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“What did you think I was going to say?”
“That Willow was moving here.”
Willow gasps, hand rising. “Oh! Why would you think… I mean…why would you…”
Mom explains, “Because when we were little, Jaxson and I, we fell in love and sunflowers had a lot to do with it.”
“It was the flower I pulled from the ground for our first kiss.”
“Oh!” Willow whispers, putting two-and-two together.
Mom continues as my cheeks go hot, “When we found out that you both had pulled one for each other, without meaning to.”
I grunt, “I didn’t know.”
“Exactly. That she pulled one for you at the same time, when we know you love that story. But it’s something more than that. There’s something very wild about a sunflower. They’re so tall, so bight, and not easy to pull! Plus you’ve got those roots hanging out and anyone else would think it’s not romantic to have the roots, but the two of you…” She smiles, “I went to the shed after I heard, and saw them on the shelf.”
“This is a lot to put on her, Mom.”
“Ben, shhh.”
Willow laughs, “I don’t know what to say. Only I hope you like the news we actually brought even more.”
“Generous, too,” Mom smiles.
Dad coughs and gives her a look. “Let’s just back off, yeah?”
“Oh alright.” She lifts her coffee, breathes to cool it. “I’m just thinking good thoughts, that’s all.”
Willow reaches over to take my hand, saying quietly, “I think I should go back.”
“Yeah? Okay.” Dammit Mom. We say our goodbyes and she doesn’t even have the insight to act detached. Instead she hugs Willow and says, “We like you!”
I give Dad a look and he nods once. “Rachel…”
“What? We do!”
Willow is red as her coffee mug. “Goodnight Mr. and Mrs. Cocker.”
“G’night,” I nod to them. But Mom embraces me with a huge hug. “We get to raise Jonny!”
My heart pounds at the thought, and emotions rise quick. For too long they haven’t been able to see him, and that was a lot of my fault — because I didn’t stand my ground enough. Didn’t follow my instincts. Played up to Shelby’s wishes so I didn’t rock the boat at home. Didn’t deal with the yelling. The crying. The silences. I should have fought harder. A mistake I’ll never make again.
I will forever regret my part in that.
But that it’s over, and Mom and Dad will help me raise Jonny, is a miracle of this divorce I never dared think of. My chest feels tight with emotions as I hug Mom tight. “I’m so sorry.”
Dad comes over and joins in on the hug, tightening his arms around me and Mom. He says with emotion in his voice, “We get to raise him together.”
I breathe them in. “Yes. We do. As a family.”
I walk Willow back to Sunflower and let her be quiet. I’ve got a lot on my mind, too, and what Mom just did wasn’t what I’d have wanted but I know one thing — I have a lot on my plate for her to think about. By asking Willow to get to know me more, it’s not just me. I’ve got a son. I live in the country about two-thousand miles from her. I haven’t looked at the exact numbers but it’s around that. Why would she think of moving? I know I can’t move to Venice, California, no matter how cool it might be to most of the world. I’ve seen the photos. Pretty much every movie set in L.A. has footage of that part of the city. Or is its own? I don’t even know. I am certain of one thing.
There is a lot against us.
We get to the door and face each other. “Ben, I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” I grunt. Best I can do.
