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And now, he’s trying to take my son away from me. He doesn’t deserve to know the truth! Suddenly, the guilt hits me; like a wave, it washes away my anger. What I just thought is not entirely true… He even admitted, albeit arrogantly, that he didn’t want to hurt Connor by forcing us apart. That’s why he offered for me to move in with them. He and I both know I don’t have a choice. If I want to be near my son, I will have to move in with Carson.
That thought tightens the knot that’s already formed in my stomach. Living under the same roof with a man I resent and… still yearn for? This is a nightmare come true.
Seven
Carson
When I open my eyes, the first thing I’m aware of is the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. When I emerge from my bedroom, I’m dressed in brown cargo shorts and a blue polo shirt. I head straight to the kitchen as the delicious smell of sizzling bacon mingles with the scent of coffee.
I stop short when I see Anna standing in front of the stove. She has on white shorts and a white and blue halter top that shows off her tanned back. She’s barefoot with a kitchen towel tied around her waist as an apron. She’s flipping a perfectly browned pancake as I saunter up to the coffee pot. I pour myself a cup of coffee as my eyes search the apartment.
I hear Anna give a soft laugh, “If you’re looking for Connor, good luck. He can be extremely hard to get up in the mornings,” she says over her shoulder. “But I’ve found that bacon works better than any alarm clock.”
As she continues to cook a pile of pancakes, I get out plates and silverware and set the dining room table. I place butter on the table and look around for the syrup we bought, but can’t find it.
I hear the spare bedroom door open and out comes a rumpled Connor, still in his shorts and T-shirt that he slept in. He mumbles something that resembles a good morning but then disappears in the direction of the bathroom.
Anna brings the food to the table. I automatically reach to help her with the pancakes and bacon, and I can tell by her startled expression that she’s not used to getting assistance.
She deftly places the stack of golden pancakes on the table. I set down the plate of crispy bacon, as she goes over to the microwave and gets out the syrup. I smile, as they’re nothing better than hot syrup on pancakes. I notice she also fried three eggs, and she put the smaller plate down near the head of the table.
Right about then, Connor comes out of the bathroom, looking slightly less rumpled. It looks like he half-heartedly attempted to brush his hair, as it still sticks up in the back. He pulls out a chair and slumps into it, still half asleep.
I take a seat at the head of the table while Anna pours a large glass of milk for Connor, setting it down beside him. He picks it up and takes a long gulp before he mumbles a belated, “Thanks, Mom.”
Anna just smiles. I watch as Connor reaches for the pile of pancakes. He spears four at once, transferring them to his plate with ease. Then he smears them with butter and drowns them in the warm syrup.
I help myself to three pancakes, and they pass the plate to Anna. I do the same with the bacon. After she takes a few slices, she whispers, “You might want to take a bit more because Connor typically eats anything that isn’t already taken.”
I chuckle as I take a few more slices of bacon. Sure enough, I watch as Connor makes short work of his four pancakes and the remaining bacon. I grin over at Anna, “I see what you mean. He’s a bottomless pit disguised as a boy.” Her answering smile is swift, and we share a smile of amusement between us. Connor pretends he doesn’t hear us and continues to focus on shoveling in his food.
Once all the plates are empty, Anna gets up and silently warms up her coffee and mine. Connor finally glances up from his plate as he finishes off his glass of milk.
He looks from me to Anna with raised eyebrows, “What are we doing today?”
I look from him to his mother. “What would you like to do?” As I try to think of places a ten-year-old would like to visit, “There’s the zoo, or we could go to the beach.”
Connor turns around with wide eyes, “I want to go to the zoo. We had beaches in Lauderdale.”
I look at Anna, who smiles, her eyes lighting up, “I haven’t been to a zoo in ages. It sounds like fun.”
I help Anna clear the table, and while she’s loading the dishes in the dishwasher, I give Suzanne, my admin, a call.
“Hi, Carson. I’ve rescheduled all of your meetings for next week and the week after. Your schedule is cleared,” replies my always efficient administrative assistant.
“Great. Thanks. I’ll be in next Monday.”
“Carson, if anyone asked, I told them you had something come up at the last minute.”
“Thank you. You can tell my brothers the same thing if they ask. I’ll be sure to talk to them myself before Monday.”
“Perfect. Enjoy your time off, Carson.”
“I will.”
I look up as Connor steps out of the bedroom in shorts and a T-shirt. He has a baseball hat on his head.
“Alright, let’s go,” I announce as I rub my hands in front of me and hold open the door.
