She smiles softly. “Cameron is my friend, Owen. He’s a lovely man. You’re going to have so much fun together. You’re very lucky that you get to have him for a daddy.”
I get a lump in my throat and Ashley must be able to sense it because she grabs my hand on the counter and I find myself squeezing it as a silent thank you.
“Okay.” He shrugs.
I frown. “Okay?” I ask, surprised. Surely it’s not going to be that easy…
“Wait, what do I call you?” Owen asks.
I smile softly. “Dad. You call me Dad.”
I sit on the lounge room floor and watch Owen play with his Lego. It’s freaking me out watching a little version of myself making sense of the world.
I’ve been watching him for two hours. I could watch him all day. “Do you want to go for a bike ride?” I ask.
“I don’t have a bike.”
I frown. “You don’t have a bike?”
“No, because it’s dangerous on the roads.”
“Oh,” I reply.
“Shall we go for a skateboard?”
“What’s a skateboard?”
Oh God, it gets worse.
“Okay, let’s go up to your room and you can get your mitt and we can play catch.”
He looks at me blankly. “I don’t think I know how to play catch.”
I frown. “Where’s your ball and mitt?”
He shrugs.
I stand. “Can you show me your bedroom?”
He stands and walks upstairs with me following. He opens the door and holds his hand out. I walk in and look around.
“This is a nice room.” I smile.
“It is.” He lies on the bed.
I walk over to his bookshelves and go through all the books he has. “You have lots of books.”
“Mom reads to me every night.”
I smile. “Does she? Is she a good reader?”
He shrugs. “Okay, I guess.”
I smile and open his toy box to look inside. It’s filled with soft toys and baby crap. “So… where are all your balls and bats?”
He shrugs. “Santa didn’t bring me those.”
I smile sadly. “Oh.”
I frown as I look around. This is the most fucking boring kids room I have ever been in. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Yes.” He smiles as he jumps down from the bed.
“Get your shoes.”
He opens his wardrobe and I peer in from behind him. Two lonely little pairs of shoes sit at the bottom. I glance at the shelves and they are only half full.
He has hardly any clothes.
“Where are your other shoes, Owen?”
“This is it.” He smiles. “These are my good shoes for going out.” He points to a brown pair of dress shoes. “And these are my shoes I wear on walks.”
I smile. “Oh, good. That makes sense.” I rub his head. “Grab the walking shoes.”
He takes them out and passes them to me.
I frown. “Can you put these on?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“You don’t know how to do your laces yet?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
I smile. “Sit on the bed and I will do it.” I look around. “Where are your socks?”
“In my top drawer.”
I open his top drawer to find three little pairs of socks and a few pairs of underpants.
Guilt hits me like a freight train. She does have it tough.
Suddenly, I feel like the biggest fucking asshole that ever drew breath. I shake my head and put his shoes and socks on before we head downstairs.
“Where does Mommy put her letters from the postman?” I ask.
Owen frowns as he thinks for a moment. “On the side table in the drawer.”
“Why don’t you head out the back yard and I will meet you there?” I ask.
“Okay.” He runs out the back door and I go to the side table and pull out the drawer to flick through the mail. Fuck, I need a rental receipt. I keep flicking… Nothing.
I go over to the counter where there’s a basket of letters and things. I flick through those, but still there’s nothing. Shit. I glance around and see a folder on top of the kitchen top cupboards. I pull it down and bingo. Bills all put into a paid and non-paid sections. I flick through until I find a rental one. I take it out and stuff it my pocket.
“Dad?” A little husky voice calls from outside.
I stop and frown as a myriad of emotions run over me.
One word has never sounded more frightening; yet more wonderful at the same time.
Shit just got real.
Ashley
I sit and read to Gloria in my lunchbreak.
It’s Monday and the weekend went surprisingly well.
Owen was happy when I returned home on Saturday and Cameron seemed to survive it.
They made an arrangement to see each other again on Wednesday. Apparently Cameron is taking the afternoon off work.
Wonders never cease.
Today, at work, we have been amicable, too. Maybe we can do this co-parenting thing. He’s gone to his office now and then he’s in office all day Tuesday, so I won’t see him again until then.
A little voice inside of me wishes he was coming to see me, but I know that’s not going to happen now. It is what it is.
Dr. Anderson pops his head around the corner. “Ashley, if you have a minute, could I see you when you’re finished, please?”
I smile and nod, shit. Dr. Anderson is Cameron’s cute doctor friend. They constantly talk and laugh together, and I know they have a friendship outside of work.
He must have told him.
“Gloria, we might need to leave it there today, honey.” I smile.
“Okay, dear. Thank you. That was wonderful. Will you be back tomorrow?”
I smile. Give her an inch and she will take a mile. I take her hand in mine. “Of course.” I walk out into the corridor to where Dr. Anderson is waiting in the hallway. With his handsome good looks, I can imagine he’s also dating half the nurses in this place. “Just come in here, Ashley,” he says as he ushers me into an office.
I frown. “What’s this about?” I turn to face him.
He smiles sexily. “Now forgive me for being blunt, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way…”
My face falls. He’s going to give me a lecture about Cameron.
“I’m Seb.” He holds out his hand to shake mine and I smile and shake his hand.
“Seb?” I ask.
“Sebastian.”
I smile. “Nice to formally meet you, Sebastian.” I widen my eyes in jest. “I’m Ashley.”
“I know who you are.” He smiles sexily.
I frown. Okay, this is weird. “How can I help you, Seb?”
“Would you like to go out Saturday night?”
What? God, that was the most unexpected thing I have heard in forever.
“Go out?” I frown.
“Yes. On a date… with me?”
I scratch my head awkwardly. “I’m away this weekend. I’m sorry. I can’t,” I lie.
Jesus… just say no.
He smiles and nods. “Okay.”
He holds my eyes with his. He is very cute. “Some other time?” I smile.
“Sure,” he replies. “I hope I haven’t overstepped the mark by asking?”
“Not at all.” I smile. Quite the opposite. He’s just given me a much needed confidence boost.
“So…” He hesitates. “I guess I’ll wait for you to ask me out next time.” He smiles.
I chuckle. “Okay. You do that.”
“Because I wouldn’t want to seem pushy and all.” He smirks.
“Good.” I nod.
“But, just so you know, I am an excellent dancer,” he adds.
His cheeky smile rubs off on me and I find myself beaming like an idiot. “That’s good to know.”
“And I know the all best restaurants.”
I smirk.
“And I’m free every night,” he adds cheekily.
I shake my head. “Goodbye, Seb.” I grin as I leave the office.
“Call me,” he shouts in a fake girl’s voice as I leave the office and laugh out loud.