“I asked them to stop. They wouldn’t stop, Daddy. That won’t happen at the Fair. I’ll do better, I promise.” His eyes started to well up with tears again.
“The Fair is kind of like the playground, Benjamin, but there will be way more kids there. There will be lines that you have to wait in for a long time.” I squeezed his hand and rubbed his knuckles.
“They have rides that look like fun and they have games.” A tear ran down his face.
“Do you really want to go?” I felt my heart breaking as I realized how set he was.
&nb
sp; “Yes.” He nodded quickly.
“Okay, if you promise to be good for Ms. Ruth every day, then I’ll take you when it comes to town.” My face formed a tense smile.
“You will!? I love you, Daddy!” Benjamin leapt from my knee and wrapped his arms around my neck.
“I love you too, Benjamin. You have to be good for Ms. Ruth though. If she tells me you’ve been trying to take too many cookies or not doing your schoolwork, I’ll cancel the trip.” I patted his back as he relaxed his grip and slid to the floor.
“I’ll be good! I promise!” He started running towards his room, yelling something about the Fair the whole way.
“Are you sure this is wise? I know it is what he wants...” Ms. Ruth took a seat and looked over at me.
“I don’t know. Maybe I can take him during the day or early in the evening when there are less people there. I’ll figure it out. How can I tell him no? He doesn’t understand why he isn’t like other kids.” I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyelids with my thumbs.
“I know. He’s such a sweet boy. We should try taking him a few more places and get him used to the crowds. He does well during our weekly grocery store trips as long as he sits in the cart. We’ve even stopped for ice cream a couple of times and he’s been fine with the lines because they weren’t too long.” Ms. Ruth picked up her coffee cup and sipped the steaming brew. “How would you feel about me taking him to a daycare and sitting with him while he spent time with the other kids? I could bring him home immediately if there are any issues.”
“Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. Thank you.” I stared at the floor.
“We definitely need to let him meet new people and spend time with other kids. With school back in session, most of the daycares will have after-school programs. Letting him interact with some children his own age is going to be crucial.” Ms. Ruth continued to sip her coffee and I nodded in agreement.
I got ready for work while Benjamin ran around the house talking about the Fair, telling me all of the rides he was going to go on and all of the new treats he was going to try. I checked the date and saw it was a month away—it was going to be a long month with an overly enthusiastic child that couldn’t wait to find out what it was like to go to the fair. I certainly remembered my first time going—I was about his age when my father took me. Considering how much of a serious, fun-hating old bastard he was, it was a surprise he took the time. I didn’t want Benjamin to look back on his childhood and see the same thing in me.
Chapter 17: Abby
My life with Max went into cruise control. He showed up on my doorstep every evening at six o’clock to ravage and pillage my body. Sometimes it was sweet, like two lovers that just wanted to enjoy each other, and sometimes it was rough, like a savage caveman who had discovered pussy for the first time. I was too much of a coward to ask where it was going. I didn’t want him to tell me it was going nowhere and the end was around the corner. I enjoyed living in the moment with him—even if I did have to look back on him as Mr. Mistake before it was all done. He never stayed the full night, but he held me until I was asleep. It became so routine that several weeks passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
“THE FAIR IS HERE TOMORROW!” Mary-Katherine had clearly had too much coffee as she bounced around my kitchen with excitement.
“I know.” I stared at my laptop and looked over some final proofs for the Energy Enhanced launch. “We can’t go the first day though; there will be a million people there. We’ll go later in the week.”
“Why aren’t you more excited? Hey, do you think Max would want to do a double date with me and Rolando?” Mary-Katherine leaned against the counter. “I haven’t even met him yet.”
“I don’t think he’s really the type to go on dates—especially double dates.” My face twisted into a scowl and I shook my head.
“Maybe I’ll just show up here one night when you’re not expecting me and meet him then.” She grinned.
“Don’t you dare.” I looked at her and narrowed my eyes. “I’ll send Sebastian after you.”
“Sebastian loves me.” She giggled and looked at my laptop screen. “Isn’t that the company that made that kid in Ohio sick?”
“What?” I turned towards her quickly. “Energy Enhanced?”
“Yeah, I think...” She shrugged her shoulders. “Or maybe it was some other energy drink. I remember something about vitamins...”
“I think we would have heard about it...” I dismissed her concerns and closed my laptop. “Okay, I need to get to work.”
“Working on a Sunday? That’s no fun.” She tapped her fingers on the counter.
“The launch is tomorrow. I need to make sure things are in line.” I picked up my phone and saw I had a text message from Max.