AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the door opened, Ashley found herself face-to-face with David for the first time since that awful day in court when she signed the custody papers. She took a moment to admire him in the cargo pants and navy polo shirt he was wearing, both of which fit very well. He looked almost the same as she remembered, with the exception of a few more lines on his face and generous streaks of silver in his hair, which was shorter than it used to be, but still longer than most men his age were wearing it. He was now clean-shaven, as well, and to Ashley that was the biggest difference in his appearance.
Just days away from his fiftieth birthday, Ashley couldn’t help but marvel at how good it looked on him. Really good.
“Hello, David,” she greeted him.
“Ashley,” he returned politely.
When she’d finally managed to get in touch with him at his studio (after coming to the conclusion he was either ignoring her calls to his cell phone or had blocked her number), and put forth her request, she’d expected him to tell her to fuck off. To her surprise, however, he’d listened to her, and to her further surprise, he’d also agreed to discuss her request with Paige and Jacob.
“But it’ll be Jacob’s decision,” David had warned.
“I understand,” she’d replied.
After a few days, David had called Ashley back, letting her know Jacob had agreed to see her. Hearing that filled her with a nervous anticipation, and now, with the meeting imminent, she felt a little nauseous.
“Thank you for this. I appreciate it,” she told David.
“You’re welcome.”
He stepped back and invited her inside the house, then took her coat and purse, hanging them on hooks just inside the door, and leaving her to hold the small, wrapped gift she’d brought. Once past the foyer, she could see the first floor had an open floor plan, with the living room and kitchen sharing one space. The kitchen looked like the heart of the house, with a giant island, beautiful custom maple cabinetry, acres of granite countertops, and stainless, high-end appliances. The living room was dominated by a massive leather sectional, that looked like it got a lot of use, probably when the family was watching their favorite shows on the big-screen TV hanging over the gas fireplace.
He told her to wait in the living room, and after excusing himself to go upstairs for a few minutes (probably to announce her arrival), Ashley started walking around, looking at the knick-knacks that were displayed. She was careful not to touch or move anything, not wanting to leave any sign of ‘snooping’, but before she got even halfway through the room, her exploration was halted at the sight of a large black cat sleeping on a tufted, wingback chair in the far corner of the room. Almost on cue, her allergy started to make itself known and her sinuses began to tingle, so she immediately pivoted away from the cat, to put some distance between them. As she did, a row of framed photographs displayed on the mantle caught her attention and drew her over. There were a few of the entire family, but most were individual shots of Jacob and his younger brother, Julian, as they grew up and as she looked at them, the resemblance of the brothers at the same ages was quite startling.
A few moments later, when she heard footsteps on the stairs, she turned and braced herself.
David appeared first, with Paige by his side, who smiled and said politely, “Hello, Ashley.”
“Hello, Paige,” Ashley returned, injecting warmth into her voice for the woman who’d stepped in and adopted Ashley’s son after she’d chosen to relinquish custody. “Thank you for letting me come here today,” she added, smart enough to know that even though it had ultimately been Jacob’s decision, Paige’s approval had to have played a big part in the positive outcome.
“You’re welcome.” Paige’s smile was warmer this time. “You look great, by the way.”
“Thank you. So do you.”
And it was true. The subtle changes in Paige’s appearance which came with age—the fine lines around her eyes and the streaks of silver in her shoulder-length, toffee-colored hair, only seemed to enhance her looks. She was dressed casually, in black leggings and a heather-gray shirt, layered with a matching long cardigan, managing to look effortless and elegant at the same time.
More footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, and then a pre-teen, slightly gangly Julian came into view, in a pair of basketball shorts and a hoodie. In real life, his resemblance to his older brother and father was even more obvious, except for his brown eyes—his mother’s eyes.
Right behind him came Jacob, and Ashley had to catch her breath upon getting her first real glimpse of him in over fourteen years. It was almost like a punch to the gut, because pictures didn’t do him justice. The little boy from her memory banks was now a tall, young man with a muscular frame, dark, ash-brown hair worn pushed back and a little messy, and a layer of stubble on his handsome face. He was wearing jeans and a vintage, black T-shirt with the iconic Rolling Stones logo on the front, making her note with amusement that he seemed to have inherited his father’s love of classic rock music. He was also wearing a black leather cord around his neck, with a blue crystal hanging from it, and several silver rings, one of which was set with a shiny, black stone.
Ashley didn’t see any part of herself in him, and that was okay, she decided. Just knowing she’d helped make this person was enough for her to appreciate, even if it hadn’t been done honestly.
With the arrival of the two boys, came a strange moment where introductions would normally occur, but Julian plowed through it by announcing in a voice which was just beginning to deepen, “I’m Julian.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Julian,” Ashley replied. “I’m Ashley.”
“I know who you are.”
“Julian,” Paige murmured, the admonishment delivered softly, but with a hint of tolerant exasperation.
“What? I do.”
Paige sighed. “Never mind.”
Taking a deep breath, Ashley turned her attention to Jacob. “Hello, Jacob.”
“Hello.”
After a few awkward beats of ensuing silence, David suggested brightly, “Why don’t we all have a seat … and get comfortable?”
