before, though nothing as big as this one, and there’s always a let down period after it’s done. I’m looking forward to getting to relax a bit, though.”
“And Aaron says you’ll be traveling home to visit your family soon?”
Smiling, I nod. “Yeah. Next week, I’ll go down there for New Year’s. I think my sister will be there still, too, so it’ll be good to see everyone.”
She murmurs agreement, but we’re distracted from saying more by Aaron and Colin returning with the special plate shaped like a snowman.
Colin carefully arranges the cookies and carrots that Aaron hands him, setting the plate on the floor next to the Christmas tree, presents covering the tree skirt.
Aaron passes Colin a mug shaped like Santa, and Colin carefully sets it on the floor next to the plate.
“Can I put on my PJs now?” Colin asks.
“Go for it,” Aaron says.