“Is it your son that you’re running after, or her? Don’t fall back into her trap again, Calen, you’re smarter than that.”
I leaned my head to the side with my patented ‘what the fuck’ look. “First, no, and second, it’s none of your business if I am or not. You know I don’t like anyone interfering in my personal business, not even you.” Dana swallowed hard and looked away in embarrassment.
I was being harsh, I know, but she’s one of the people who had a lot to say about Giselle when she first left. She’d finally let her true feelings about my ex be known and though I knew she was coming from a place of friendship, now was not the time for an ‘I told you so.’ Not the morning after the night I’d spent in my ex’s bed.
“Look, sorry, I don’t mean to snap, but as you can imagine, the last few days have been stressful what with me finding out I have a son. I know you mean well, that you’re just looking out for me, and I appreciate it, but trust me, you don’t need to worry. You know me better than that. I only give people one chance.”
I saw the look of relief on her face before she grabbed her designer bag and headed to the door. For some reason, the bag caught my notice, and I recalled that Giselle used to own one like it. It’s one of the many things she’d left behind when she walked out on me. Remembering that had my mind going off on a tangent, and mom’s words screeched into my head.
She’d owned tons of stuff like that, and enough clothes for ten fashion shows, but she hadn’t taken a stitch with her. All the bags, jewelry, and designer wear that I’d bought her or had browbeaten her into buying for herself had been left in her walk in closet. Why?
By the time Dana left, my mind was already miles away from her, and instead of heading out to the garden to join Giselle and my son, I stood at the window looking out as my mind tried to make sense of things. Maybe mom was right. Maybe there was more to her leaving than I’d first assumed.
Still, I couldn’t get over the fact that we’d had the kind of relationship where she should’ve felt safe coming to me with whatever. There’s no reason under the sun that I could think of for her to have done what she’d done. And just that quickly, my anger was back again, because she’d thrown me away without a second thought and then had had the audacity to keep my son from me, knowing how much I’d wanted to have a child with her.
Can anyone blame me for my anger and loathing of the woman who’d treated me so poorly? Just then, she came strolling by in the garden below; her cheek pressed to our son’s as she said something to him. The way he cupped her cheek and gave her one of his little slobbery kisses would’ve been heartwarming if I wasn’t in the midst of one of my mood swings where I wanted to gut her ass.
I turned from the window intending to go after her, but then my phone rang. “Silas?”
“We’ve got that thing you wanted.”
“So soon?”
“Yes. Where do you want me to take it?”
“The warehouse on the south side, I’ll be there in an hour.” I hung up the phone and looked back out the window where they were now sitting on a bench, watching two blue jays play with each other.
Okay, mom, you asked me to give her the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see if she deserves it, or if, as I suspect, she’s a disloyal twit who isn’t worth my time. I walked out to the garden to tell my son goodbye. She got fidgety when she saw me coming. Probably thought I was going to take the baby back to Dana again. Since when was she jealous of Dana anyway? The two of them used to get along fine as far as I know.
I wasn’t too interested in the answer anyway as I crouched in front of my son, who reached his little arms out to me. “Da-da.” The look of surprise on her face mirrored mine. “Is this the first time he’s spoken?” In my excitement, I forgot to talk to her the way I have been since her return.