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“If it wasn’t his idea then it wasn’t a good one,” she said. “I know that. I get it. I’ve learned to deal with it the best that I can.”
“You’re doing a great job co-parenting Eli,” her father said. “Better than most in your position.”
“I’ve had to decide which battles are worth fighting and most aren’t.”
“Let him win a few,” Jax said. “Then when it’s important you’ll have more to stand on.”
“I’m trying to tell myself that. And not to take away from your birthday so I don’t think we should talk about this more.”
“What’s going on?” Jax asked. “I don’t care about what day it is.”
She didn’t want to say anything about what Eli said to her on July Fourth. It was one of those things she couldn’t change and Eli came back to her fine. There was no harm done.
“Is Jeff still seeing that woman?”
“Jenna,” she said. “As far as I know he’s still dating Jenna.”
“Has Eli met her yet?” her father asked.
“Eli hasn’t said anything so I don’t think so.”
At least Jeff didn’t bring a lot of women into Eli’s life. A few in the six years they’d been split. She hadn’t brought one man.
She’d only known about Jenna because sometimes Jeff liked to let it slip he was going on a date. As if it’d make her jealous or something.
She’d gone on four dates in all that time. That’s it. Four dates, two guys, and said it wasn’t worth it.
Eli was confused when Jeff brought a woman into his life and said it was his girlfriend and Roni vowed not to do that to her son. Not unless she knew there was a chance it could be more.
She’d have to date someone more than twice to even get that far of a thought let alone an action.
“That’s one good thing,” her mother said. “Jeff has a ton of faults.”
“More than a ton,” Jax said.
“He’s Eli’s father. I know it’s okay to say these things when Eli isn’t here, but I don’t want to get in the habit and then we slip when Eliisaround.”
It was so easy to trash the guy, but harder to be the bigger person. She wanted to be the bigger person and hoped that one day her son appreciated that.
“We understand,” Jax said. “Doesn’t mean we can’t say what an asshole he is. We’ve got enough self-control to not do it in front of Eli.”
“You guys do. I’m not sure I would so I don’t want to get into the habit.”
Everyone laughed at the table.
She wasn’t one to lose her temper or patience in life, but Jeff sure the hell made her do it a few times during their legal battles.
Never around Eli. She wasn’t dumb enough to give Jeff any ammunition to use against her.
“What was it you were going to say?” her mother asked.
“It’s not important.”
“It is if you were going to bring it up,” Jax said.
She figured the people in this room were the only ones she could be open and honest with and not worry. They’d understand, not judge and maybe give her good advice.
“Eli didn’t want to go to Jeff’s on July Fourth. He said it was going to be boring and he wanted to stay and go to the pool party with his new friends. He didn’t understand why he had to go to his father’s early when he normally went after dinner. The pool party started at two so he missed the whole thing. I told him there would be other parties.”
