“Let me just put it this way. Jacob may not be here, but we are fine," I concluded our back and forth.
"Are you sure?"
"Ugh…" I groaned. "Just go! It’s not your concern and I don’t have any intention of talking about it with you."
"Fine." He moved to the door, but turned back around before leaving. "For the record, if he did something stupid then I stand by your leaving him." He winked at me and I stared at him in disbelief. "In case you were wondering."
He walked out the door.
I slammed it shut behind him.
"Unbelievable," I mumbled along with other blasphemous sentiments.
Moving away from the foyer, I went into the living room. I just wanted to focus on Junior and Montana and forget about everything else.
*******
For the next week, Jacob was back in Atlanta but completely absorbed with the opening of the Delaware office. When he wasn’t having phone meetings, I was meeting my clients during the evening or doing extracurricular activities with my children. It wasn’t easy not being able to talk to him when I wanted to. At times, I would see something that Junior or Montana was doing and knew Jacob would appreciate it. I would instantly run to the phone to call him, but then back away, because he told me his schedule would be hectic.
As the week wound down from work, I thought about what to do for the weekend. I walked into the living room where I spotted the kids each coloring a picture. I smiled at them, both oblivious to the fact that I was watching. It had been awhile since the three of us had done anything by ourselves, and it was a beautiful day outside.
"What do you say we go to the park?" I asked, waiting for them to look up.
"Just the three of us?" Junior asked.
"That’s the general idea," I answered with a smile.
He frowned, and I fought the urge to ask why he looked upset. Once he began talking, I didn’t need to wonder.
"It’s been awhile since I saw Jacob. Does he want to see us anymore?" he asked.
Pain shot through my heart.
Junior had confused Jacob’s absence with rejection. He shouldn’t feel the need to carry the burden of anything happening in my and Jacob's relationship.
“Oh, honey,” I began, and sat down on the couch. I patted the two spots next to me "I need to talk to you both."
Montana pulled herself up. I didn’t think she would quite understand, but she did ask about him, too.
"Jacob adores you both very much, almost as much as I love you. It is killing him that he can’t hang out with you guys. He has a lot going on at his job, and he has to take care of that first. I promise you the minute he can, he’ll come back here and we’ll all go out again. Okay?"
Junior seemed to think on it, and finally nodded his understanding.
Montana stared at the floor. "I miss Acob," she finally said.
I pulled them both close to me.
"I miss Acob, too," I said.
It meant a lot to me that she felt that way and that Junior wanted him around. I made the right decision about having him in our lives.
"Go to the bathroom and get washed up. I’ll be there in a second to help you," I said, and they rushed off.
I stared after them, both such blessings in my life.
I was just getting up when I heard the doorbell. I peeked through the peephole and saw Montie Sr. outside. I opened the door and shook my head.
"What are you doing here?"