Seven

Griffin

 

 

I watch Ava walk away before I can explain. I wasn’t expecting her to be walking past my door as Levi and I were walking out. Of course she looks sexy as hell in another one of her fitted taco shirts which reads, “Run like there’s a taco at the finish line” and tight spandex pants that mold her ass so damn perfectly. I was too busy staring at her, remembering for the millionth time in the last eight hours our date last night and how it ended with her body locked around mine. My night ended with my fist around my cock as I fantasized what would’ve come next had Ava invited me in.

I saw the confusion in her face as Levi—in all his eight-year-old innocence—explained we were bringing flowers to his mom. What she doesn’t know is that Levi’s mom is buried six feet under.

We pull up to the cemetery and I park my truck along the road near the area where Rebekah’s grave is. Levi unbuckles out of his booster seat and jumps down out of the truck with the flowers in his hands. Every few months since Levi was a baby, we bring his mother flowers. Rebekah died when Levi was only a few months old, so he doesn’t remember her at all.

While Rebekah was pregnant, she would make comments about not feeling like she had a connection to the baby in her belly. I would tell her to give it time. Once Levi was born, she wanted nothing to do with him. She didn’t want to hold him or breastfeed him, and when we got home, it only got worse. She would let him cry, saying she couldn’t handle it. I begged her to see a therapist, to get help, but instead she turned to drugs. I should’ve known she was using, but I was so busy taking care of a newborn and running the bar I would eventually purchase, I just didn’t see it. Then one day when I came home from work, I found her dead on the floor. She had overdosed. No note or anything. The autopsy ruled it as suicide due to the amount of drugs found in her system.

Levi was too young to ever remember her, but I make sure to keep our conversations about the person she was before she got pregnant. The doctors think she might’ve had postpartum depression, but because she refused to see a therapist, we’ll never know.

Levi runs over to the grave he knows by heart and places the new set of flowers into the built-in vase on the side of the headstone. “Hi, Mom,” he begins like he always does when we visit. He talks to her about school, and about Lilly and Sean. He tells her how much fun he had during his mixed-martial-arts class this week, and lastly, he tells her all about Ava and Maverick. When he’s all done, we put our two fingers to our lips then touch her name. Today is Rebekah’s birthday. We visit most holidays, birthdays, and the anniversary of her death. When Levi was old enough to ask why his mom was in heaven, I told him she was sick and couldn’t be fixed. I always hated that answer when I would hear people say it, but when I was faced with the same question, it was the only answer I could give him. Telling him his mom overdosed on drugs instead of getting help didn’t seem to be the way to go. I hope she’s in heaven and finally at peace, loving and watching our son from above.

“You ready to go home?” I ask Levi as we make our way back to the truck.

“Can we go to the park? We haven’t gotten to go yet.”

“Sure, buddy. We can do that.”

“Yes!” he yells as he fist-pumps in the air.

We stop at King’s so I can check on things and order us some lunch to go. Once we have our food and I know the weekend manager is doing okay, we take off back home. After parking in front of the apartment complex, we head over to the park, which is across the street. Just as we’re sitting down to eat at the picnic table, Ava and her dog come walking up. Maverick jumps onto the bench seat and Ava yells at him to get down. Levi giggles, commanding him to sit and giving him a piece of his grilled cheese when he obeys.

“Levi, you can’t give dogs people food,” I scold him and he frowns.

“It’s okay, mi amiguito. I do it too.”

“I’m a what-a?” Levi looks at Ava confused, and she giggles.

“Mi amiguito,” she repeats. “It means my friend.” Ava gives Levi a wink that has him lighting up like a Christmas tree.

“I have a grilled cheese.” He holds his sandwich out to Ava. “Want some?”

She smiles wide but shakes her head. “No, thank you. I just ate.”

“Tacos?” I can’t help but ask.

Ava laughs and shakes her head again. “No! Tacos are only to be eaten on Tuesdays! I made some empanadas and plantains.” She says the names of the food with her sexy-as-fuck accent I can’t get enough of.

“What’s that?” Levi asks, taking a large bite of his sandwich.

“Empanadas are like…a fluffy pastry that’s fried with potatoes and meat inside. You can have chicken or ground beef. I made both. They’re delicious. Plantains are like bananas but sweeter and warm.”

“I love bananas!” Levi says in between mouthfuls. “Can I have some?”

“As long as it’s okay with your dad, sure.”

“Cool! Dad, I’m done eating.” Levi points to his empty plate. “Can I go play?”

“Sure, buddy.”

“Can Maverick come play with me?” Levi asks.

Ava nods and lets Maverick off the leash. Levi calls his name and runs, and Maverick chases after him. Once Levi is out of hearing distance, I tap Ava’s hand that she has resting against the table, and she looks over at me. “Come here and sit.” I tilt my chin down toward me.

She sits down next to me so we’re both facing the park and can see Levi and Maverick running around together. “Did you have a good morning?” she asks nonchalantly, but I know the hidden meaning behind her question.

“As good as visiting your son’s mother at her grave on her birthday can be.” I hear Ava’s breath hitch as her head jerks to look at me, her eyes wide.

“I-I didn’t know.”

“How could you? We just met.” I shrug.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” I can tell she wants to say more, but she isn’t sure the proper protocol for asking about my deceased girlfriend-slash-mother of my child.

“It’s been close to eight years since she died. We met right after Sean and I moved here from California for a fresh start. I met her at the bar I now own, but back then it was called The Lazy Cow, and I was a bartender. We hooked up a couple of times. She was wild and carefree, and we had fun together. But when she got pregnant everything changed…she changed. The doctors think she had postpartum depression, but we don’t know for sure, nor will we ever.” I take a deep breath. “She overdosed on drugs when Levi was a baby, ending her life while I was at work and Levi was in his crib. It’s been my brother, Levi, and me ever since.”

“You’re a good dad,” Ava says as her fingers give my thigh a gentle squeeze that has my dick wanting to come out and play.

I glance down at her tiny hand then back up to her face. Her eyes go wide, her hand stiffening when she realizes what she did. Before she can pull her hand back, I place my hand over hers. “Thank you. I never imagined being a single dad, and most days I pray I don’t fuck it up, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.”

“Well, I think you’re doing a great job. Levi is a very happy little boy.”

We watch Levi and Maverick play in silence for a few minutes. My thumb massages circles across the top of her wrist and I can feel her hand relax with my touch. When I notice Levi starting to lag, I call out, “Five minutes.” He pouts but agrees.

“I have a lot of food I made. If you guys would like to come over for dinner, I’ll be home.”

“We’d love to.” And it hits me that without even thinking about it, I just welcomed this woman into our life. I dated Karen for almost six months and refused to bring Levi over to her house for dinner. I slept with several women over the years but never brought Levi around them. Hell, even when I was fucking the owner of Levi’s daycare when he was younger, I refused to hang out with her with Levi around. I could use the excuse Ava is our neighbor or say it’s because we aren’t dating but both reasons would be a lie. I barely know this woman, but I already know I want to know more.