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“Umm, okay.” I worried my bottom lip. “It’s fine. But I can’t guarantee Liam will do it. He takes his work very seriously.” A little too seriously, if you ask me. And he says I’m the stick-in-the-mud.
“We’ll work on that.” The strange smile she gave me sent a shiver up my spine.
What had I just agreed to?
It was probably strange to consider my former in-laws’ house my safe haven. But how could I not? They lived in the cutest little cottage near the end of a colorful street. The front door was pink, and planters with yellow tulips lined the porch. Their home was the definition of comfort, filled with old furniture pieces, family photos, and thick woven blankets stacked in a basket on one side of the couch. The smell of warm vanilla and coconut always wafted through the air, making the place smell like a French bakery.
It may have been Liam’s parents’ house, but I’d done a lot of growing up here too. This home was full of memories that, no matter what the court documents said, I couldn’t divorce.
I wrapped my hands around a warm mug with tiny strawberries painted on it and brought it to my lips. The English breakfast tea inside went perfectly with the slice of cake on the coffee table in front of me.
My shoulders relaxed at the mellifluous sound of the boys and Jerry laughing outside. Yeah, right or wrong, this was definitely my safe haven.
Mama B wiped her hands on a dish towel and sat next to me on the love seat. Her nails were painted a sunset orange, with little white flowers on them. I loved that about her. Even when we were in high school, Mama B never left the house without her nails done.
“You’re going to do it, right?”
The boys had asked to stop by for a visit, and the moment we arrived, she ushered me into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent Jerry and the boys outside and zeroed in on me, clearly seeing behind the mask of composure I thought I’d donned on the way over.
Mama B had been a second mom to me for years, regardless of the status of my relationship with Liam. I was beyond grateful for her unconditional love, especially now that my parents had retired and moved to Maine. Mama B was my go-to person when I needed advice. My mom was a precious angel in her own right, but she was an angel who lived ten hours away. Today, I needed an instant pick-me-up, or maybe instant insight.
“I don’t have much of a choice. Kim said the boys were so excited about it.” I sighed, my heart heavy in my chest as I lifted the mug to my lips.
She crossed her legs and scooted to the end of the couch cushion, leaning in so she could catch my eye.
“You want my advice?”
I huffed an exhausted breath. “Please?”
“Forget about what happened before. Focus on the now. On the boys. They won’t be this age for long. Channel all of that past into this festival. Show them that you can be a bigger person. It will be…impactful for them, I think.”
That was easier said than done. If Mama B knew all the details surrounding the divorce, I doubt she would give the same advice. Toward the end, Liam and I were practically strangers. She and Jerry were made for each other, never wondering or questioning their marriage. Of course she didn’t understand the situation I was in. She was married to her true soul mate. A match made in heaven, complete with little Cupid babies in diapers floating around them constantly.
When we’d broken the news, Jerry was so shocked I thought he’d fall out of his recliner, but Mama B just looked at me with sad eyes, like she could read every one of my thoughts. Like she could feel the waves of mixed emotions rolling off me.
The part about being the bigger person was easy. Liam wouldn’t know what maturity meant if it slapped him in the face. The other day, he’d told Nathan that he wished he could breathe underwater so he could quiz the fish about what else lived in the ocean. Sea life wasn’t even the topic of conversation. He asked like his mind was this open book for everyone to read. But that was neither here nor there.
Actually working with him would be the real challenge. Co-parenting was surprisingly easy. It was the only easy thing about our interactions these days.
When I finally left, I expected Liam to default to stubborn. To fight me on every parenting choice. I was certain we’d argue over who got them for which holidays, who bought them what, and how we could ensure that we split all responsibilities evenly.
Instead, the man was uncharacteristically agreeable. Like a buoy in rough seas, just bobbing along and going with the flow, adjusting to every harsh wave.
No matter what I asked for in regard to the boys, he said yes. He nodded in agreement with every ridiculous request and my no-candy rule. Not a single snide comment about my anxious parenting had ever been uttered.
We couldn’t agree on anything that didn’t relate to our children, but the ability to co-parent was enough.
I shivered at the thought of the parent meeting. “Can we pretend he’s not your son for a second?”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “Already done.”
“It’s still…hard to be in a room with him. He’s a great dad, really. Probably the best out there.”
Not once, since day one, had I doubted that. He did as well or better than any father could. No matter how annoying he was, I would always be grateful for that.
“I’m sure a good son too, but we struggled with communication and sharing similar priorities. I worry taking on stressful school projects will only make things worse.”
“Hmm. So you’re worried that you and Liam working together could make things harder on the boys?”
