Best Friends Forever

“Well, I’m taking the day off work tomorrow. I’m going to my night job, but when I get home, that’s it. No daycare tomorrow. Mr. Mick has bought us season passes to… are you ready for this?”

Preston was bouncing in his seat like his pants were on fire. “What? What? Where?”

“Waveworks,” Ayla announced.

Preston gasped, then stood up on his chair and threw his hands in the air, a symbol of his victory in the game of life. “Yes! Waveworks!” He promptly leapt through the air, landing in Mick’s lap and giving him a bear hug.

Ayla’s heart grew eight sizes, completely filling her with a warm, rosy glow. She watched Mick and Preston hug, taking a mental snapshot of the moment, one she knew she’d be replaying in her mind for the rest of her life.

Chapter 19

Ayla had an extra bounce in her step when she arrived at NPE the following morning. The fans conspired only to blow the hot desert air around, providing little relief, but she didn’t care. Even Jeff at his nastiest couldn’t wipe the smile off Ayla’s face.

They’d arrived home with Desiree’s tacos the night before, and after Ayla and Mick snuck in a good night kiss on the front porch, the roommates caught up on the day’s events in Desiree’s room while Preston watched cartoons in the living room.

Between bites of her carne asada, Desiree confirmed what Ayala already knew. “He is H. O. T. Good Lord.”

“Des, Preston hugged him tonight. Like straight up, legit jumped into his arms and hugged him. I thought I would die.”

“Oh my God! Have you decided what you’re going to tell Preston? Or when?”

Ayla fell back on the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest. She searched the ceiling for an answer. “I don’t know. It’s so tricky. I want this all to work out more than I think I’ve ever wanted anything.

“His whole life I’ve skirted around the issue of why he doesn’t have a daddy or grandparents. I’ve been able to change the subject or tell him ‘that’s just the way it is, but I love you and we love each other, so isn’t that great?’ And that’s always worked. But I know he’s at an age now where he’ll want some definitive answers.”

“You know the Beatles, right?” Desiree asked.

“Of course,” Ayla answered.

“I was listening to some podcast and they played part of an interview with George Harrison, the ex-Beatle.”

Ayla nodded.

“They asked him what it was like being this world famous star at just seventeen years old, how did he handle it. Do you know what he said?”

Ayla shook her head.

“He turned the question around. He asked the interviewer ‘what’s it like not being world famous at seventeen?’ Preston has never had a dad before. He doesn’t know what he’s missing, because all he’s ever known, his entire life, is you. And you’re the best mom ever!”

Ayla hugged her friend.

“If, and when, you feel like Mick will be good for Preston, you’ll know how to make it work. You know Preston better than anybody. He’s tough and resilient,” Desiree observed. “You tell me Mick is enthusiastic about being a dad, and isn’t that half the battle?”

“More than half,” Ayla replied. “Kids know if you’re interested, if you’re genuine, if you really care. They can sense it. If you’re all those things, no matter if you know how to cut the crusts off a PB&J or not, you can do the job and do it well. It’s how I know you’ll be a terrific mom one day.”

“I just hope I can tap into that endless reservoir of patience you seem to have. I fear my supply is very limited,” Desiree confessed.

“I hadn’t noticed, and neither has Preston,” Ayla admitted. “More than once, when I’ve gotten on his case about something, he’s asked me ‘why can’t you be nice all the time like Mommy Desi?’”

“Well, clearly Preston and I are destined to get married one day, because none of my past boyfriends have ever accused me of being ‘too nice’,” Desiree answered with a laugh.

The friends chatted until it was bath and bedtime for Preston. Ayla collapsed into her own bed shortly thereafter, exhausted from the frequency and intensity of the orgasms Mick had given her over the past twenty-four hours. Her call center job was history, but she still needed to report for duty at NPE for a 3:45 AM start time.

Mick had a light workout and early bedtime himself, physically and emotionally drained by Ayla. He wanted to be well-rested in order to keep up with his six-year-old dynamo of a son at Waveworks.

Chapter 20

Ayla’s Wednesday morning shift at NPE seemed like it would never end. Jeff told the crew to expect to process six trailers full of packages, which would ordinarily be a bad enough day, but two more full loads showed up late in the day, prompting Jeff to turn his screaming and tantrums up to maximum. He got into a shouting match with Ayla’s work neighbor, J.R.