Emelie
I was walking toward my car, my head down as I watched Ethan. He held onto my hand tightly, making his little airplane fly through the air at his side. The sounds of what I assumed were intended to be the engine roaring fell from his lips.
We’d left Corbin and Brent when we exited the cafe, them moving in one direction as we walked the opposite. It was so sweet how all the guys at the fraternity had formed this crazy little bond with Ethan. I had a feeling I’d regret it later when he started to pick up on some of their antics, but for now it was heartwarming. At one time he had absolutely no male figures in his life, now he had more than any kid could ask for.
Ethan noticed a squirrel near a tree and pointed it out, screaming “Here kitty!” which made me laugh. Kneeling down next to him, I hooked him around the waist. “That’s a squirrel, buddy, not a kitty.”
He watched, as did I, when the little furry guy picked at a nut on the ground. At least I thought it was a nut.
I’d been so lost in the moment that I hadn’t heard anyone approaching until they were practically at our side.
“Emelie?” I looked up and my heart sank. As in I felt like I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, hell, or even move. “I thought that was you.”
Mark, Ethan’s father, stood before me, looking between Ethan and me.
“Wow,” he said, and I gripped Ethan tighter. “He’s gotten big.”
“That’s what happens when kids get older, Mark.” I was well aware of just how bitchy my words came out, only I didn’t care.
“He looks like me.”
Something about the way he smiled when he said those words infuriated me. He didn’t have the right to smile.
“I know, but I wish more than anything he didn’t, because I’m forced to see you whenever I look at him. Frankly the only thing I want is to forget you even exist.”
“That’s harsh.” He smiled arrogantly, and I wanted to smack away the smirk from his lips.
Standing, I lifted Ethan in my arms and felt the little plane he was holding hit me in the back of the head, but I refused to react. I hated that he was here before us, seeing Ethan. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“Came to visit some old friends.” He shrugged. “Had some free time.”
“Good, then get back to your visit and forget that Ethan or I exist. You’ve done a fine job of that over the last three years, so you shouldn’t have difficulty now.” I turned around, fully intending to walk away, but he reached out and grabbed my hip. “Let go of me,” I snarled.
“Can’t we talk?”
“No.” I looked over his shoulder and saw Corbin and Brent walking toward us. Corbin had a look on his face that alarmed me, one of anger. “I think you need to walk away.”
Then Mark looked behind him and noticed the guys walking in our direction. “That your guy?” I didn’t answer because he didn’t deserve one.
“He’s my son, Emelie.” Mark’s lip curled.
“You may have contributed to him existing, but you are not his father.” I took a step toward him, suddenly feeling myself become braver than I felt moments ago. “You’re the loser that walked away from him when you should have stepped up. He doesn’t need you, he’s better off without a sorry piece of shit like you in his life anyway.”
“Is there a problem here?” Corbin stepped around Mark, and Brent remained only a few feet back.
“No problem,” Mark said, acting all cocky and confident. “Just saying hey to Em and my son.”
My pulse quickened and Corbin placed his hand against the small of my back. “So, you’re the jackass that deserted his kid and the girl you knocked up.” Corbin was generally so fun and silly; he rarely got worked up, or at least I hadn’t witnessed it. Until now that is. “You call yourself a man, but all I see is some piece of shit fuck. Being a father takes a lot more than one simple deposit, dickhead.”
Mark smiled, and Corbin released his hold on me and stepped toward him.
“You find this shit funny?” Corbin demanded. Mark held his hands out to his side and chuckled. “Pathetic, that’s what you are.”
“Come on, Corbin.” I gripped his hand in mine and started to pull him away. “He’s not worth it. Besides, he signed away his rights long ago.”
Mark then shifted his gaze to me. “You should get going now,” he said to Corbin but never once looked away from me. “Your girl’s calling.”
Neither I nor Corbin corrected Mark.
“I’ll be seeing ya, Em.” He offered a wave. “And I’ll be seeing my boy too.”
Corbin jerked as if he was going to move back toward Mark and I tugged harder. It took everything I had not to fire back at Mark, but I knew if I did let my temper go there would most definitely be a fight. I didn’t want that on my shoulders; I just wanted Mark to leave.
When he did, Corbin seemed to relax, and Brent turned around to watch Mark’s back as he walked toward a group of guys waiting in the distance.
“You okay?” It was Brent who asked me as he offered me a smile, finally joining us. I only nodded, because I wasn’t really confident of the answer.
“Thought he moved away?” Corbin fisted his hand at his side, his chest heaving as he tried to remain calm.
“He did.” I placed Ethan at the ground near my feet and he walked toward Brent as he pretended to fly his plane. “He goes to NYU, he said he was visiting friends.”
“Well, he better be thankful it was me here and not Clay.”
“Maybe we should just keep this to ourselves.” I could only imagine how pissed Clayton would have been.
“I’m not gonna lie to him, Emelie.”
“I’m not asking you to lie.” I took in a deep calming breath of my own. “I’m just saying that maybe it’s best we don’t bring it up.
***
“I think you need to tell him.” Palmer followed me into the bathroom as I lowered Ethan to the floor. I flipped the handle and held my hand beneath the water to measure the temperature.
“Why?” I finally asked her, feeling a nervous knot form in my stomach. “What would be the reason for me to bring it up to him? Piss him off for what? Mark won’t be here long and then I’ll be left to deal with Clayton and his need to perform some manly duty.”
“So lying to him is gonna make things easier?”
“I’m not lying.” I started to grow frustrated all over again. “I just don’t see the point of even bringing it up.”
The doorbell sounded and my hand froze on the handle of the tub.
“I’ll go let him in.” Palmer didn’t even pause to wait for me to respond and all I could hope for was that she didn’t bring it up. With each passing second my stomach only grew more tense. I could hear their voices echoing down the hall.
When Clayton stepped into the open doorway I forced a smile. “Hey.” He smiled brightly as he knelt down on the floor near Ethan. “I missed you guys.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Ethan’s head before leaning in and offering me one too. He looked happy and part of me regretted the choice I’d made to ignore what had taken place today.
“You getting a bath, buddy?”
“Swimming,” Ethan announced, and Clayton chuckled.
“Oh okay, sorry.” Ethan referred to bath time as swimming. Don’t ask me why, but it always seemed to make things go smoother. “Where’s your fish?”
I remained seated on the side of the tub as Ethan stepped around Clayton and opened up the cabinet under the vanity. One by one he started to pick up each of his fish and dropped them to the floor next to him. Sharks, whales, starfish, you name it, he had them. Another gift from Clayton. He even had a fisherman’s boat that had two men on it with poles, and about twenty smaller fish too. The toys were a given—every bath, every time.
Clayton gathered up handfuls of the toys and leaned closer to the tub, dropping them in, while Ethan finally closed the cabinet and started to help. I slid to the side and just watched the two of them work. That lump of emotions I felt deep in my chest evaporated as they laughed and talked away.
“You’re so good with him,” I said the words I was thinking out loud.
“He makes it easy,” Clayton stated without hesitation. “He’s my best friend. Aren’t ya?” He roughed Ethan’s hair and my son nodded his little head in agreement. Tears formed in my eyes and though I wanted to hide them, Clayton saw them form.
“Hey,” he quickly moved toward me and cupped my cheek. “What’s going on?” I shook my head and tried to let it go but he was too persistent to let it slide. “Don’t give me that ‘nothing’ crap, what is it?”
You’re more of a father to him then his real one ever was. Mark is here and he says he’ll be seeing us soon. Those were the things sitting on the tip of my tongue, yet I took the easy way out.
“I just love how you love us.”
“Like I said before, baby, you both make it so easy.” Clayton pressed his lips to mine and Ethan started to clap, which in turn made us both smile.
Why ruin our night? Maybe I’d tell him tomorrow.