It’s strange being here with someone who I once loved, who I envisioned a future with even if she didn’t feel the same way about me, and who I have also hated for what she has done to me and Amelia, but now I don’t know what to feel about her. I’m glad that it at least isn’t as awkward as I was imagining it might be. We can get along somewhat which will only be good for our daughter in the future, if it goes that way.
“Well, I’m glad that we have both made it to this point.” I nod my head curtly. “Because I think that it’s time for us to discuss what’s best for Amelia. I don’t know how you feel about seeing her again…”
“Oh yes.” She nods eagerly, looking pleased at the idea of being a mother once more. This rises my hope once more. Gone might be the manipulative party girl and an adult might be in her place at long last. It might be four years too late, but better late than never, right? I will take it thought. “I am very keen to see her.”
“Well, we will need to build up the trust between me and you though.” I wave my fingers between the pair of us. “I can’t just bring you back in to Amelia’s life when I don’t know how long you will stay.”
Karen pouts out her bottom lip. “But I am the girl’s mother. I do have rights…”
I feel like there might be a threat underneath the surface there, but I’m not worried about it. Karen has had plenty of time to go down the legal route since she walked out on me and Amelia and she hasn’t. I don’t know how much of a leg she would have to stand on even if she did because she walked out.
“I’m not trying to be against you, Karen,” I remind her. “I just know how excited Amelia will be if you come back in to her life and I need us to be sure that you are fully in because it will destroy her if you leave.”
“Hmph yeah.” She folds her arms defiantly across her chest. “Whatever. If you are going to put a load of hoops up in the way for me to jump through, then I guess I don’t have any choice in the matter, do I?”
I blow out a breath of a relief. She might be acting all prickly about out, but at least she is agreeing with me at long last. She isn’t going to fight me on the trust building which is the first start. I’m glad that I will probably be able to leave this meeting and tell my mother that this was a good idea after all. I know she has her doubts, but over time, Mom is going to have to see that I know what I’m doing. That this is right.
“So, do you want to tell me what you’re up to now?” I lean back in my chair and cock a smile at Karen. “I mean, I am an open book, but things are very much the same for me. I am running the business and looking after Amelia. Splitting my time between the two of those activities keeps me very busy…”
“No dating then?” Her eyes twinkle as if she’s being cheeky, but this comment does get my back up because I don’t feel like she has any right to know about my love life. Then again, I suppose I should consider that she might want to know what women have been around Amelia in her absence. If I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, then I suppose I better start opening up. One day, I will need her to do the same thing.
“No dating for me. Like I said, my time is very split. I don’t have the time for anything else.”
“Shame. The perfect man like you deserves to be with someone who treats him right.”
I don’t know what she means by this. Whether this is some kind of strange hint or an apology for the way that she treated me, but the best thing for me to do is blow passed it because we aren’t here to discuss that.
“Ae you going to tell me about your life then or what?” I bite back a little bitterly. “I do need to know.”
“Fine.” Karen rolls her eyes and looks away from me. “Well, I am currently staying about half an hour away from here with some friends of mine, just until I get a place of my own, and I’m temping, but hopefully will land a permanent position where I’m at right now. The boss likes me a lot, so fingers crossed.”
No permanent address or job. That’s worrying, not as adult as I would like. I wanted Karen to come back with something set in stone because if she is still living her life in a wishy-washy way then she could easily take off. If Karen doesn’t like something then she will just vanish, leaving the hurricane of destruction behind her.