Ashley
We are all sitting in the beautiful family room. Tristan is eating cookies and playing on his iPad while Kaden’s parents play twenty questions with Kaden trying to catch up on what’s going on in his life. He tells them about Alex’s fight coming up and about Tristan and me moving in with him. I’m thankful he doesn’t tell them the reason why.
“Kaden, honey?” We all look to the door where we see a beautiful aged woman waving her cane in the air toward Kaden. He gets up, smiling ear-to-ear and hugs her.
“Grandmother, I missed you so much!”
“Oh, dear, Boy. You have grown into such a handsome man. Please don’t ever leave for this long, again.”
Kaden nods, giving her a kiss on her cheek. He hugs his grandfather next, and they exchange a few words as well. It’s clear Kaden is loved and wanted here in his hometown. What I don’t understand is why he ever left, and why he hasn’t wanted to come home. The love surrounding him is so strong. His grandparents are still married and clearly in love, and so are his parents. So why doesn’t he want to get married? I remember the name Gabby written on his chest and wonder if maybe he had his heart broken.
“And who do we have here?” His grandmother turns to face Tristan and me.
“This is Ashley Myers and her son, Tristan.” Kaden puts his hand in mine, putting on a show for his family.
“Ashley, Tristan, these are my grandparents, Rose and Victor.”
“Oh, sweetie. You are gorgeous. And hello there, Tristan. It’s wonderful to meet you both. Let’s go to dinner and get to know each other. Shall we?” Kaden’s grandmother says, heading back towards the foyer.
“Sounds good, my love,” his grandfather says, following his wife. Their love is adorable.
“Ready?” Kaden asks.
“Yep, let’s do this.” Then it hits me. Kaden is going to announce we are engaged and we haven’t told Tristan! He is going to be so confused. I didn’t even think about him in all this. What kind of mother am I?
“We need to explain this to Tristan!” I say whisper-yell after Tristan jumps in to the Audi. “We didn’t think about him at all, in this. He is going to think we are getting married for real. I can’t have him get hurt.”
“No, you’re right,” Kaden says. We get into the car and Kaden turns around to face Tristan. “Hey, Bud. When you are in school, do you ever play make believe?”
“Yeah,” Tristan says.
“While we are here, your mom and I are going to play make believe. We are going to pretend to be engaged to be married. So, if you hear the grownups talking about it, it’s just pretend. Ok?”
Tristan looks at us both skeptically. “Ok, but why can’t you get married for real?”
His question stumps us both. Kaden says, “Umm… Well…The thing is…”
I jump in to help him out. “Kaden is my best friend.”
“So, you can’t marry your best friend?” Tristan asks. Damn kid!
“Well, I guess you could,” Kaden says slowly. “But your mom and I aren’t that kind of friends. She’s my friend like how you and Bella are friends. My grandmother is really old and she wants to see me get married so we are going to play pretend to make her happy.”
“Well… When I get older, if Bella is still my best friend I would want to marry her for real and not for pretend.”
“You would?” I ask.
“Yeah, she’s really nice and always spars with me in class. She always shares her Oreos with me and plays UFC with me. She’s good at fighting, too. And she’s not all girly like the other girls in my class. And if I marry her, I could play with her whenever I want.”
Kaden looks at me with a smile in his eyes, clearly trying to hold back his laughter. What I would give to be able to live my life through the eyes of an innocent six-year old.
“That’s very nice of Bella,” I say. “But Kaden and I are just going to be friends.”
Tristan thinks for a moment as we both hold our breath. “Ok, but if you do want to get married for real that’s ok, too,” he says grabbing his iPad ending the conversation.
We both turn around in our seats knowing my six-year old is probably the most logical one in the car.
We have been in Colorado for the last five days and we have all had a blast. Giselle and I had our spa day, one I will never forget. I am considering taking some of Kaden’s inheritance just so I can go to the spa on a weekly basis, after I pay off all my debt of course. The Swedish massage was one I have never experienced in my life, and the spa pedicure… holy moly! I almost passed out from feeling so stress-free. We had lunch in the club afterward and she introduced me to all her friends.
The next day, Tristan, Kaden, and I went horseback riding through the trails with Giselle. I rode behind Kaden and Tristan rode in front of Giselle. Tristan started begging me to buy him a horse, but Kaden promised him we would come back and visit. Giselle, then recommended to Kaden that he should build a barn on his property and purchase a horse. He laughed her off, but it reminded me how different we really are. I am stripping to make a living while Kaden comes from a wealthy home with horses that are worth more than I make in a year.
Kaden’s parents and grandparents are beyond sweet and have welcomed Tristan and me with open arms. There hasn’t been any talk about us being engaged, for that I am thankful, but I know it will come out before we leave.
“Hey, Ash,” Kaden says as he walks into our room. Tristan has his own room next to us with his own bathroom. I tried to insist we have separate rooms but Kaden said they only have two guestrooms right now because the third is filled with stuff they are donating.
“Yeah?” I ask putting my iPad down. I’m not even concentrating on the book I am reading anyway.
“I am going to go meet my grandmother for brunch. When I get back, want to head into town? Go do something fun with Tristan?”
“Sure.”
Kaden leans down, giving me a kiss on my nose, then one to my forehead. “I am really glad you and Tristan came with me.”
“Me, too. We have had a lot of fun.”
“I’ll text you when I am on my way back.”
“Ok.”
After Kaden leaves, I go in search of Tristan and find him in the back of the house throwing stones into the pond. Kaden taught Tristan how to skip rocks last night after dinner and he has become obsessed with seeing how many times he can get his rock to skip.
“Hey sweetie. Want to go to the pool with me after I make us breakfast?”
“Yes!” he yells, throwing one last rock. It skips along the pond three times before disappearing into the water.
“Good job!”
“Kaden can make it skip like six times.”
“It takes practice.”
With our bathing suits on, Tristan and I jump into the golf cart and head to the club. We park in the designated parking for members and go straight to the pool. Kaden’s parents added us to their membership as family, so we can utilize the club while we are here.
As we are walking to the back, I spot Kaden and his grandmother and decide to stop and say hello; I didn’t realize they were having brunch at the club. Before I get to them, a beautiful Hispanic woman who looks to be accompanied by her parents, taps Kaden on the shoulder. He stands up, smiling, and gives her a hug and kiss on the cheek. My heart stills. It’s probably just an old friend but then I think, what if it’s Gabby, the name he has inked on him? His grandmother stands up next, hugging each of them. I watch them all for a moment before thinking it would be best not to intrude.
“Mom, there’s Kaden,” Tristan says a little too loud before I can get us out of the room. Kaden looks over his shoulder hearing his name. His beautiful happy face morphs into one that could be construed as guilt. I immediately turn to go to the pool, feeling like an intruder.
Only Rose isn’t having it. “Ashley, Tristan, come here you two.”
“I would like for you to meet Juan and Margarita Nievez, and their daughter, Danielle. This is Kaden’s fiancée Ashley, and her son Tristan.”
I guess Kaden told her the news.
Mr. and Mrs. Nievez both look shocked and if I’m not mistaken, sad, at the mention of me being his fiancée but both quickly smile. Danielle, on the other hand, doesn’t even try to hide how upset this makes her. Tears well up in her eyes, and she quickly excuses herself.
“I should go find my daughter but it was nice to meet you. I am glad Kaden has found someone and was able to move on. He deserves to be happy,” Mrs. Nievez says before excusing herself to go after her daughter.
Mr. Nievez watches her walk away, then says, “I agree. I am glad you have moved on, Kaden.” Then he turns to me. “It was lovely to meet you.”
After he walks away, we all stand there in silence until Rose speaks up. “Kaden… Please tell me Ashley knows about Gabrielle and Gab…”
“No, she doesn’t,” Kaden says cutting her off.
“Oh, sweetheart. Why wouldn’t you tell her?”
Kaden doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head.
“Why are you guys here?” Kaden asks me, sounding cold. Kaden, no matter how mad he gets, is never cold with me.
“We were going to the pool. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.” There’s so many questions I have, but I know now is not the time to ask them and I’m a bit pissed at the way Kaden just spoke to me. I don’t know what is going on but I didn’t ask to be brought here nor did I ask for this fake engagement. This was all him, so he better figure his shit out.
“That’s ok, dear,” Rose says. “Kaden and I were just finishing up our brunch. I am going to have my driver take me home. I am feeling a bit tired. Kaden, you should join them in the pool.”
“Yeah, Kaden! Will you come swimming with us, please? You know my mom never gets in unless you throw her in.” Tristan bounces up and down completely oblivious to the adult tension in the air.
“Sure, bud. Let me walk my grandmother out, and then I will meet you guys at the pool.”
“Ok, bye grannie,” Tristan says. She smiles at his name for her. The first time he called her that, I tried to correct him but she just chuckled and said she loved it.