Chapter Twenty-Two
Charles
I wake up a good five minutes before my alarm, looking forward to the day I have planned.
Last night she had told me about Methew’s reaction to her news and today, I want her to have a day off, a day of fun, and a day with her daughter.
And they’re going to be over here soon for breakfast. I hurry out of bed and through my morning routine. I'm done with plenty of time left before they’re due to come over, and I make my way to the kitchen.
With thoughts of everything that Alisha has taught me, I begin to prepare breakfast. Preparing the cast iron griddle across my burners, I prep up some high protein banana pancakes and get those cooking. While they’re cooking, I finely chop some onions, then throw them on the opposite side of the griddle to cook. Flipping the pancakes, I cook the onions until they’re nice and caramelized.
I crack some eggs onto the onions and begin to fold them over and over to keep them from moving too close to the pancakes. I make my way to the cabinet and pull out a platter to stack the pancakes on and two plates plus a cute little blue and green jellyfish kid tray I’d picked up just for Evie.
Making the final few pancakes, I pour the batter in a bowl shape, then make several long dangly sections. Flipping the eggs, I add some spinach to them right as the front door opens.
“Good morning,” I say to my guests as Evie walks in, looking around, and Alisha makes her way to my side.
“It smells amazing in here. What did you do?” she asks, giving an appreciative sniff before taking in the sight of the food I've made. “Wow!”
I plate up the jellyfish pancakes on the little tray that I bought just for Evie. “I didn't make the syrup from scratch. I know that you would, but I'm just not that good at it.”
Alisha laughs. “I think we can manage. I'll grab the maple syrup out of the pantry.”
I nod my head while dishing up the eggs on each plate and turning off the burner before approaching Evie. I squat down and offer her my hand.
“My name is Charles and I’m happy to meet you. What’s your name?”
Her bright green eyes lock on me, and she smiles shyly as she accepts my hand. “I’m Evie. It’s nice to meet you.”
As she squeezes my hand, I pretend I'm falling over from my squatting position. “That’s quite a grip you’ve got there, Evie,” I say and she giggles. I sense we're going to get along just fine.
“Are you hungry?” I stand up and make my way back to the kitchen counter, and she follows as Alisha emerges from the pantry, maple syrup in hand.
Evie nods. “Mom says I'm always hungry.”
“Is she wrong?” I ask Evie with a sideways wink at Alisha.
Evie shakes her head no. Alisha smiles, opening the syrup and pouring some over Evie’s food before handing the girl the tray. Evie’s eyes light up. “Jellyfish!”
Her happy exclamation is all I need to feel like it was the perfect purchase.
“Take it to the table.” Alisha’s quick words leave me sure she’s had to say them before... and often. I pick up the other two plates and take them toward the table and Alisha grabs the maple syrup before following.
We all sit around the table and enjoy our food, while Alisha commends me for making a delicious breakfast, and Evie devours her food so quickly I’d swear she breathed it all in like a hoover vacuum.
“There's more if you're still hungry,” I tell her, and she glances at her mom.
Alisha nods and pets her daughter’s head with a heartwarming curve of her lips.
“Somebody's getting ready to grow,” I say as Evie heads into the kitchen to dish up more food. I trust that she can handle the task and given what I know about Alisha, she’s more of the kind to have someone do things to learn rather than do things for people. I’m sure that philosophy extends to her daughter.
Once we've finished up breakfast and made our way to the aquarium, we stand before the front doors and I see Evie light up. She turns to face me with that bright smile. “You know they have jellyfish here, right?”
I nod. “That's why we're here. They’re actually doing an exhibit on them right now.” As soon as I say the words, Evie squeals with excitement and races through the front doors. Alisha turns toward me, mouthing the words thank you before chasing her daughter inside. I follow them both, feeling glad that so far this day seems to be exactly what I was hoping for, something special that creates lasting memories for all of us.
We step inside, the vastness of the exhibits unfolding before me. I walk up to the little crowd that's around the jellyfish enclosure, listening to Evie answer questions about the creatures, her small, bright voice and accurate words earning the approval of the staff working the exhibit.
Behind the young man with the short hair and the handlebar mustache and goatee, the jellyfish dance gracefully through the water, captivating me with their undulating movements. Alisha stands beside me, lacing her fingers with mine and leaning in to speak to me.
“Thank you for this. I had been meaning to look up when the jellyfish exhibit would be, but I hadn't checked yet.” Her expression falls, and I sense that she's feeling like a bad mother.
“You’re a busy woman; it's understandable.”
She gives her head a shake, as if not accepting my words. “I need to make more time for my daughter and the things that are important to her.”
“You need to teach her not to beat herself up when she’s stretched thin.” I'm not about to let Alisha get off the hook with this kind of negative self-talk. She seems surprised by my words, but I see her nod and swallow hard, accepting my words.
“You’re right,” she says as her gaze strays to her daughter, still enjoying the exhibit as she learns more about her favorite creatures. “This is amazing, though, and I owe you big time.”
“You don't owe me anything. I'm grateful to be part of your life.” I mean the words with every fiber of my being, and I hope she can hear and feel the sincerity in me as I speak.
As Evie listens, I see her curiosity, hear her questions, and remember the excitement and wonders of childhood. I want, more than anything, to encourage her to follow the things they ignite in her soul, be it jellyfish or some other topic as she grows. And it dawns on me - I want to watch her grow up. I want to see who she becomes. I want to be part of both their lives.
It's a want that I'll have to hold on to for now. Right now, I know that they don't know what their future is going to look like until Methew decides what he wants to do. I can't believe she's being so kind and fair to him, given how much his actions and behaviors seem to bother her. But I’ll support whatever decision she makes one hundred percent.
“What if I sneak off over that way and get her a jellyfish T-shirt?” I ask Alisha.
“Her favorite color is blue.” Alisha’s words give me her blessing, and I make my way over to pick out a shirt with jellyfish embroidered on it. Then I grab another that says jellyfish expert and pay for both, asking for them to be put in a little gift bag along with a beautiful jellyfish lava lamp that uses light and projection to create jellyfish that dance around the inside of a glass tube filled with liquid.
I walk back toward Alisha with the heavy bag in hand. “Don't open it until you get home, please,” I say, transferring the handle to her hand as I watch Evie. It feels right being here and playing a part in creating a magical experience for her. As I slip my hand in Alisha’s, I realize this is how the perfect date goes. There's nowhere else I'd rather be and no one else I'd rather be with.
When we finally get back to my place, I recognize my mother's car in the driveway. “I guess she's back from the cruise.” I feel like a bad son for not knowing the date she was supposed to return, but then again, I'm not sure she ever told me. I’m her son, not her keeper, and she doesn't answer to me or anyone else.
Alisha has been glued to her phone and I can't help but feel a little bit worried. When I put the car in park, she turns the phone screen in my direction and I see the texts from Methew.
I want us to be together, like a family. You’re right, Evie does deserve to have me in her life. And I deserve her in mine.
As I read the words, my heart sinks, but I can see the expression on her face and know that she isn't buying what he’s trying to sell. Obviously, her gut is telling her something isn't quite right with these messages, and I agree with her.
“Trust your gut,” I say softly, and she nods before changing the subject.
“Do you want Evie and I to go home?” Alisha asks.
“That's up to you. You are more than welcome to stay if you'd like, or you can go home if you want to. I don't know what your plans for the day look like.” I smile at her in the passenger seat, then glance back at Evie. “I was going to ask you if they knew anything you didn't know, but I think you were teaching them by the end of that.”
She nods her head, very matter of fact, as if I'm correct and I chuckle. Alisha also glances back at her daughter. “Honey, do you want to stay or go home?”
“Stay!” Evie seems excited to spend more time together and that does my heart good. We all file out of my car and head toward the front door. I lift Evie up and tell her the code so she can punch in the numbers, with a little help from her mom.
We make our way inside and I catch up with my mother in the living room. Harvey is sitting comfortably in one of my favorite chairs and my mom opens her arms, walking in my direction.
“Welcome home.” I wrap my arms around her and give a gentle squeeze. “How was your trip?” I release her and settle down on the couch.
“I'm just going to grab Evie a snack if that's okay,” Alisha says.
I waive the dismissive hand at them both. “Help yourself to whatever you'd like.” I give Evie a covert wink. “I think there might even be cookies in the refrigerator.”
She nods her head in a knowing way and hurries off to the kitchen while Alisha gives me a stare. I lift both shoulders with an innocent expression as she follows her daughter, and I turn my attention back to my mom and Harvey.
“We had a lot of fun. And I may be here less.” My mom throws Harvey a significant smile before turning her attention back to me. “Which seems like a good thing. I'd like to hear more about this development.” She flicks the tip of her index finger between Alisha and me.
I smile, thinking about the changes in my life over the week my mother has been gone. “Things are going great.” There's not really too much more I want to share out of fear that I'll jinx this relationship. Now I know how much I enjoy them in my life, I'm afraid to lose them.