Chapter 10
“I think you’ll surprise yourself and enjoy this more than you think,” Finn said when they entered Riviera View on Halloween. Max sat next to him, his costume in the backpack on the floor, between his feet.
“You liked living here, Dad?” Max changed the subject, looking at the holiday-decorated houses and streets.
“Yeah, a lot. Grandma moved here from L.A. when I was a baby. I can tell you a million stories about every street, beach, store.”
“Please don’t,” Max said with a teenagery grunt. “I know some of those stories by heart. I used to love them when I was smaller.”
“You asked, buddy.”
“Yeah, I meant in general.”
“I loved living here. I miss it.” I miss her.
“Would you move back here if it wasn’t for your job?”
“My job, your school.” Jane.
“Blueshore is kinda boring, but I’m used to it. Eli’s there, and the swim team,” Max concluded.
“Riviera View’s team is also great.”
“Yeah, we compete against them. Do you cheer us or them?” Max looked at him.
“I cheer whichever team you’re on. But if you weren’t on it, I’d cheer Riviera’s.”
“I like it when you’re honest,” Max said.
Finn laughed. God, this kid of mine …
When they parked outside Avery’s house, Max lingered in the car, his shoulders hunched.
“You came with such low expectations that you could only surprise yourself. Trick-or-treating can’t be bad either way. You’ll have tons of candy.”
“Yeah. Bye, Dad. See you tomorrow,” Max said in a tone that clearly said you don’t understand. The teenage mood swings were becoming more apparent in him by the day. He wasn’t the little kid he had been when his parents had divorced. He was a tween who adjusted fast.
What if …?
“Try to have fun and call me if you need to.” He sighed, watching his son walk up the lane to his mother’s house.
Are you happy, Dad? He remembered the question.
He drove to the bakery first. At this hour, she was probably still there.
Finding a parking space wasn’t easy. Ocean Avenue was packed, as was the bakery. Everyone shopped for holiday-spirit cupcakes and cookies.
He didn’t have to get to the head of the line to see she wasn’t there. He had a ready excuse in case her parents asked him what he was doing there, but he didn’t have to use it. They didn’t even notice him. Neither did Connie Latimer.
Getting back into his car, he didn’t heed to any of the reasonings his mind kept throwing at his heart. He knew this town like the palm of his hand. And despite the years, he knew her like the palm of his hand. And whatever the years had changed in her, he was determined to know, because enough was enough.
He needed his dose. A lifetime of it. Happiness and agony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can happiness and agony co-exist? The thought crossed his mind as he stood alone in the living room of his mother-in-law’s house. Everyone else had gone to the foyer to welcome Jane and Tom, who arrived for Christmas. Even Avery. She was curious about Tom.
His stomach had been churning for two weeks, from the moment he had found out that they would be coming, and then it had flipped at the sound of the voice he would recognize anywhere. A voice that had once said, “I love you, but we could never be together.” Another voice was unfamiliar; it didn’t belong to Bert nor Fernando.