After seeing Noah on my front porch and abruptly slamming the door in his face, I couldn’t focus on much yesterday. My first instinct was to smack him for even having the audacity to come to my house, but I didn’t. Hopefully, my reaction made it abundantly clear I didn’t want to see him.
I don’t know what the hell Gemma was thinking by bringing him there, but she’s getting an earful from me very soon. She texted last night, but I haven’t responded yet. I didn’t want to say anything I’d regret later since I was so mad.
verySeeing his face after a decade took me by surprise. He looks the same but older and more muscular. Minimal facial hair filled his jawline, and his features are more prominent than I remember. He’s grown into a man, quite different than when he was twenty-two.
Once I left the house, I returned home and met Loretta and Owen. She loves spending time with him on the weekends, which really helps me when I’m busy remodeling. After she left, we had dinner and watched a movie before I tucked him in for the night.
Now it’s Sunday morning, and Owen’s watching YouTube on his tablet while I make breakfast. It’s become our routine. Since I’m so busy working at the house on the weekends and evenings during the week, we spend Sunday mornings together and hang out for a few hours.
“Come get your biscuits and gravy, bud,” I call out. After I set his plate on the table, I walk to his room to grab his hamper.
On Sundays, I also try to catch up on all the chores I neglected during the week, especially laundry.
Once I’ve put his clothes in the washer, I head back to the kitchen and see his empty chair.
“Owen!” I shout. “Your food’s getting cold.”
“I’m comin’, Ma!” He finally trails in from the living room with his eyes glued to his tablet.
“You know the rules. Turn it off.”
He releases a groan, then looks at me. “Why can’t I watch it while I eat? All my friends get to.”
I take the tablet and close the cover, then set it on the kitchen counter. “Good for them. They aren’t my children, but you are, so I guess you gotta listen to my rules instead.” I flash him a wink, but he rolls his eyes with a grunt.
“No fair.”
He’s only ten, but some days, I swear he acts like a hormonal fifteen-year-old.
“Watch that tone.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He dives into his food, and I clear my throat to get his attention. “Where are your manners?” I sit across from him with my own plate.
“Thank you, Mom.”
“You’re welcome.” I smile as I take my first bite. “What would you like to do after?”
He shrugs, which is his usual go-to response. Owen’s an energetic kid, but he has his moments. Lately, hanging out with his friends and playing games on his tablet have become the most important things in his life.
“Wanna play one of your new games that Memaw and Papa got you?”
It was his birthday a few months ago, and my parents got him some board games that we’ve only played a couple times.
He shrugs again.
“What about Pay Day? See if you can beat me this time?” I tease.
I finally get a smile out of him. “Yeah right, but sure.”
We continue eating, and I make a mental list of things I want to do this afternoon. Besides laundry, I need to change our bedding, clean the kitchen and bathrooms, and tidy up before going to the new house. I’ll probably only get a few hours of work in this afternoon when my mom comes over and hangs out with Owen.
“Can we watch a movie?”
I glance at the clock and figure if we spend an hour playing a game and another hour and a half watching a movie, I’ll have time to switch the laundry over between.
“Sure, bud.”
He’s obsessed with Star Wars, so streaming the movies with Disney Plus has been a godsend.
Star WarsOnce we’re done, Owen takes our empty plates and places them into the dishwasher. That’s one of his chores, and I make sure he stays on it. Besides dishes, his other responsibilities include putting his clean clothes away and keeping his room tidy. It’s not always an easy task, but one warning about losing his tablet and he gets it done.
Although being a single parent has had its challenges over the years, there’s nothing more rewarding than being his mom and watching him grow into a kind, sweet young man.
As I’m folding clothes, my phone goes off with a text message, and I smile when I see it’s from Everleigh.
She, Gemma, and I grew up together and have been best friends for as long as I can remember. We’re each other’s ride or die, but as we’ve gotten older, we’ve gotten busy with our lives—having a baby, getting married, opening a business. We may have chosen different paths, but it’s brought us closer together.
Everleigh
Sooo you gonna spill the beans on what happened yesterday, or do I need to bribe you with margaritas and Mexican food?
I snort and curse at whoever told her. Not that I wouldn’t have eventually, but it only means the news about what happened yesterday is already getting around our small town.
Katie
There’s nothing to tell. But drinks and chips and salsa are always a good idea.
Everleigh
Nothing to tell, my flat ass. Let’s talk it out.
I chuckle at the reference to her backside. Everleigh has always been naturally thin, and she got teased for it a lot in school. She didn’t fully develop until the last couple of years of high school.
Katie
You’ll be able to beef up your ass as soon as the gym is open ;)
Everleigh
Don’t change the subject. I’m coming over.
Katie
I’m still at home with Owen. I’ll be at the new house around 3.
Everleigh
Perfect. Better be ready to spill the deets.
Katie
Nothing to spill, but okay. See you then!
I shake my head with a grin as I set down my phone and continue folding Owen’s shirts and jeans. Once my work clothes finish in the dryer, I’ll hang them, then it’ll be time to get ready to go.
My mom arrives at 2:45, just as we’re cleaning up Pay Day. We managed to play for two rounds, but I let Owen win the second time.
“How’s my favorite grandson?” she asks as she sets her bag down and wraps Owen in a hug.
“I’m your only grandchild,” he deadpans.
“That’s because when your mama had you, I just knew you were perfect. There was no need for another.” She flashes me a wink, and I smile.
Owen was six when he started asking about siblings. Several of his classmates talked about theirs, and he wondered why he didn’t have any. It broke my heart to realize he’d probably be an only child like I was. Gabe was too, but he had cousins and lots of friends since he attended a larger school district before he moved to Lawton Ridge. The schools are small here, and Owen has no cousins.
“That’s right,” I interject. “Made perfection the first time around.”
Owen’s less than amused because he knows we’re both taunting him. Considering I spent most of my pregnancy alone, was depressed about my failing marriage, and gave birth shortly after Gabe died, I’ve associated pregnancy with trauma. Aside from the horrific all-day sickness for nine straight months, the fear I felt while having him has also stayed with me.
However, the moment the nurse handed Owen to me, everything changed. I could still feel sad and lonely, but I had a newfound purpose.
“Alright, you two. Don’t have too much fun without me. I’ll be home before bedtime to tuck you in, okay?” I pull Owen into my arms and kiss the top of his head. “Be good for Memaw.”
“Helloooooo…” I hear Everleigh sing-song from the living room. “I come bearing drinks and food.”
“In the kitchen,” I call out.
Tools and notebook paper cover the counter. Every time I watch a YouTube video, I take rigorous notes so I can go back through and read them if I need to.
She comes prancing in with a cheesy grin on her face. “Margaritas for two, guac, chips, and shrimp tacos.”
I eye the two to-go cups. “How’d you manage that?” They never allow alcoholic beverages to be taken out of the restaurant.
“Antonio was working, and I laid on the charm.” She winks. “Works every time.”
“You mean, you flirted to get what you wanted?”
“Perhaps, but look…” She waves one of the Styrofoam cups in the air before handing it to me. “It worked.”
I snort. “I guess so. Thanks.”
Once the food is laid out, I sip my drink and eat.
“So now that you’re all boozed up, you gonna start telling me about Noah? What happened? How’d he look? What did he say?”
“I already told you, there’s nothing to tell. I opened the door, saw him, slammed it in his face, and walked away.”
Everleigh gives me sad eyes as she takes a large bite of her taco. “Are you ever going to talk to him again?”
“Not if I can help it,” I retort.
“Katie…”
“He had every opportunity to reach out, send a letter, or call me…and he didn’t. So he doesn’t get a free pass just because he’s out and now wants to talk to me. It doesn’t work that way.”
now“Ya know, before Gabe, I really thought you and Noah were gonna end up together,” she says, and I nearly choke on my food.
“Me and Noah?”
“Yeah. You two were so close.”
“We were friends, but it was never anything more than that,” I tell her.
“Well, it could’ve been if you would’ve had the guts to tell him how you felt.”
I glare in her direction. “I was fifteen. I didn’t know what I felt.”
“Yeah, okay.” She rolls her eyes, knowing I’m full of s**t. “I swear, you two were the only ones who didn’t know you both liked each other. Gemma kept pushing him to confess, but he kept chickening out.”
“Wait. What?”
She narrows her eyes as she folds her arms. “Noah liked you.”
“As a friend,” I confirm, trying to end the conversation, but she continues.
“Not from where I stood.” She smirks.
Noah and I were always only friends. He never gave any indication he liked me more than that. Everleigh continues to stare at me, smacking her lips as she pops a chip in her mouth.
only“Noah didn’t protest or say a damn thing when Gabe asked me out. If he liked me, then why would he remain silent?” I challenge.
liked“Guess that’s something you’re gonna have to ask him.” Everleigh smirks like the smart-ass she is. “But I wasn’t the only one surprised to see you and Gabe get hitched.”
“We were together for three years before we got married, so why would that be a shock to anyone?”
“Because most of us saw how close you and Noah were. Don’t get me wrong, Gabe wasn’t a bad guy when you were dating, but I didn’t see that…connection. At least not in the way you had with Noah.” She shrugs, and my heart races.
connection“Noah and I knew each other for most of our lives, so of course we were close, but if anything was going to happen between us, it would’ve happened before Gabe moved to town.”
“Perhaps if you’d give him a chance to talk, you could ask him yourself. He sure has a lot of explainin’ to do.”
“He doesn’t deserve my time, Everleigh. I waited years for him to get the stick outta his ass, and he just expects me to accept him with open arms the day he gets released? f**k that.”
“Hey, I’m all about making him grovel. That man better beg on his knees, but eventually…” She shrugs with a smirk. “Give him a second chance. Or at least five minutes of your time. Either way, he’s back, so you won’t be able to avoid him for long.”
I know she’s right, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give in anytime soon. I don’t know how I really felt about him back when I was a teenager, but if he wanted to be more than just friends, why didn’t he say anything? I’m not sure how I would’ve responded, but it would’ve been nice knowing the truth.
“You’re overthinking right now, aren’t you?” Everleigh interrupts my spinning mind.
“No.”
The corner of her lips tilts up. “I’ve known you a long-ass time and know when you’re lying, so nice try.”
“So, who are you dating now?”
Everleigh scoffs at my subject change. “I wouldn’t call it dating per se…”
“Alright, who’re ya banging then?” I tease, sucking down the rest of my margarita.
“Well…there’s only one guy at the moment. I don’t double dick.”
I nearly choke. “Everleigh!”
“What? I’m just sayin’. One d**k at a time. I mean, usually.”
usuallyWe burst out laughing, the alcohol clearly taking over. At this rate, I’ll get nothing done at the house tonight, but it was totally worth it to spend time with her.