“For fuck sake,” I growl loudly as I listen to her voice mail for what feels like the hundredth time. Mia definitely doesn’t want to talk to me, she’s made that much obvious with the string of unanswered calls. I haven’t even bothered to text because I don’t want to be humiliated in another medium as well.
I drop my cell phone on the side and rub my eyes hard. This is awful, I didn’t want Mia to find out like that. It’s wrong, I should have just told her. I’m an idiot, what was I thinking?
“Daddy, can I wear this?” Alex asks me as he spins to show me his mis matched outfit.
“Yes, of course you can. That looks great on you.”
“When is Jenny coming?”
“No, Jenny isn’t coming today. Her mommy isn’t very well.”
“So, I will be left on my own?”
“No, of course not,” I reassure him. Bless his little heart. “Daddy will be here.”
“What about work?”
“You are more important than work. I won’t leave you alone.”
His face lights up, he looks so pleased that it strikes me hard. At some point I really need to take a step back from the gym, let Foster manage the night shifts, pick someone to manage the day shifts and delegate so I can get a bit of a life back. I should do that for Alex’s sake. I know it, but I haven’t done it yet.
The look on his face should drive me in the right direction.
“Can we go to Grandma’s house?”
“Yes of course we can! That sounds really nice actually.”
“She lives near the park. I like the slide.”
“I know she does, we can go to play there for a bit if you like.”
“Yay!” He jumps around and squeals with excitement which means we need to go. It isn’t that I don’t want to, it’s just I know that questions will fly my way and I don’t want to deal with any of them.
I’ve lost Mia now, the first person who I could have actually had something with, and I need to move on. I don’t ever live in the past, once something is done I move on. I just don’t know why it hasn’t happened already. Since I haven’t heard from her in over twenty four hours, I guess I won’t now.
“Right, let’s get all organized then and we can go. I need to get dressed, we need to brush teeth…”
“I need a snack too before we go!”
I laugh. “You’ve been spending too much time with Grandma, but of course you can.”
As he races into the kitchen I can’t stop myself from smiling. Spending this extra time with Alex is a blessing in disguise really. It’s making me rethink things. This might all end up being a really good thing.
* * *
Hayley: Did you not get my last message? It isn’t a threat, I mean it.
Hayley: Fuck you, Noah. You’ve made a real enemy here.
Hayley: They are going to kill me if I don’t send them to you…
Hayley: I fucking gave you everything and you gave me nothing. I deserve this.
Hayley: Your gym is in danger unless you reply to me. I’m just warning you…
Hayley: I will fucking KILL you, KIL… I kept saying it trying to tell you, but you won’t liste
Hayley: Alez is troubled too nd it’s all cuz of yo