Olivia
Ethan climbs out of the car at drop-off and slings his backpack over one shoulder, but he doesn't run toward the building the way he usually does.
He stands with the door open and scrunches his nose up at me.
It's the look he gives me when he already knows what I'm going to say but he wants to press an issue, and after the ten-minute-long conversation on the drive across town about "Dad's vacation", I already know what he wants.
"Mom?"
"Yeah, buddy?" I sigh, trying not to sound too upset with him. Derek's gotten into his head that the vacation is a can't-miss opportunity and he'll really be missing out if I don't let him go.
"Dad said the lake house has a rope swing now.
" He picks at the strap on his backpack and won't look me in the eye.
"And Grandma and Grandpa are gonna be there and Grandpa said he'd teach me to fish off the dock.
" My heart kind of breaks for him. I wish Derek would plan these things on holidays or weekends.
Ethan only has a few days of school left, and these tests are too important to miss.
I can't say yes. His education is more important.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to face him fully. "It does sound really fun, buddy, but—"
"So can I go?" he asks quietly, almost carefully, and I realize Derek has coached him on this. My eight-year-old isn’t the same sort of manipulator as my ex-husband, but that makes me so angry, I almost can’t speak.
I swallow the tightness in my throat and purse my lips for a second before responding.
"We talked about this, Ethan. You have school on Thursday and Friday and your math test is Friday morning. Remember?"
"But Dad said the test doesn't matter because I'm smart enough to make it up." He's whining now, trying really hard to sway me.
"Dad and I see things differently on this one, buddy." I reach over and fix the collar of his shirt because it's folded under his backpack strap. "I promise we'll plan something fun for a weekend soon. Maybe we can do our own trip, go camping or something."
"It won't be the same," he grumbles honestly, and it slices through my heart. He looks at the school building and then back at me. "Trevor gets to miss school for trips all the time."
"Trevor's mom and I have different rules. Okay?" I smile at him, hoping to lighten his grumpiness before he goes into school. "You're gonna do great on that test. I'll make your favorite dinner Friday night to celebrate. Deal?"
He shrugs one shoulder. "I guess." But he looks so sad now. I hate that Derek puts him in this situation when he knows damn well what I'm going to say.
"I love you. Have a good day."
"Love you too." He shuts the door and sulks toward the entrance with his head down and his backpack dragging, and I watch him until he disappears inside.
The car feels empty when he's gone. I put it in drive and pull out of the line, turning toward the coffee shop so I can caffeinate before work.
Derek knows exactly what he's doing. He fills Ethan's head with promises and exciting plans and then sends him to me to ask the questions he knows I'll say no to.
That way, I'm always the bad guy. I'm the one who says no and makes the rules and takes the fun away, and Derek gets to be the cool dad with the lake house and the rope swing and the grandparents who only exist on his schedule.
One day, Ethan might decide he wants to live there instead of here. The idea of that breaks my heart because I've seen it happen in real life. And once a child is fourteen, they can speak to the judge on their own behalf and request things like that.
I stew the entire drive to the coffee shop and park out front.
When I push through the door and get in line, I see Caleb at the corner table with a black coffee and his phone on the table in front of him.
He looks up when the door chimes and sees me and gives me that short nod I've come to expect from him.
Much to my surprise, he doesn't look too sullen this morning, almost pleasant.
I order my latte and carry it over and sit down across from him without asking. He looks at me, though he doesn't say much.
"Good morning," I say brightly, ready to shake off the negativity. This man is becoming a fixture in my life and I don't want him to be dragged down by any of my moods.
"Morning."
"You look cheerful today," I tell him, and he lifts an eyebrow sarcastically.
"I'm fine, I guess," he mumbles, bringing his paper cup to his lips to sip.
"You say that a lot, you know. 'I'm fine.' I think it's your entire emotional vocabulary." I take a sip of my latte and set it down. "Have you ever considered expanding into other phrases? Maybe 'I'm doing well' or 'what a lovely morning' or even just a solid 'not bad'?"
"I'm fine covers it," he says, smirking. It's almost a full smile, which makes me feel successful.
I pull my hair over one shoulder and lean back in the chair. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Getting coffee." He lifts the cup an inch and sighs. Again, his answer is short and sweet, like it is a lot of times when we talk, unless I'm opening up. Then he always has something thoughtful to say.
"You're killing me, Caleb. I'm working so hard to have a normal interaction with you and you're giving me single-word answers like I'm interviewing you for a job you don't want." I grin at him, and his mouth twitches in a ghost of a smile again.
He sits back, staring at me, and the expression he gives is almost admiration or desire. I love how he looks at me. It makes me feel wanted. "What do you want me to say?"
"Anything. Tell me something. What's one thing you're thinking about right now?"
He looks at his coffee and then back at me. "I'm thinking that you talk more before nine in the morning than most people talk all day."
"That's because most people are boring." I wink at him, and he shakes his head, but the twitch comes back and stays a beat longer this time. "See? You're almost having fun. I can feel it. You're right on the edge."
"Oh, woman, I'm not on any edge."
"There it is…" I sigh happily, knowing I've gotten him to smile at least once today. "What's on your agenda today?"
"Just a few clients to meet up with. I'm gearing up to start a private security firm.
We originally thought maybe North Carolina was a good place, but Ohio's not looking too bad either.
" He avoids eye contact, but with the ease between us now, I can't help but wonder if he's thinking of staying in Ohio because of me. It makes me smile.
"Private security… Sounds like a good fit for an ex-serviceman."
He drains the rest of his coffee and stands up. "Yes, well I think so too… But I have to run." He drops a few bills on the table for a tip and shoves his wallet back in his pants, then pockets his phone.
"Of course you do. Right when we were making progress." When our eyes meet, there's a warmth in his expression that makes me swoon. He's so goddamn handsome.
"Have a good day, Olivia."
"Have a good day, Caleb," I say in a deep voice, imitating his serious tone, and I catch the edge of a real smile before he turns away. He walks to the counter and drops his cup in the bin, then pushes through the door without looking back.
Something is definitely brewing here, and it's serious enough that I might consider saying Caleb and I are dating. I really like him, and I think he really likes me.
If Derek screws this up for me, I'll hate him for the rest of my life.
But whether or not he pushes this with the court, I'm not backing down.
Caleb is a war hero, a great man who did amazing things for his country, which I've yet to hear about, but I know in time, he'll open up.
I'm not going to let Derek intimidate me to stay away from him.
And I'm going to put an end to this nonsense with Ethan too. I won't let that bastard teach my kid to manipulate people.