Chapter 2
Chapter Two
TREVOR
“Welcome back, Trevor,” Krista chirps from her desk as soon as I enter the bank offices.
“Krista, hey.” I place my uneaten sandwich in front of her. “Put this in the fridge, please. I gotta rush.” She bounces up and hurries after me, the remnants of her sandwich still at her desk. “Was there anything wrong with your order?”
“No, sir.”
Damn. I thought maybe I gave her Paige’s sandwich. I need to check the receipt.
When I don’t say anything more, she continues. “They’re in the conference room. I didn’t think you’d want them waiting in the lobby where you-know-who might see them, or in your office without you there.” She manages to say this all in one breath while keeping pace with me.
I fight my amusement, but it still manages to come out. “Slow your roll, Krista,” I say with an attempt at a lighthearted tone. Her lips curve up into a smile, but it fades quickly. An obvious, nervous energy radiates out from her.
“Sorry. I just know your lunch got cut short, and I feel bad.” Her voice trails off, and I stop and pivot toward her.
Our parents have been friends since we were young, and Krista has been friends with my younger sister since they were in diapers.
She’s only a few years younger than me, but right now, it feels like a lot more.
Personally, I’ll always view her as the little girl chasing my friends and me through the fields behind our houses with my little sister trailing closely behind.
Now, she’s a young woman, but only a few weeks into her new position.
Does she know anyone else here besides my father and me?
I’m filled with a sudden surge of guilt at the distance I’ve put in place.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Shit happens. I’ll handle everything just fine.”
The stress melts from her features, and satisfaction fills me at the results of my words.
Good. Moving on.
I approach the conference room with an apology on my lips when I run into my father. Shit. “Richard.”
Ever since he had me work summers as a temp in early high school, Richard has always made it clear that he is not Dad here. I was fourteen and completely lost about where one of the tellers needed me to go when I, naively, was happy to see my father in the hallway.
“Dad, thank God—”
“William, I am your employer in this office. Nothing more, nothing less. My name is Richard or Mr. Whitaker. I’m too busy for this right now.” Then he brushes past me, continuing down the hall without a backward look.
I can’t remember anything else about that summer, but the dressing-down in front of all the other employees stuck with me. I recognize now that was his goal.
His impatient response shakes me out of my memory.
“William, I have a meeting with a potential client in ten minutes. Get your shit together and your clients into your own office.” He shakes his head with his ever-present disappointment.
“If you’re not going to use it, I’m sure plenty of other employees would be happy to fill your spot. ”
“Yessir, I understand. I’m getting them now.” I need them in my office before they say anything about what their meeting is for.
I breeze into the room and make a beeline for the matriarch and patriarch of the Mendez family.
The shorter man and even smaller wife greet me with warmth.
“Senor and Senora Mendez.” I reach out and shake their hands in turn.
“I apologize for the wait.” I hurry before they can say anything.
“Please follow me to my office, where we can speak on this matter privately.”
They both nod, their dark hair lightly speckled with grey. Avoiding eye contact with the others around the bank, I guide them without further delay. Once the door is closed behind them, I pull out the folder marked M.R. Loan and lay it on the desk in front of them.
“Now, about that loan.”
My car comes to a stop in front of my beautiful home.
We live in a five-bedroom country house with a covered front porch overlooking our neighbor’s farm and a back porch that leads to our fenced yard.
There is a trampoline, a swing set, and mismatching odds and ends that have made my son’s childhood a good one—a happy one.
Once the car is off, the engine cools, and I sit back and let my stress and anxiety from the workplace melt away.
For the most part, Krista was able to run interference with my father, but I still managed to catch the blame for mistakes made by Bobby and my father.
Breathe in the peace, and breathe out the poison.
The rattle of my peppermint container fills the quiet space as I shake a piece out and pop it into my mouth.
Through the front window, I see my son on the couch, and I imagine Paige either sitting with him or possibly cooking our family dinner.
This knowledge of what and who are waiting for me inside reminds me—for the millionth time—why I’m doing it all. I would give everything for my family.
With a sigh, I step out of the Camaro and walk past the Subaru and our old Suburban—the first happy sacrifice I made as a father.
10 Years Ago
“I’m pregnant.”
Paige’s sweet voice echoes through my mind as I walk to Carter’s after school the next day. My love is staying back to tutor some kids for a little extra cash, and I have some plans to put in place.
I’m going to be a dad. Paige will be a mother. She will be my wife.
I walk faster, and Carter starts jogging to keep up with me, which is hilarious ’cause the guy is taller than me.
“Dude, slow your roll. What are you doing?”
I slow down. I think. “I need to talk to your parents.”
“Lyle and Loretta?”
He finally catches up with me. “Yes. It’s so weird that you refer to them that way.”
“Dude, you do the same with your parents.”
Fair point. “Okay, whatever. Yes. I need to talk to them.”
“Okay, man. They should be home.” He’s huffing and puffing by me as we continue to move quickly to his house.
I clamber up the front steps and bang through the door without knocking. It’s basically my second home. Well, it’s basically home.
“Carter, you better remember to shut the door behind you!” Momma Stewart chastises from the living room.
I pop in and announce myself with a simple, “Hey, Momma S!”
A giant grin spreads across her face. “Oh, Trevor! It’s so good to see you. Come here.” I walk to her so she can smother me with a hug and a gross smooch on the cheek.
“What’s the occasion? You almost always sneak past me and straight to the backyard, where Lyle and the cars are.”
My chest gets tight at the reason I’m here, and sweat builds along my temples.
I know I want to talk to them, but suddenly, unease over even the possibility of disappointing them fills my lungs.
I already know my parents will react horribly, but not knowing Carter’s parents’ response is making my vision blur with the anxiety of it all.
“Umm … Uh.” I sneak a look at Carter, who just came in behind me.
“Carter, love, run to the back to get your dad real quick, please,” my tiny hero, disguised as a middle-aged woman, says.
“Yeah, Momma,” Carter responds before scampering off.
“What’s going on inside that brilliant mind of yours, Trevor?
You look like you’re trying to do calculus, physics, and some other kind of complicated math in there right now.
” She pats the spot on the couch next to her, but I shake my head and start to pace instead.
Then, she begins to pat the seat a little harder, so I sit down.
Don’t fuck with Momma Stewart.
“What’s going on, Trev?” She puts her hand on mine and gives it a squeeze. I keep my head down, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
“I-I-I.” I swallow and try again. “I’m g-going to be a dad.”
I feel her freeze next to me for a brief moment before she relaxes her hold. “And how do we feel about this news?”
I don’t even have to hesitate. “I feel excited, proud, terrified.”
At Loretta’s audible inhale, I finally meet her eyes, and the look in them is clear, compassionate, and caring. Everything a mother should show.
Exactly the kind of mother Paige will be.
“That’s incredible, Trevor.” She pauses and looks terrifying for a moment. “We are talking about Paige?”
“Yes!” I immediately reassure her. “Yes, Paige is pregnant.”
The sound of shattering meets my ears, and I look to see Carter and his father with identical looks of shock, a broken glass at their feet.
“Shit.”
“I didn’t hear anything!” Carter shouts before turning around to run out back. I laugh nervously while Loretta narrows her eyes at the place he was just standing. I really hope he understands how delicate this all is.
“I’ll talk to him, kid.” Lyle comes and sits in the La-Z-Boy in front of me. “What can we do for you, son?”
I can answer this question without issue as well. I have a plan. “I need a family vehicle. I can sell the ’69 and get some pretty good money to get a family vehicle and a ring for my girl.”
Lyle and Momma Stewart’s eyes meet, and they seem to have an entire conversation between them before he gestures to me.
“Follow me. I wanna show you something.”
I stand with a final hand squeeze from Momma S, and make my way out the back door to the lot, as I lovingly like to call it.
Lyle and Carter love cars and deals on cars. Their backyard is a haven for people like them and me.
He walks up to his pristine 1995 Chevy Suburban and leans into the driver’s seat to grab something. He leans out with a set of keys that he places directly into my hand.
“We bought this anticipating a bit of a bigger family than what we got. We hardly, if ever, take it anywhere anymore.” He pushes my hand, holding the keys closer to my chest. “Take it, free and clear.”
“Oh, hell no.” Shit. “No. What I mean is, with all due respect, I need to provide for my family, Mr. Stewart. That means I’d love to buy it off you, once I get my Camaro sold.”