I don’t buy that we were just kids, or that he got scared, or any one of those horrible excuses people love to come up with.
I don’t buy that for one damn minute.
Nope.
There’s something more to the story: something he’s not telling me.
No matter what it takes, I’m going to get to the bottom of things.
Chapter Six
Cage
The day passes comfortably, but the snow shows no signs of letting up. I spend the entire day hanging out with Alicia and Orlando in their home, and it’s the most wonderful and unusual experience I’ve ever had.
There’s just something magical about the fact that I have a kid.
Me.
Cage has a kid.
Damn, if that’s not the most unusual and incredible thing I’ve ever heard. I never really pictured myself as the fatherly type. I never thought, “Hey, I should have a kid.”
Now that I know about Orlando, though, I realize there’s absolutely no going back. After this understanding and this revelation, I’m never going to be able to go back to how I was before.
Only, there’s a part of me that realizes things can’t stay the same.
For any of us.
Now that I know about Orlando, I want to get to know him. I’ve missed four years of my kid’s life. I don’t want to miss any more moments.
How is Alicia going to feel about that?
At some point, probably tonight, I’m going to have to talk with her. We’re going to have to have a long, in-depth conversation about why I left and why I’m back, but more importantly, why I want to go where I’m going.
Is she going to understand how my career works?
Will she care?
More importantly, is she going to let me see my kid?
It’s no secret that I’m still attracted to Alicia. Even in the years I was gone, I never stopped missing her or loving her. She’s just totally herself, after all. How could I ever stop loving her?
But time has passed differently for her, and there’s a chance they may not want anything to do with me. She might not want me around at all. She might want me out of her life, out of our kid’s life, and out of town.
I can’t leave, though.
Not now.
Not after all of this.
“Bedtime,” Alicia says suddenly, glancing at the clock. Is it eight o’clock already? Both Orlando and I look up from where we’re playing with trains, and I realize that it’s definitely bedtime for the little guy, and it’s definitely not something any of us are looking forward to.
“Can’t he stay up a little later?” I ask.
I miss him.