Chapter Twenty-Four #2
Jo smiles, relaxing with their easy acceptance of her. Part of her wandering personality makes it hard for her to form friendships, but I think the breakup with Megan may have calmed some of that instability.
“You’re in the group now,” Lexi says with a charming smile and nudges her shoulder.
The rest of dinner flies by seamlessly. We discuss the logistics, deciding to aim for fall break.
Stella and Daisy will be visiting their mom in New York with Grady’s parents and Bonnie offered to take Blake’s kids to Bakersfield to visit their other grandparents.
She’s the surrogate grandmother, so I wasn't surprised by her offer.
Jo has never given her dad a reason to say no, and I doubt he’d start after her breakup. I mentally mark it in my calendar, knowing if the Davies want it, I’ll make it happen.
After dessert—everyone loved the pear and chai scones—Calypso and I offered to clean the patio table. Other than taking a few loads of dishes inside and wiping it down, there isn’t much to do. So, when Calypso took the last pile of bowls, Bonnie didn’t waste any time sliding up to my side.
We expected it considering her insistence I make an appearance.
“How did you like dinner?” she asks, pretending to fix the chairs.
Wiping the table, I smile at her. “It was great. One of my mom’s favorite dishes to make is shrimp scampi, so it was a nice comfort to us.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Crossing her arms, she tilts her head and gives me an assessing once-over.
Under the glow of the moon, her and Calypso look even more similar than normal.
She inherited so much from her mother—high cheekbones, strawberry blonde hair, and honey brown eyes.
However, Bonnie’s stare is more assessing than Calypso’s guarded one.
“I’m sorry we didn’t have a moment to talk this evening, but I’m glad you and Jo came. ”
Setting the towel down, I give her my full attention. “Please don’t apologize. I should have tried harder to find the time.”
Bonnie is quiet for a moment, pursing her lips. “You are not what I expected,” she muses. “I remembered the stories about you, but I wasn’t going to judge you based on decisions from over a decade ago.”
“You’re one of the few.” I shrug ruefully.
She waves a hand in the air, batting the thought away. “But when I heard the rumors—” she tilts her head back and forth, “—about the two of you, I was cautious to believe them.”
Fighting the urge to fidget or cross my arms, I stand still and quiet, not wanting to accidentally put my foot in my mouth.
“My daughter doesn’t date very often. She hasn’t since her divorce. I assume you know about that?” From the hesitation sliding across her features, she didn’t mean to reveal Calypso’s secrets, but she doesn’t look apologetic either.
“I’ve had the unfortunate displeasure of meeting him a time or two.”
She nods. “I figured. Look, Liam—”
The back door slides open and Calypso comes to a halt when she sees us.
“What are you doing?” she cautiously asks, her eyes bouncing between Bonnie and me.
“I’m speaking with Liam.” Bonnie points in the door’s direction. “Go back inside, Calypso.”
Digging in her heels, she crosses her arms and flatly replies, “No.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Bonnie looks to me for help.
“It’s okay, honey.” Calypso’s gaze cuts to me, subtly softening. With a comforting smile, I promise, “We’re just talking.”
I’ll tell you later.
It goes unsaid; I’m unsure if Bonnie is comfortable with that, but I’ll tell Calypso regardless. Seeming to understand, Calypso bobs her head once and turns back inside. My gaze stays on her as she walks through the living room and turns toward the bathroom, out of sight.
“Anyway, as I was saying,” Bonnie says and turns back toward me. “Calypso can have her secrets. I know how important those are to her.”
That’s true. Calypso isn’t open with a lot of the people in her life—mostly out of concern or responsibility rather than not wanting them involved. But everything that’s happened with Stefan has been her quiet, heavy burden for years.
I open my mouth before closing it a few times, looking far too much like a fish out of water. I don’t want to lie to Bonnie, but I will not betray Calypso’s trust either.
Holding her hand up to silence my attempts, Bonnie shakes her head lightly.
“I just find it peculiar that my independent, non-committal daughter has found herself in a brand new relationship at the same time her ex-husband is back in town. The fact that the town hates you and loves her also makes my suspicions rise. However, whatever is going on between you two is exactly that—between you two.”
I nod in acknowledgement.
“Just take care of her, okay? Whether this is romantic, platonic, or even a business transaction; I don’t care.
You’re adults and I’m choosing to trust both of you as such.
However, I am asking you, as Calypso’s mother, to please be there for her.
” She glances over her shoulder, catching sight of most of the group in the living room, not paying us any mind.
“She’ll argue that she doesn’t need anyone, but it never hurts to have someone in our corner. ”
Stunned by her discernment, I nod emphatically. “Yeah—yes. Of course. I like spending time with your daughter, but more than anything, I’m just trying to help.”
She gives me a soft, motherly smile. “And if she’s willing to let you, you have all of my support and gratitude.”
Calypso and I have never gotten into the finer details of her relationship with her mother, but I can sense that there’s strain sometimes and I wonder if it’s due to their similarities rather than differences.
I know for a fact that if my mom had even an inkling that my relationship was fake, or that something was going on in my life, she wouldn’t be able to hold back until I spilled everything to her.
It can be annoying at times, especially when I was younger.
Now, we’re closer than ever and I often need her pestering to keep her as involved in my life as she wants to be.
Calypso is different, though. The more you push her, the more likely she is to run away—to be washed away by the ocean and never found again.
Clearly, Bonnie understands that. Almost everyone in Calypso’s life seems to, but it’s deeper with her mom.
“I can promise you, Bonnie, that I won’t let anything happen to Calypso.
” She lifts one eyebrow, still uncertain, so I continue, “Calypso is important to me. Not because of what she does for me but because of who she is. I know I’m lucky to see past her walls, so I won’t take that for granted. I’m at her disposal.”
She tilts her head and squints at me. “And that’s enough for you?”
With a boyish grin, I admit, “For now, it is. ”
A smile tugs at her lips and she wags a finger in my direction. “I knew you were more than what those old bats around town like to say.”
I bark out a surprised laugh. Not only at her acceptance of me but her nickname for Miss Willow, Miss Polly, and the other elderly women. It’s exactly what Calypso calls them, but I haven’t heard anyone else in her family use it.
Picking up the rag, I finish my task while Bonnie stays outside with me.
The rest of the conversation is lighter.
We talk about the construction company and my family, then she tells me about her job in administration for the local hospice.
It’s a newer gig, something she picked up a couple of years ago when she became restless in her own home.
Calypso never mentioned that her mom had a job, and I assumed their dad had left Bonnie with enough money that she didn’t need to work.
I know I’d go crazy after a week, and that’s partly why I never get on Stanley about visiting job sites.
After a few minutes, we make our way inside with the rest of the group. The night doesn’t linger on much longer, but none of us are in a rush to head home.
I think to myself, not for the first time, I could get used to this.