He hesitated as if he wasn’t sure how to answer.
Is this how he felt when he had to stay with me? The only difference was I’d lived closer to him then.
“I don’t want to miss any games.”
“Maybe we can convince her to come here and see you.”
“You think so?” he asked eagerly.
“It doesn’t hurt to ask.” He wanted to see his mother but wanted her to be part of his life here, not the other way around. I couldn’t blame him.
We walked into the barber shop. It was a cute replica of the old-time shops, complete with the red, white, and yellow rotating sign out front, and the sign that readMain Street Barber Shop. Simple yet effective branding.
The stylists were busy with other customers, so I filled out Corey’s name on the clipboard, and took a seat next to him in the waiting area.
I remained silent, sensing Corey had something he wanted to tell me.
“I know at first I said I wanted to go back to Texas but—” He seemed to be struggling with what to say.
“But now you don’t.”
Relief filled his expression. “I have the team and my friends.”
“School,” I said, keeping a close eye on his face. I wanted to be as in tune with him as I could be.
He nodded.
“You must stay here until your hearing. You’re cleared to leave for visitation but nothing else.”
I wanted to hear his thoughts on Tiffany’s desire to have him return home. I suspected Avery would want to know where he stood at our meeting on Monday, and I did, too. “If you had a choice, would you want to stay here, or go back home?”
I figured the best thing would be to keep Tiffany’s desires from him for now. So, I didn’t mention his home wasn’t his home anymore, and he’d be going to a different school. I held my breath for his answer, not realizing until now how much I’d feared him asking me to go back again. He’d said it a lot when he first came to live with me, and it hadn’t rankled because I’d thought of myself as a temporary living situation.
The day-to-day decisions about schools, classes, teachers, friends, and doctors was all Tiffany. But now that I’d stepped into my father role more fully, I liked it. I wanted to be the man in his life he looked up to. Not a weekend dad.
I couldn’t help but think Hailey had a part in my newfound confidence.
Corey sat back in the chair and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Honestly?”
I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest to cover how much I was anticipating his answer.
“Maybe a few months ago I would have wanted to leave, but not now.”
I wanted to ask more about his life with Tiffany. If she was strict or permissive, if he was alone a lot, or if she was an attentive mother, but a man stepped in front of us.
“Corey?”
Corey nodded.
“I’m Carter, and I’m ready for you.”
Corey stood to follow him to his chair. I watched Corey talk to the man, telling him what style he wanted, and I stayed where I was. Corey was maturing, and I wanted him to make more of his own decisions.
I watched Carter use scissors to cut the longer strands, then a buzzer to get the back and sides. The transformation was a good one.
I moved toward them and infused pride in my voice. “It looks great. Do you like it?”
Corey examined himself in the mirror. “I do.”