And when I come, it’s in a tornado of pleasure that pulls me until I feel as if I’m losing my mind.
Chapter 18
Brad
I feel as if we’re a family as we walk around the aquarium hand in hand. I smile at Isaac’s ‘wow’ cries as he stares at the huge sharks behind the glass. It’s a Sunday, and we’re doing what normal families do during the weekend. Mila is just as enthralled as Isaac. They press their faces against the glass. One of the sharks gets close to them; they jump back, and then we all laugh. We walk leisurely through the indoor aquarium center, and afterward, we go for a quick lunch before heading back home.
I park the car in the driveway and don’t see her until I’m out of the car. I should have expected it, but somehow, with the planning for my marriage to Mila and enjoying being with her, I’d completely forgotten about Brenda. She’s leaning on the porch rails and straightens up when I get out of the car.
Anger coils in my stomach and I force myself to take a breath and be cool. Mila also sees her, and she thinks faster than I do. She tells Isaac something about pictures in her house, and they go in the opposite direction.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask her. I’m not in the mood to be polite. This woman is threatening my son’s happy existence after leaving him two years earlier without a backward glance.
“I came to see Isaac, of course,” she says. “I’d like to take him to lunch.”
“He’s already had his lunch,” I tell her curtly.
“The park then. I want to spend some time with him.”
“He doesn’t remember you, Brenda,” I tell her.
She crumples then. Her cool exterior dissolves, and big fat teardrops fall from her eyes. Her shoulders heave, and she covers her face. I know it’s not fake because even though she’s secretive, Brenda can’t act to save her life.
“I’m sorry, Brad. I did something bad. I know that now. Stan made me see it; I shouldn’t have just walked out of Isaac’s life. Please. I’m sorry. Let me see him; I want to make amends. I want to know him again.”
“What has changed? When you came before, you never even asked about him.”
“My lawyer had told me to act cool, not to show my emotions or neediness. He doesn’t know I am here now,” she cries.
My heart is thawing. I still don’t trust her. “What if he doesn’t want to go with you? Or you run off with him?”
She looks stricken. Hitting her with those possibilities was deliberate, but they come as news to her. Those were not things on her mind. “I’ve caused so much damage and pain; I wouldn’t do that, I promise. Besides, Stan wouldn’t even let me. It would jeopardize our chances of winning custody.”
That’s a stark reminder that she’s my enemy. But it still doesn’t take away the fact that she’s Isaac’s mom.
I sigh. “I’ll go ask him. If he agrees, I’m giving you two hours; if you’re not back, I’ll call the cops.”
She nods vigorously. Fresh tears flood her eyes. She clasps her hands together. “Thank you so much, Brad. I honestly never expected you to agree. I was just trying my luck.”
“Don’t celebrate just yet. I still need to ask him.”
I stride to Mila’s house and find her and Isaac coloring on the kitchen table. He’s completely engrossed in what he’s doing. Mila, who has only been with us for a short time, already knows Isaac more than his own mom does.
I pull out a chair next to Isaac and sit. “That looks good, buddy,” I tell him.
He looks at me, grins, and goes back to coloring.
I place my hand on his arm. “I need to ask you something.” He hears something in my voice that alerts him that whatever I want to say is serious.
“Yes, Dad,” he says and looks at me, his eyes shining with love and trust.
My guts twist, and I’m tempted to leave it and go and tell Brenda to go to hell. Then I remember Isaac’s hurt expression in the car the day I told him about marrying Mila. He misses his mom, whether he knows it or not, and she’s the only one who can wipe off that expression permanently.
“Your mom is outside.” A panicked look comes over his features.
“My mom?” he whispers.
I nod. “She wants to see you. Take you to the park or for ice cream or whatever you want. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
He looks confused. My fatherly protective feelings are growling now, but this is something I must let Isaac decide.
He looks at me unsurely, and then he nods slightly. “Will she bring me back to you?”
“Of course,” I tell him. “This is your home, Isaac.”