Fake Marriage Box Set

“You ready to come to Daddy’s for the weekend?”

“Yes,” he said enthusiastically.

I picked up his bag and opened it up, looking at all the stuffed animals he had packed inside of it. He walked over and peered down at it, mimicking my movements like he used to do as a baby. I ruffled his hair and zipped the bag back up.

“I packed it myself,” he said, proudly.

“You did? Well, you did a fantastic job,” I said, looking up at Sarah who was standing cross-armed in the doorway. “Sarah, did you happen to pack any of his clothes?”

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That’s not my problem now. You need to make sure he has everything he needs. I mean, if you don’t, I can gladly call the courts.”

> “He has more than enough,” I said, with a slight smirk. “In fact, I was only asking so that you could keep them here since I know you are on a fixed income.”

“Whatever,” she scoffed. “You know, it’s a good thing you’re taking Jake for the weekend.”

“Oh yeah,” I said, flippantly. “Why is that?”

“Now I can enjoy my weekend,” she said, smoothing her feathered hair. “Maybe I’ll head out to a few bars and make some new friends.”

“God knows you scared all the old ones away,” I scoffed with a smile.

“You are insufferable,” she said, stomping her feet. “I don’t understand why you’re always doing things to make my life harder.”

“See, Sarah, it’s not that I’m doing things to make your life harder; it’s just that I am doing things that need to be done, and you don’t want to be a grownup,” I said. “No matter what you think, I don’t actually have to take care of you anymore; that’s the beauty of divorce.”

“We’ll see about that,” she smirked.

I was done talking to her. I had far too many things planned for my weekend with Jake. Normally, she would make me irate, irritating me to the point that I had no choice but to snap back, but not today. I leaned down and squeezed Jake’s nose, smiling at him before scooping him into my arms and grabbing his bag of stuffed animals. He laughed and squeezed me hard around the neck as we pushed past Sarah and outside to the driveway where my truck was parked in the front. I set him down in front of the back-passenger door and pulled out my keys. I had scrounged around in my garage for two hours the night before until I finally found the car seat I had kept for anytime I thought I would have Jake. Little did I know at the time that I’d never get to use it. Once I found it, I realized needed to take off the back and convert it to the booster option, then put it in the back seat of the truck.

I picked Jake up around the waist and hugged him tightly before getting him settled in the booster seat. I stretched the seatbelt back and forth to get some leeway and then pulled it over his lap, buckling it up. I stood there for a minute looking at him, realizing that his little body had grown so much he was almost too big for the thing. I fussed with it for a bit, then decided it would do for today, and I would just have to get him a new one. I figured we would end up at the stores anyway getting him clothes and shoes for my house, so I would just add a car seat to the list.

I leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead before tossing his bag into the front seat and climbing into the driver’s side. I adjusted the rearview mirror so I could see his happy face and put the key in the ignition, excited to get away from my old house and my old wife, and head home to a happier surrounding, especially since I knew that Quinn would be there waiting for us.

“How was school today?”

“Good,” he said, flapping his legs. “We had Spanish today, and I got all the answers right on the quiz.”

“You did? Dude, that is so awesome,” I said. “I am so exited to have you here with me. I have been waiting all day to see you.”

I flipped on the radio like we used to do when he would ride with me, and started singing the country songs that came on the safe station I had already picked out for our ride home. It was more than obvious that Jake was sharing in my excitement of having each other close this weekend. He looked happier than I’d seen him in a very long time, and in turn that brightened my life even more. While Sarah was looking forward to time away from Jake, I couldn’t wait to get him home and never leave his side.

“Is this your house?” Jake looked at in wonder, even though it was quite a bit smaller than the one he lived in.

“Yep,” I said, proudly. “Home sweet home. This is your house now too, buddy.”

“I like that,” he said, nodding his head with a serious expression on his face.

“Good,” I said laughing, as I parked the car and climbed out.

We walked hand in hand up the walk to the front door, and I opened it up, letting him go in first. As the door swung open Quinn poked her head out into the hallway and smiled, seeing Jake’s beautiful face. She walked toward us happily, and Jake stopped, dropping his bag on the ground and taking off toward her. The giggles that escaped his throat were absolutely adorable, and Quinn lit up like a Christmas tree. She bent over and caught him as he ran full speed into her arms, picking him up and squeezing him tightly, resting her face on his skin and closing her eyes. He squeezed her tighter than he had me, and I could tell he was extremely excited to see her. This had turned out even more perfectly than I’d ever imagined.

I could feel the emotions swirling around in my chest, and I cleared my throat, looking down at the floor. I couldn’t help the feelings I was having; it was all too overwhelming. I could feel my eyes burning as tears tugged at the corner and my nose got warm and stuffy for a second. It was amazing to see the love my son had for Quinn, not that I could blame him. She was kind, loving, gentle, and patient with him, always. She took care of him, making sure he was fed, bathed, clothed, and most importantly, loved. I hadn’t realized that having her in this house was going to be such a huge necessity, especially when it came to the comfort of my son.

He continued to hug her tightly, and I could see her fighting back her own emotions. He must have missed Quinn for the last week since she was no longer working for Sarah. I could only imagine, after seeing how ruffled and off-kilter Sarah was, how horribly she was doing at being that mother figure that he needed. If I were Jake, I would have missed Quinn too, especially since I couldn’t even imagine Sarah trying to cook for the kid, much less play with him or be patient. He’d probably eaten takeout for a week straight, and I don’t even want to think about whether she’d bathed him or not. It was pointless to think about, especially since he was in my house now and I could make sure he was taken care of, at least for a couple of days.

Either way, having Quinn and Jake there in my presence, under my roof, had to be the first time I’d felt at home in a very long time.

Chapter Twenty-Two