“Good,” he replies as he takes my hand and leads me downstairs to my beloved friend. This is her. This is how she operates. My birthday and Christmas presents from Owen all come from Jenna. She has been the stand-in sensible dad to Owen since he was born because his father was hopeless and my happiness is more important to her than her own. I could never repay her for everything she has done for me. I smile as I walk into the kitchen as she serves up my dinner onto a plate, and I kiss her cheek. “Thank you,” I mouth.
She throws the tea towel over her shoulder. “Congratulations on your first day.” She smirks, her eyes alive with mischief.
Owen climbs up onto the stool next to me, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
“Owen bought me flowers,” I reply.
“I saw them.” She smiles. “You are so lucky to have a son like him.”
Owen smiles a proud of himself smile.
I put my arm around his shoulders and kiss the top of his head. “I know. My little prince.” I begin to press kisses all over his face until he swats me away, laughing.
“Stop it, Mom,” he squeals. “Stop it.”
Jenna pushes my plate over to me and I look down at the casserole and mashed potatoes she has made.
“Thank you.” I grab her hand over the table as emotion overcomes me. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you do all you do.”
She smiles warmly. “I know.”
Her eyes glance to Owen as he sits beside me, and then she pours me a glass of wine. “I can’t wait to hear all about your day and your new boss.” She widens her eyes in jest. I shovel the first fork full of food into my mouth. “My new boss is nice.” I gesture to the food. “This is delicious.”
“And?”
I smirk around my mouthful, not wanting to elaborate in front of Owie. “And I will tell you later when I have drunk this bottle of wine.”
Two hours later I am trying my hardest to explain my predicament.
“The forms were really long and I was doing them for an hour. I don’t know why I wrote it, I just did.”
We are on our second bottle of wine at the kitchen table with Owen safely tucked up in bed.
Jenna frowns. “I just don’t understand why you lied. There is nothing wrong with having kids Ashley.”
I blow out a defeated breath. “I know, but I didn’t know I was going to know him when I filled it out, did I?”
Her eyes hold mine.
“I don’t want to be judged and given special treatment because I’m a single mom.”
“You won’t be.”
“I will be. I will get the whole ‘you go first, your kid is waiting’ bullshit. ‘You can’t do overtime because you have a kid at home’.”
Jenna watches me sadly. “But what happens if you like this guy and he asks you out on a date?”
“He won’t.”
“He might. He remembered you. That’s something.” She smiles hopefully.
I roll my eyes as I drain my glass. “Trust me, as soon as he finds out I have a kid he will lose interest instantly and I will become someone’s mom who is not needed anymore.”
Jenna purses her lips as she thinks. “You need to tell him, so if there’s a chance, you can rekindle what you had.”
My eyes hold hers.
“You’ve talked about this guy for years, compared everyone to him, and now he’s come back to you in a weird twist of fate and you’ve started it all with lies. What’s wrong with you?”
I drop my head into my hands. “Oh God, I don’t know. I was flustered, he’s all gorgeous, and the women swoon over him. I just felt so bloody old.”
“Go in there tomorrow and tell him everything. Tell him you remember him, tell him you had a son, and tell him you want to explore anything there might be between you.”
“I’m not saying that.” I screw up my face in disgust. “I want to explore things with you.” I shake my head. “Sounds like bloody David Attenborough.”
She laughs. “What did he look like?”
I throw my head backwards. “I have never seen a man so hot. He could do me some damage, that’s for sure.” I shake my head in disgust. “I’m practically a virgin again.”
“Did you take a photo of him?”
I screw up my face again. “Are you a freak? I am not taking a fucking photo of him.” I shake my head.