It reminded me a little of Jake. Except he was a better conversationalist in the morning.
“Do you mind if I take your truck into town to take a look? I’ve never been to Chestertown,” I asked Ryan.
“I can go with you. You want to come?” Ryan asked Corey.
Corey shook his head. “I’m just going to hang here.”
“Fair enough. Don’t take the canoes or kayaks out by yourself. The current is strong.”
Corey nodded. “I’ll probably just fish.”
Ryan opened the fridge. “You think you can manage to make yourself a sandwich for lunch?”
Corey rolled his eyes. “I’m not a little kid.”
“Just checking,” Ryan said with a wink to me.
I loved being part of their family. This was more than I got to see when I went out to eat with them or to a football game. This was how they were in real life when no one was watching.
I’d fallen for him, but I wasn’t sure how he felt about me.
“Just let me take a quick shower, and then we can go.”
“No rush.” It was supposed to be a break from our regular lives.
When Ryan closed the door between the kitchen and the master suite, Corey asked, “So, you and my dad?”
I nodded, my head bobbing like one of those bobbleheads. “Are you okay with that?”
Then I held my breath while I waited for his response.
“I haven’t seen him this relaxed in a long time. He’s happy.”
I sat on a barstool next to him, my hands wrapped around my teacup. I didn’t want to interrupt whatever he was going to say.
“My mom would always forget to pick me up from school or fill out a form. Dad had to step in. He never complained and was happy to help. Then she sent me here. I didn’t like it at first.”
I reached over to pat his hand. “I bet it hurt. Listen, your mother loves you.”
“Now she wants me back.”
“You like living with your dad.”
“He makes sure I eat; he lets me play sports. He gets me. She said she didn’t have time to drive me all over the place, but then she told everyone football was too dangerous.” His tone was bitter.
It sounded like Tiffany used that as an excuse.
“If it interfered with her life, she didn’t want to do it.”
I started to sayI’m sure that’s not true, but I couldn’t get the words out because I was afraid it was. Kids understood more than adults gave them credit for. They said they were resilient when it wasn’t exactly true. We adapted, but we never forgot that sense of abandonment or lack of love. It was something we held deep inside.
“I’m so sorry, Corey. I can’t say I know exactly how you feel, but my mom dropped my brother and me off at my grandmother’s house when I was six. I thought she’d come back. For years, I thought she’d realize her mistake, that she’d miss me and come and get me. It was inconceivable that she wouldn’t. But when she did return, it was only for a short visit, and she said she couldn’t take us where she was going. It wasn’t fair. I didn’t understand it.”
Corey looked at me then. Really saw me. “That sucks.”
I huffed out a laugh. Twelve-year-olds could make things sound so simple. “It hurt.”
“So, you’re saying my frustrations with my mom aren’t going to go away?”