“They said that my real mom doesn’t want me. That she’s smart and left me.”
Ryleigh leaned over her seat and padded his knee, “I’m sorry, Tommy. That’s awful.”
“I hate Evangeline.”
The truck faltered before Keenan got it back on track again. It was the first time she’d heard Tommy referred to her as Evangeline instead of his mom. It had been weeks, period, that he’d talked about his mother.
Ryleigh turned her focus to the passing view out the window, as she tried to leave Tommy’s mom with Keenan to deal with.
“We’ll talk about it later, son.”
“You always say that. I hate it. And I hate you!” Tommy pushed his feet against the back of Keenan’s seat, testing how far he could go with his tantrum.
“I’ll give you five seconds to apologize. Or you know what happens when we get home. I’ll put the tablet away for the rest of the week.”
Tommy didn’t respond, and the cabin of the truck filled with an awkward silence. After minutes had passed, Keenan said, “Since when do you call your mother Evangeline?”
“I don’t have a mother!”
Bang.
Another kick to the back of Keenan’s seat.
Ryleigh placed a trembling hand over her mouth, and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She still said nothing, but tried to let him deal with his son, who was more heartbroken than she even realized.
“Son…”
In the rearview mirror, she watched Tommy bite his bottom lip and turn his head, keeping his eyes trained out the window.
“I have you and I have Ryleigh,” Tommy whispered before dissolving into sobs.
Keenan parked in the driveway of his home and wasted no time to get out of the truck and opening Tommy’s door.
She hopped out of his truck just in time to witness Keenan pulling Tommy out of the truck and hugging him. Tommy clung to his dad like the little monkey he is, and she overheard Keenan whisper, “I love you, son. I love you, so, so much.”
Tommy hiccupped and buried his head in the crook of Keenan’s neck.
Ryleigh rested her hand on Tommy’s back. She rubbed softly and said, “I know I’m not your mother, Tommy,” She looked up a millisecond to Keenan before she continued, “But I love you with every little piece of my heart. My heart is so full of you and your dad…”
Tommy pulled his head from Keenan’s neck and looked at Ryleigh. “Does it hurt?”
“It only hurts when I think of losing you two.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” Tommy held Keenan even tighter and said, “Or Dad.”
Keenan rubbed Tommy’s back and said, “We’ll never leave you, son. I promise you. And you know I always keep my promises.”
Tommy nodded and arched over Keenan’s arm to Ryleigh. The scene that followed in the next few seconds will be forever ingrained in her heart. Tommy placed his hand on the back of her head and brought his little forehead against hers. “Cheers.”
Ryleigh’s nose ran from the crying, so she sniffed before she said, “Cheers.”