no qualms about using that to my advantage. If she wants access to my son, she’d learn to toe the line and not give this… thing any ideas about forgiveness or being accepted back into the family in any capacity.
I can already predict what mom’s angle is going to be, and I have no plans on giving in to any of her damn suggestions. I wish her husband were here to keep her in line and out of my business. Damn!
CALEN
“Where is it?” She came hurrying down the stairs as soon as the car came to a stop and I got out.
“Where is what?”
“My surprise. From the way you sounded on the phone, I figured it must be something good. I even tried pestering poor Dana, but she swore she knew nothing, which only made me doubly sure my son was getting me something spectacular if you kept it from even her.”
Dana is one of my best friends. We’d met back at university at a mutual friend’s party and had clicked immediately. There was a time when we thought we might be something more together, but after one botched night of satirical mishaps, we’d both put that one to sleep.
The only thing we had in common other than our scholastic goals was that we both came from very well to do backgrounds, were privy to some of the same privileges, and knew some of the same people. We’d joined some of the same clubs after we met, and she’d even chose to move to my hometown after graduation to keep our friendship going. But the chemistry just wasn’t there.
That thought had me gritting my teeth as I refused to look back at the car behind me, which mom obviously hadn’t noticed. I’d had off the charts chemistry with my ex, and look where that got me. In the end, I may have been better off with someone like Dana, who wouldn’t have stomped all over my heart and stolen my son. I had to change my train of thought before I did something horrible in front of my mother, like knock Giselle’s lying scheming ass to the ground.
Hitting her would only bring minute gratification and leave me feeling bad about myself since I think hitting a woman is about one of the lowest things a man can do. But that doesn’t stop me from imagining the satisfaction I might get from tossing her ass off a cliff, though.
I shook my head of my wayward thoughts and tried to put them out of my head for now. Mom was still prattling on about her surprise, and I had the fleeting thought that maybe I should have her sit down first before the excitement causes her to keel over. She’s wanted a grandchild for so long, and I was beginning to fear that she might never get one since I’d sworn off marriage and family after the number my ex had done on me.
“Is it a puppy? Did you go get me the one I want? Your dad is being such a jerk about it.” I just rolled my eyes and walked around to the other side of the car to get my son with her hot on my heels. Her latest thing is some kind of miniature dog that’s bred only in China. She’s been begging for the last few months for my dad to fly out there and bring her back one.
You have to be on a waiting list to get one of the damn things, and our money didn’t mean as much to them as it does to our peers, so we have to wait like everyone else. Something my dear beloved mom has no relations with. At least once a week, she harangues either dad or me about the damn dog to no avail. If I wasn’t so busy, I might’ve given it a shot just to pacify her since she’s only spoilt and entitled when it comes to her pets and the people she loves.
She was still raving about the dog when I opened the car door and reached for my son, who had fallen asleep. “Calen, who’s this?” Her voice, which had softened the way most women’s do when they see a baby was still loud enough to wake him. I heard the second she recognized him as soon as she saw his eyes. “Calen…what…?”
Just then, Giselle stepped out of her car, looking uncertain and somewhat afraid. “Giselle, what is going on?” Mom looked from the