35
Beckett
T he first few weeks of summer drift by in a blur of work and spending time with the new makeshift family that I have made in Upwood.
I spend a lot of time working during the day while Edison attends summer camp at the local youth center. I make sure I leave my evenings open for us to have quality time together, and I also make sure that I don’t ever work on the weekends, something that is very different for me, but nice.
I let Helen bring her wife Erin down for a few weeks to visit since she works from home and can work from anywhere. Her hostility towards me wanes once she gets to reunite with Helen, staying in the other cabin with her, and getting to catch up on the time they’ve missed since I made her temporarily move here.
We throw a nice party for Edison’s 6th birthday, inviting a few kids from his class, and a few of our friends, to the park in town. We rent out one of the pavilions, and Dragana makes a nice spread of Serbian appetizers. I ask Oakland to help me grill, since I have zero skills in that department.
A man can’t be great at everything, right?
Selah insists on making the birthday cake herself, a chocolate cake with “Ninja Turtle” green icing on top. Edison plays with his friends, and eats sweets until he’s running around on a sugar high, happier than I’ve ever seen him before.
He opens gifts from his friends, and also a few from Selah, Helen, and Erin. I may have gone a little overboard with gifts for him, but I can’t think of a kid who deserves more of a big birthday celebration than him.
Rockwell, Lane, and I help Oakland serve burgers and hot dogs out to ravenous kids while our ladies chat with the other moms gathered around.
I’ve quickly learned over the past few weeks that this group of friends always shows up for each other, and will have your back no matter what you need.
Once Selah told everyone about Edison’s party, they all took it upon themselves to step up and take on assignments without even being asked.
Mary and Lane volunteered to bring tablecloths, cutlery, and balloons, Oakland and Piper gave us items from Reece’s to help fill goodie bags for the families that came, and Evy insisted on helping do face painting for the kids with their other friend, Libby.
This was all put together so quickly that by the time they were done snatching up tasks, I barely had anything to contribute but food and charcoal for the grill.
Edison was excited to meet them all, and especially happy to see Rockwell again, who I’m sure is a bit of a hero in his eyes.
The days after his birthday fly by, and I find it harder and harder to imagine packing up and going back to life in Manhattan once the summer ends.
Upwood has had a strange effect on me that I’m not sure I want to let go of, but I know I need to start figuring out our next steps soon.
◆◆◆
“Are you going to be sweet today?” Selah asks me as I pull off of the main road onto a long driveway.
A large, white, colonial house comes into view and I scowl at it through the windshield.
“I’ll be as sweet as they are to you,” I respond tersely.
We’ve come to her mother and stepfather’s home for a dinner we scheduled a few days ago. Selah has been on edge anticipating me meeting them, knowing how little positive things there seems to be about her interactions with them. But nevertheless, I’m not going anywhere in Selah’s life, and at some point I need to meet them face-to-face.
Selah sighs, putting her head back on the headrest as I turn off the car. “I just don’t want this to be awkward, Beck. I know I haven’t told you the best things about my mother, and Carey’s family, but I want this to just be a quick, civil dinner,” she explains.
I turn to her, lifting her hand to my lips to kiss it. “If they don’t start any bullshit, then everything will be fine,” I respond calmly. “That’s the best that I can do, sweetheart.”
I reach over and unbuckle her seatbelt and lean over to kiss her lips, lingering there for a few moments while I savor the taste of her.
I pull away, gently stroking her hair, “You look beautiful, and you are perfect just the way you are,” I whisper over her mouth, kissing her one more time.
The tension on her face eases and she smiles at me. “Thank you Beck. I love you so much,” she says.
“I love you more, angel. Stay there, I’ll grab the wine, and come get your door,” I say, opening my car door.
I grab the wine we brought with us and take Selah’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze as we make our way up the steps to the front door.
We hear the high-pitched yapping of some dogs on the other side, and a few moments later, the door opens wide, revealing a woman who is a shorter, older version of mine.
Bianca smiles widely at the two of us clapping her hands together, “Hello you two! Come on in!” she chirps.
Her overenthusiastic greeting gives me a slight headache as I pull Selah inside. We step into a large foyer with a big, winding staircase in front of us. The two small dogs that were making a racket stop barking, and come over to smell us curiously as Bianca closes the door, turning to assess Selah and I from head to toe.
I decided to dress more formally in a nice black, buttoned-down shirt and slacks for this dinner since Selah put on a pretty little pink dress tonight. She even did her hair up into this intricate updo of braids and curls that I desperately want to mess up as soon as I get her back home.
Home for us has become my little rental tucked away in the woods. She goes to her house once in a while to check on things, or water flowers, but I moved Willy’s fishbowl over to the living room in my rental so she wouldn’t have to worry about him. Anything I could do to bribe her to spend more time with us.
It didn’t take too much convincing.
She’s been moving forward in every way, eating more meals without me reminding her, and feeling more confident about herself. I’ll be damned if this little “family dinner” sets her back even half a step from all of the progress she’s made.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Bianca,” Selah’s mother greets me, holding out her hand, the same wide smile plastered on her face.
“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I’m Beckett,” I respond, shaking her hand lightly before handing her the bottle of wine. “This is for you.”
Her eyes widen as she looks over the tattoos on my hands before regaining her trophy wife smile. “Oh, thank you! And no need for “ma’am’s” here! It makes me feel so dreadfully old,” she laughs, waving her hand through the air. “Come on into the dining room. Dinner is almost done.”
We follow behind her through a hallway that is lined with pictures. I see an older Black man in a few of the pictures with Bianca, and pictures of another man and woman who look about my age.
The entire hallway holds framed photos, but I don’t see a single one with my Selah in it. I grind my jaw, counting to ten in my head so I don’t start this evening off on the wrong foot and begin calling out the bullshit I’m already seeing. Surely there must be a picture of my girl somewhere in this damn house, so for now I bury my irritation.
We step into a huge kitchen and walk through it to a dining room where the older man I saw in the hallway pictures is sitting, tapping away on a cell phone.
Selah’s stepfather, Carey, looks older than the photos he was in. More grey hair covers his head, and his face looks more weathered. I know that Selah said he is quite a bit older than her mother, but I guess I didn’t realize that he could easily pass for her grandfather instead of her stepfather.
His eyes move over to us as we walk inside, peering at us over the dark rims of his glasses. He sets his phone on the table, standing up as Bianca walks over to him.
“Hunny, this is Beckett, Selah’s friend,” she announces, placing a hand on his arm. “Beckett, this is my husband, Carey Garrett.”
“Actually, I am Selah’s boyfriend . Nice to meet you, Sir,” I correct, stepping in front of him to shake his hand.
He arches an eyebrow, glancing at Selah as he shakes my hand. “Boyfriend? Well, nice to meet you, Beckett,” he responds gruffly, nodding at Selah before shuffling back to his seat.
“Come on. Have a seat both of you,” he grumbles, pointing to the empty chairs at the large table. “Bianca, get them something to drink. You like bourbon, Beckett?”
I pull out a chair at the table for Selah, shaking my head, “No, thank you. Water will be fine. How about you, sweetheart?” I ask, looking down at Selah.
“Fine for me too,” she responds, sitting down and scooting in.
Bianca takes off to get our drinks, and I notice that Selah and Carey avoid eye contact with each other. He picks back up his cell phone, poking away as he begins to speak to me again.
“So, Beckett. You and Selah are an item, huh? How did you two meet? Do you work at the elementary school with her?”
Selah stifles a laugh, and I wrap my arm around the back of her chair, giving her an encouraging smile, before turning back to her stepfather.
“No, Sir. I actually don’t live in Upwood full-time. My nephew lives here, and I moved here temporarily to deal with some family issues, and take over has his legal guardian. Selah was actually his teacher,” I explain.
His gaze remains on his phone as he nods his head. Bianca comes back in with our drinks, setting down our glasses and we thank her quietly. She sets down Carey’s plate, and retreats back into the kitchen.
Carey finally looks over at me, “Very interesting. So where do you live full-time then?” He asks, tapping a finger against the table.
“New York. That’s where my business is,” I respond.
Bianca walks back into the room balancing three plates and sets two down in front of Selah and I. “Oh, a business owner? That’s so nice!” Bianca interjects, her eyes flashing with surprise. “ Carey owns three different car dealerships. Two here in Charlestown and a smaller one in Hershton, right hunny?”
“That’s nice,” I respond dryly, looking over at Selah’s plate. She has a small chicken breast with a large salad, while I have a steak and potatoes.
“Do you want to switch with me, beautiful?” I ask, already lifting up her plate. I know she prefers her meat and potatoes over a dry looking chicken breast and greens any day of the week.
She hesitates for a moment, looking at her mother as she goes to take her seat. “I would, yes. Thank you, Beck,” she says quietly, giving me a tense smile.
I rub her back gently, then point to her plate, “Go ahead, angel.”
We all start to eat, and Bianca turns her attention to me once again, “What kind of business do you have in New York, Beckett?” she asks, as she plays with her salad.
I rarely enjoy answering this question for a list of reasons, but tonight I’m more than happy to respond.
“I own a company my father started. Kade Technology,” I respond casually, reaching over to help Selah cut her steak.