“I know that with her come them; they’re a package deal. The kids are easy. It’s the ex I’m not sure I can deal with,” I finally voice my fear. “He broke up with Camilla, so now he’s free. What’s to say he won’t try to get her back? They don’t just have a past, they have kids. Can I even compete with that?”
Cooper throws his ball of tape in the garbage. “Oh, I know what you mean. When I met Parker, her ex was always away. The minute he spotted us together, all of a sudden he had second thoughts.” He looks at Matthew to see if he is listening. Matthew is listening, and he just nods his head and agrees with him. “But I knew that the minute I found out she had kids, I didn’t give a shit. I wanted her, all of her.”
“How do you compete, though?”
“You don’t, you be you,” Matthew adds from his side. “As long as Gabe sees that you treat his mom well, you make her laugh, and she isn’t sad anymore, well, that’s all you really need to do.” He smiles at Cooper.
I nod my head and think about everything while I get undressed and check my phone, seeing Noah texted me.
Sorry I missed today! Two words, my mother and Kaleigh.
Oh, Jesus! Is everyone okay?
Let’s just say no more naked yoga in the living room.
I don’t even know what to say to that.
There’s nothing to say.
We get dressed, each of us grabbing our bags to head out. “Okay, buddy, let’s go,” I tell Gabe as he walks out in front of me.
“Shit,” Matthew says. “They took the car.”
“It’s okay. I have Lauren’s, and I can drive you guys back to the hotel.” I open the trunk. “It really is a bus.” I wink at Gabe, and he just smiles and drinks the chocolate milk he got from Craig.
The minute I turn on the ignition, the sounds of “Let it Go” fill the car, and Cooper and Matthew both groan. “I take it you guys know this song?”
“Why is it playing?” Matthew yells from the back, putting his hands over his ears.
“Because it’s jammed inside the player and Mom didn’t have it checked out yet,” Gabe explains, his head moving to the beat of the music. “Dad used to do all that.”
I look at Cooper, who raises his eyebrows at me. My eyes go from him to the road, letting everything sink in.
We drop Matthew and Cooper off at their hotel, and a couple of fans notice them and come up to ask them to take pictures. We say good-bye with a promise to see each other soon.
Once I turn onto the street and pull into the driveway, I jump out, grabbing my bag, while Gabe grabs his. I dump my bag into my truck, and then inside the house.
Music and the smells of something delicious cooking flow through the house, greeting us as we walk in. Pink’s song “So What” is playing, and whatever is cooking smells amazing. I walk into the kitchen and see that Rachel is at the table doing some sort of homework, while Lauren is at the stove cooking.
“Hey,” I greet, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist.
“Hey there. How was hockey?” she asks, stirring the tomato sauce she is making.
“Good. Great, actually. Craig wants to coach him,” I tell her while she tastes it and lowers the temperature to let it simmer.
“Really?” She turns to drape her arms around my neck. “That’s exciting,” she says as she kisses my chin.
“Mooommm, I need help with math,” Rachel groans.
“Coming,” she answers. “I have to do homework. Are you going to stay for dinner?” She smiles. I think back to the bag I packed this morning and left on my bed.
“No.” I smile. “I’m pretty beat.”
Her smile slowly falls, but she replaces it right away with a forced one. “Oh, yeah, of course.”
She lets go of me and moves to the table, my body missing her touch instantly. I watch her at the table, sitting down, explaining the math to Rachel. I watch her and think to myself, Can I do this?
“Okay, I’m going to head out,” I say to her. She nods her head, getting up to walk me to the door.
“Are you okay?” I sense that her demeanor has changed.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just busy. It’s Sunday, so we have to finish homework and stuff. Nothing you would know.” Her last comment hits me straight in the gut. I lean down, kissing her on the lips, a soft kiss, a fast one. Totally different than I wanted.
“Mom, I got it!” Rachel yells again.
“I have to get back to her.” She opens the door, and I walk out. I get in the car and pull out, looking back at the door, hoping to see her there, but instead finding it closed. I don’t know why that pisses me off so much.