“It’s because you were with me.” Courtney is packing for her Friday appointments.
“I think it’s because the deputy has a thing for his dispatcher.”
She steps over to kiss my head. “Whatever it takes. I’ll follow up with my department chair about you joining Palmetto. He said if there’s money in the budget, he’ll find a place for you. Don’t want him to forget.”
“You are too good to me.” I give her a tight squeeze, but she plays it off.
“If we’re going to move to a better apartment, I need to get you earning some money.”
“Speaking of, I’ve got that client tonight at five-thirty. Want me to grab a pizza on the way home? We can chill out and watch Unsolved Mysteries or something about frogs if that’s too much…?”
“It’s a date.” She pulls her bag over her shoulder and looks past me. “Come on, Ollie! You’re going to make me late!”
“Go on.” I wave her away. “I’ll drive him to school. You get to work.”
“Sure?” Her nose wrinkles, and I wave my hand.
“Of course! I’ll get him to school. You get to work and talk to your boss.”
“He’s not really my boss…” She’s still talking as she heads out the door.
I dash to the bathroom to dust powder on my nose and pull my hair into a ponytail. I only have one appointment today, Court is doing her best to get me on at her place, but otherwise, it’s time to start cold calling. I’ll pay a visit to the different offices in town, and I need to look respectable. I add a little more blush so I don’t look too pale, then I add some gloss on top of my lipstick.
We’re in the van when Ollie squints at me from the second row. “You’re wearing a lot of makeup.”
“Too much blush?” I flip down the visor. God, the last thing I need is to look like a hooker.
“Your eyes are too dark, and why are your lips so shiny?” He puts a plastic cage on his lap and stares through the clear panel at Chartreuse.
“You can be kind of rude, you know?” I slide an eye over at him while still rubbing at the purple eyeshadow I applied. Maybe I was a little heavy-handed. “Is something bothering you?”
His chin is tucked, and while I know he loves that creepy frog, he’s acting more into her today than usual.
“Hey.” I give him a nudge with my arm. “Talk to me. We’re roomies, after all.”
He doesn’t look at me.
He studies the green amphibian a few seconds longer, like he’s receiving messages from her eerie, oversized eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle rub.
“You can trust me, you know? I’m your aunt Sly. I might not look like the goddess of all wisdom, but I know a lot more than you’d expect—”
“Mom said all men are assholes. But… I’m a man. Does that make me an asshole too?”
My jaw drops, and I’m totally stumped. “Ollie… No…”
I want to pull the car over and give him a hug. How can this little guy possibly understand how his mother’s feeling? We’ve worked so hard to keep all that ugliness from him, but is that even possible? I continue rubbing his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.
“Sometimes people say things when they’re upset, and they’re really just exaggerating. Like that time you said you hated Chuck E. Cheese because it was closed when we wanted to go? It’s like that. You don’t hate Chuck E. Cheese, and your mom doesn’t think all men are assholes. She’d never think that of you.”
“It’s because my dad’s a bad man. He hurts my mom, and he wants to hurt me.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look out the window. Why haven’t I discussed how to handle this with Courtney? I have no idea what she’s told him about the situation or what I should say about it. Lord, here I go…
“Your dad is having some problems. We hope one day he can get some help for those problems, but for now, it’s better if you’re not around him.”
“He’s still my dad. Jesse said he’s going to grow up and be just like his dad.” His voice trails off, and he studies the frog in his lap like he might cry.
Heat clouds my eyes, and I grip his shoulder. “Look at me, Oliver. You can choose what kind of man you’ll be. Understand? Some people don’t even have a dad…” Pressing my lips together, I try to think. “You could be like your mom. She’s smart and strong and loving. What if you grow up to be like her?”