Chapter 18 #2
He snickered and looked down at the papers. The comment didn’t anger him at all. He smiled. “Apparently, I do. Because I’ve got Evie now.” He raised his brows lightheartedly. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
The children said loving goodbyes to their mother, and Caleb walked her to her car.
He even opened the door for Ashley, who was taken aback by the gesture. “What the hell are you doing?”
He smiled. “Being a gentleman. I’ve always been this way. You’ve been too blind to care.”
She sat in the car and ignored him. But before he closed the door, he said to her leaning over, “Oh, and one more thing. In all honesty, Ashley? I hope you’re happy in the end. And for what it’s worth…”
She stared at him.
He swallowed hard. Tell her the truth. “You really did a wonderful thing for me. Thank you so much.” He looked down for a moment as they both softened in their demeanors.
“Thank you for caring, for coming by, and letting me take them to the game tomorrow. You don’t know what that means to me.
Thank you.” He flashed her an honest, heartfelt smile, then closed the door.
He closed the door on his past.
Almost.
He watched that little sedan car drive off down his long gravel drive off of Highway 42.
A place where the horses could roam freely on his forty-acre lot.
A place where the sun rose on the eastern front porch and settled in the western back porch.
A place where it was serene at all times of the day.
A place where black-eyed Susans grew on the shoulder line during the appropriate seasons.
He looked at the papers in his hand. She had signed her side, and all he needed to do was sign his. Standing alone at the front of the house, Caleb let a tear roll down his cheek but quickly wiped it away and went back inside. He had work to do.
Dinner sizzled on the stove while his beloved children watched Home Alone for the third time that season, even though it was almost time for the Superbowl.
He made a palette for them on the floor with loads of blankets and pillows, snacks and one cuddly and lovable bloodhound.
Olivia settled against Charlie, and Zack was on his belly with his chin rested on his hands.
Caleb was sitting at his island counter on his laptop and signed the documents, took a picture of them with his phone, and sent them to his lawyer.
He called out really quickly, “Don’t forget, we gotta get some good sleep tonight, guys. We’re going to the game tomorrow!”
He texted Evie, but Zack suddenly appeared out of nowhere with an innocent smile across his sweet face. His hair was messy, and Caleb smashed it down in a grin. “You look like Albert Einstein.”
“Like whooooo?” Zack asked in a kiddish tone.
Caleb laughed and pulled Zack in to give him a hug, but Olivia immediately came running over and wanted one too. He grabbed her arm easily with one hand and yanked her on his lap, hugging them both. He kissed their heads. “I got a question for you guys.”
Olivia squeaked, “We can have ice cream now?”
“No, no, no,” Caleb laughed. It stirred a giggle in them all.
Zack asked eagerly, “You wanna know if we wanna go to Disneyland or Universal?”
Caleb looked at him with a playful threatening look. “You know it’ll always be Universal.”
He calmed them down and served dinner, trying to get them to be serious. After grace was said, Caleb placed a napkin on his lap. “Okay, kids, Dad’s gotta ask you something serious. What would you say if I brought a lady with us to the game tomorrow?”
Olivia slowly asked with a fry held to her lip, “Like a girlfriend?”
Caleb folded his fingers on the table. “Yes, like a girlfriend.”
Zack asked, “Dad, you’ve been seeing a girl who’s not Mom?”
This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. He spoke calmly to his son, “Yes, but I wanna see if you guys like her.”
Olivia, being a sweet and innocent age of five now, asked, “Is she pretty?”
Caleb smiled. “Yes, she’s pretty, but that’s not the point. I’m asking if you’d both be okay with it. Olivia, she’s really good at art. Maybe she can draw with you sometime?”
His daughter gave an approving smile. He then looked to Zack, who seemed withdrawn. “Buddy? What about you?”
Zack got up and ran into his room.
Immediately, Caleb got up and told Olivia to stay seated.
He walked fast down the hall to Zack’s room and called, “What’s going on?
Come on Zack, talk to me bud.” He opened the door and saw Zack crying on the bed.
“Hey,” Caleb began curtly, “I thought I told you that crying doesn’t solve anything.
You can’t run away and not tell me what’s on your mind. ”
Zack cried quietly, “I love Mom though, Dad. I don’t want a new mom.”
Caleb heard his son’s tears and immediately settled down his stringent ways.
He always tried to teach Zack to be strong, but it wasn’t a time for that.
His son needed a caring and patient father, not a drill sergeant.
He sat on the bed and patted his son’s back.
He encouraged him, “Buddy, you’re not getting a new mom.
Your mom will always be your mom.” He smiled.
Zack’s eyes peered over as he turned. “Then why do you want a new girl? Isn’t Mom enough?”
What a horrible conversation to have all over again.
Caleb had learned how to deal with his kids ever since the divorce, but this was something new.
He wanted to be respectful of his kids’ needs, but at the same time he himself was a man with his own needs.
he reached over and picked up the Batman action figure on Zack’s nightstand and handed it to him.
His son slowly took it. Then he pulled his son up and held him close.
“Remember what I taught you? Things happen in life that we can’t change.
Your mother and I aren’t together anymore.
At some point in your life, you’re gonna have to accept that.
I know it’s hard. Believe me, I know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all still get along, be a family, and have fun and love each other, right?
And that’s why I asked you. I want to make sure you’re comfortable with it.
So, let’s talk about this. Father to son. ”
Zack looked up to him, feeling his toy with his fingers. “But I don’t want you to have another lady. I want you and Mom to get back together.”
Caleb sighed and smiled affectionately. “I know you may want that, bud, but we can’t always get want we want.
Your mom and I don’t get along like we used to, and we’re trying to do what’s best for not only us, but you and Olivia as well.
But we can learn to be happy with what we’re given.
And right now, I believe the Lord has given me Evie to help me.
She’s done a lot of really good things for me. ”
Zack sat up. “She has?”
Caleb rubbed his son’s head. “She sure has, bud.”
“Like what?”
He grabbed his son to lure him out of the bedroom back to the dinner table. He brushed his son’s back with a comforting hand. “You’ll see tomorrow. How about it?”
Zack smiled and nodded.
The only thing Caleb could do now was find solace in his workshop with Charlie.
The kids had been put to bed with full bellies, and once outside he picked up his guitar and tuned it.
He tried to find peace within the night, but he was still in heavy thought about when he was going to tell Evie about what happened overseas.
He almost felt obligated to tell her, but he was worried that if he did, she would never look at him the same way again.
He took a hard swallow of whiskey to ease his nerves.
He picked up his phone and texted her, “Would you like to go to the Chiefs’ game with my kids and I tomorrow?”
On the other end, Evie was relaxing in a hot bubble bath reading her favorite Stephen King book again.
Teddy was next to her, sleeping on the faux fur rug and letting his gentle purrs rumble.
When the notification went off on her phone, she sat up so fast and hard that the water gushed out and plopped on Teddy.
He didn’t like it one bit! She petted him to apologize but frantically read the message and replied, “I thought you needed time with your kids? What about Ashley?”
“Let me send you something.”
Evie waited and looked at the photo of documents he sent. “What is this?”
Caleb felt a smile taking over his whole soul.
“Ashley brought over the amendment papers, and we signed them today. Legally, I can date you now without issues. And she’s giving me back my old custody rights, so my lawyer will be presenting all of this to the judge on Monday.
Then, when we have our final hearing, it won’t look bad to the judge that we’ve been dating. ”
Her fingers crept to her lips, and she touched them in awe. “Are you serious right now? Caleb I’m literally screaming in happiness for you!” She actually was. Teddy hated that, too.
“Yep. Pick you up at seven? It’s gonna be an early morning!”
Evie held her chest. “I would love that! Do the kids know?”
“Yep! They know. But I promised Olivia you’d help her with art.”
She reclined gently in the tub and felt love consume her again.
Nothing mattered anymore except this moment.
To make it right. To make his children happy.
If Caleb was asking her to meet his kids, she was definitely not a fling.
He had divorce papers amended for her. There was no doubt now. “You’ve got it. It’s a deal.”
He smiled cutely. “Love you, baby.”
Her jaw tightened in profound joy. “I love you too. Sleep well.”
She could hardly sleep that night. It was going to be another moment of getting out of her comfort zone.