Page 80 of Coastal Rewind

“No.”

Okay. What now? I was so out of my element.

“Rough day?” I was grasping at straws.

“Is Ryleigh coming home soon?”

“I don’t know, buddy. She’ll be home at some point.”

“Is she going to leave me, too?”

There it was. The knife to my heart.

“Why would she leave?”

He shrugged his little shoulders. “My mom did.”

“Look at me, Mason.” His little eyes sprung up to meet mine when I full-named him. “Your mom made a choice that she felt was best for you. I know that’s confusing, but she didn’t regret having you for one second. And I am so grateful she did.”

“But she didn’t love me.” His tone was so soft it was barely audible.

“That’s not true. She loved you a lot, but she wasn’t ready to be a mom.”

“What if Ryleigh leaves me like she did?”

“I know it’s scary, bud, but even if Ryleigh leaves, she won’t be gone forever. She’ll visit and call and always be there for you.”

“But why am I not good enough for her to stay?”

I reached out and took his hand in mine. “You are good enough. You are always good enough.”

He shrugged again. “People have been mean.”

“What have they been saying?”

“That my mom left me on your doorstep out of pity. Or that I was thrown away in a dumpster by my mom. That you’re not my real dad.”

“Sometimes people say mean things when they’re jealous of what others have.”

He worried his bottom lip. “You think they tease me because they’re sad?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I do. Not everyone has a dad as cool as me.”

That got a giggle from him, but he tried to hide it as he covered his mouth with his hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me about what was going on at school?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I didn’t want you to have to come home for me,” he whispered. “You’re always stressed about who is going to watch me. If you knew I was sad, you’d come home.”

“MJ, I never want you to worry about inconveniencing me. You are my top priority. I will always be here for you, even if I have to leave work. Baseball is my job. You are my life. Okay?”

“Okay.” He perked up a little but still wasn’t back to his normal self. When his eyes met mine, I saw something in them that resembled worry. “Do you think Ryleigh would miss us?”

My lips tipped up on one side. “Yeah, I think she’d miss us a lot. And don’t worry, if she leaves I’m going to chase her until she comes back.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell her that. It’s our little secret.”