Chapter Thirty-six
When Phil arrived home the following evening, a young girl was sitting with Logan at the kitchen table. His gaze shifted from them to Lina, who had turned from the stove at the sound of his entrance.
“Was traffic bad?” Lina asked, joining him. “I expected you half an hour ago.”
“I was held up.” He met her lips for a soft kiss.
“We have a dinner guest.” She took his hand and led him toward the table, introducing him to Logan’s girlfriend.
“You look like Logan,” Tiffany said. “I mean he looks like you,” she corrected, smiling.
Phil exchanged a few pleasantries with the girl who had clearly captured his son’s heart. Logan hadn’t looked away from her once since Phil entered the kitchen, staring at her with a doe-eyed expression.
She was poised and confident as she responded to Phil’s questions, telling him about her family and her college plans. She was the oldest of three children, and she hoped to attend Penn in the fall.
“I’d like to be a pediatric surgeon one day,” she said. “That’s my goal. I love children and I want to be a surgeon, so it fits.” She smiled.
“I love her,” Lina whispered to Phil as she followed him out of the kitchen. “She seemed so different last time we met after, after…” She trailed off.
“The circumstances were a little different,” Phil said. “I’m sure she was uncomfortable.” He continued up the stairs with Lina on his heels.
“She doesn’t seem like the type of girl who would have sex at her boyfriend’s house,” she said when they were in the privacy of their bedroom.
“And how does a girl look who has sex at her boyfriend’s house?” Phil took her hand, tugging her toward him.
“I don’t know. Less wholesome.”
“You had sex with me at my parents’ house.”
“I know, but that was different.”
“How was it different?” he asked against her lips.
“It was us.”
As soon as Phil took out Liam’s jacket Sunday evening and tried to take him from Katie, who was helping him build a tower of blocks, Liam began to cry. It was the third time over the course of the weekend Phil had attempted to take Liam out. He’d taken him to visit Mike and Jeanie Saturday afternoon and then to a local Italian restaurant with Lina the same evening. Both times Liam had been happy to go. Late Sunday was a different story. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to know if the outing Phil planned was to take him home. It had become a recurring scenario on Tuesday and Thursday nights as well. Lina said it was because he was tired, but Phil knew otherwise. Liam wanted to stay with them.
Liam cried the entire drive to Kim’s, not falling asleep as was normally his habit. Phil’s nerves were shot by the time he reached Kim’s front porch. He felt a mixture of guilt for upsetting Liam and anger at Kim for being such an awful mother that her son didn’t want to go home to her.
When Kim opened the door, Liam fisted Phil’s shirt, shouting, “No, Mommy,” as he buried his face against his father’s neck and continued to sob.
“Why didn’t you drive him around until he was asleep?” Kim asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe I thought his mother would want to visit with him since she hasn’t seen him in three days,” Phil bit out. “Come on, buddy,” he said in a much gentler tone as he peeled Liam from his chest. “It’s okay.”
“Your house is more fun because of your kids,” Kim said. “I can’t entertain him like that.”
“Take. Him,” Phil ordered. He pushed Liam into her arms.
“Daddy!” Liam cried, reaching for him, tears streaming from his eyes.
“I’ll see you Tuesday.” He turned away from them, guilt rocketing through him as the sound of Liam’s cries followed him to the car.
***
Two weeks later, Lina was surprised when Logan asked if it was okay if Tiffany came for dinner on a Thursday. “She’s going on a college visit, so I won’t be able to see her this weekend. Please?”
“She’s welcome here, honey. I just wasn’t sure if you remembered that Liam was coming over.” She could tell by the clench of his jaw that he hadn’t.
“I already invited her,” he said.
“Does she know about him?”
He nodded. “Can you call Dad and ask him to take him to a restaurant or something?”
“Logan. No. I’m not going to do that to your father or to Liam. He likes coming here.”
“It’s a Liam night,” Katie announced, coming into the kitchen. “Look what I bought him.” She held up a book of poems by Rumi.
“Don’t you think he’s a little young for that?”
“No.” Katie frowned. “His brain will absorb it. It’s better than all those silly books you and Dad fill his head with.”
“We’ll eat upstairs,” Logan mumbled.
“Where’s Liam?” Lina asked when Katie came into the kitchen alone. She’d taken Liam out of Phil’s arms as soon as they’d arrived home thirty minutes earlier, whisking him away to the family room to read to him from the Rumi book.
“I thought he came in here to show you the book.”
“He probably followed your father upstairs. I’ll check.”
She was climbing the stairs when she heard Logan’s raised voice. “Go away!”
“Logan!” Tiffany scolded. “What is wrong with you? You hurt his feelings.”
“I want him to go away.”
Lina’s heart dropped when she heard Liam begin to cry. She continued up the stairs.
“It’s okay,” Tiffany said in a soothing voice. “Come here. He’s like a miniature you. How can you be mean to him? He’s a baby.”
“I don’t want him here,” Logan said.
“He’s trying to give you his book. Take it. Logan, take it.”
Lina gripped the banister, continuing to listen, unobserved, to the conversation unfolding in the upstairs den.
“Now what am I supposed to do?” Logan asked.
“Read it to him.”
“I’m not going to read it to him. It’s a stupid book of poetry.”
“He’s watching you. He has your nose and lips. He’s so cute.”
Lina touched her finger to her lips when Phil approached from their bedroom, nodding toward the den. “Logan is with Liam,” she whispered.
Phil’s eyes narrowed, his attention immediately shifting in the direction of the den.
“Ball,” Liam said.
“Yes, that’s a ball,” Tiffany said. “He’s trying to give you the ball, Logan.”
“Ball!” Liam yelled excitedly.
“Now he wants you to give it back to him,” Tiffany said. “He’s trying to bond with you.”
“I don’t want to bond with him,” Logan said stubbornly.
“Just give him the ball back.” Tiffany laughed. “Now take it again.”
“This is stupid,” Logan said. “How long do I have to do this?”
“As long as he wants,” Tiffany said.
Lina squeezed Phil’s arm. Tears sprang to her eyes.