Chapter Thirty-Five

Riley

"So your mom is staying here?" I ask Lena as I get into bed.

She moves closer to me and snuggles against my shoulder. "Yes. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not." I put my arm around her. "She's your mother."

Lena sighs. "I still can't believe I bumped into her just like that. I never thought I'd see her again."

I rub her shoulder. "Yeah. Fate has a weird way of making people meet, right?"

"In our case, it wasn't fate, though. She was just waiting for me, just waiting in one place hoping I'd show up. I don't think I could have done that."

"Where was she before that?"

"I don't know. She said she's been here and there, just trying to get by. She left her home, so she wasn't hoping to find or make a new one. She just went wherever the wind took her."

"Sounds like a carefree life."

Lena shakes her head. "You mean a lonely life. You know, I've always thought dandelions were pretty drifting in the wind. Now, I think maybe they're sad because they've left the only place they've ever known and who knows if they'll find a new one or even survive until they get there?"

I lean back so my head sinks further into the pillow. "I'm pretty sure dandelions don't have feelings."

She rests her head on the crook of my shoulder and places a hand on my chest. "But my mom does. All this time, she's been living in regret. And the strange thing is, so has my Dad."

"Then why don't they both just be together?"

"My mom says she'll wait a bit more, you know, prepare herself."

My eyebrows furrow. "For what? I thought your dad isn't mad at her anymore."

"But my mother still feels guilty. Maybe she needs to forgive herself first."

I nod. "You have a point."

"Anyway, I'm grateful that my mom agreed to stay here. I think she showed up at just the perfect time. It helps to have someone who went through exactly what I'm going through."

"Yeah. Mickey can't help you with that even if she wants to. I think that's why she's trying to 'help' in other ways."

Lena turns to me. "I've been wondering about that. So she really never had children."

"She wanted to. She and my father tried. But she just couldn't have any."

"I see." She nods. "Maybe that's why she's bitter."

I shrug then pat her hand. "Anyway, I'm glad your mother's around. Now, you have someone to count on when I'm not around."

"Yeah."

"Especially since I'm not going to be around for the next two days," I add.

Her eyebrows furrow. "Where are you going?"

"My first business trip," I answer. "It's just in Vancouver, though."

Lena sighs. "Here come the business trips."

"Hey." I squeeze her shoulder. "You know I won't cheat on you while I'm away, right? And I promise I'll always come home to you."

Her lips curve into a smile. "Then I promise I'll always be here waiting."

~

"I believe your dad's waiting downstairs," Jerry says as he enters the room.

I shut down my laptop.

"I know. I'll be just a minute."

He approaches my desk. "Sure you've got everything packed? It is your first business trip."

"But hardly my first trip," I remind him. "I'm used to going all over the world."

"Yeah. And I guess business trips are pretty much the same as swimming competitions. You know, you have to put yourself out there, try to leave a mark. And sometimes you even get to hit the pool."

I put my laptop in its case. "It's not what I'm bringing or what I'll be doing there that I'm worried about. It's about what I'm leaving behind."

"You mean who you're leaving behind." Jerry sits down. "And to think you and Lena were this close to getting a divorce. You even signed the papers."

"I know."

"And yet, now you're inseparable. Well, not inseparable, because you're clearly going on a business trip and she's staying here, but the two of you are damned close. You remind me of those high school couples I'm so sick of, you know, the ones who I yell at to get a room."

I zip my case. "Lena and I are not like that."

"Fine. Fine." He taps his fingers on my desk. "You're just like newlyweds."

"Technically, we are newlyweds," I point out.

Although it seems like forever since we've been married.

"Did you ever even go on your honeymoon? Or does being on the show count as your honeymoon?"

"No." I grab a few more things from my desk drawer. "But Lena and I will surely go somewhere before the baby is born."

He nods. "Yeah, because once the baby's born, you know, Lena won't have any more time for you."

"I doubt it," I tell him. "And don't sound like you know all about it. You don't have kids."

"You don't have to remind me. I'm well aware of how quiet it is when I wake up in the morning. Oh, unless the woman I slept with lives next door to a pet shop."

I close my drawer and grab my laptop case. "I'm going. Can you promise me you'll help Lena out while I'm gone? You know, if there's an emergency or if she needs anything. She has a checkup scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Her mother's with her right now, so--"

"Really?"

"--she's in good hands. But you know, just help her out if she asks."

Jerry gives me a thumbs-up sign. "Don't worry. Just focus on your trip and your business. I'll hold the fort for you and everything will be just fine."