Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
It hit me then that Kola could bring home anybody—please, God, somewhere near his own age—girl or boy or neither or both, and whoever they were, if they loved Kola, I would be happy. As long as that individual saw Kola for the brilliant, beautiful, smart, and occasionally funny person that he was…I’d be thrilled out of my mind.
I took a breath as my eyes filled, and Trip looked utterly out of his element.
“Hey,” Kola said, walking up beside me, draping an arm over my shoulder and offering his hand to Trip. “Griffin filled me in on what’s up, so, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ward.”
Trip took my son’s hand and shook quickly. “And you, Kola.”
“Griffin says Pokémon Shield is good, so I’m gonna get that for B for Christmas,” he told me before looking back at Trip. “He said that you guys gotta go and get one for your son too.”
He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. “Yes, we do,” he said, and then glanced at me before turning and leaving.
Kola led me to the cashier, and after several moments, I realized the beautiful woman, who resembled a young Isabella Rossellini, was still scanning tags.
“What did you get?” I asked him, watching as she pulled out a really big bag to stack his things in, stunned at the sheer volume of items I was about to pay for.
“I needed new clothes,” he apprised me, one eyebrow arched playfully. “Remember?”
“I remember saying some clothes, not all the clothes.”
He scoffed.
“Boys grow fast, don’t they, Dad?” the sales associate teased me.
“They do,” I agreed, enjoying the dad part.
When we met Sam and Hannah for lunch, they had bags that did not look like they were for dresses to me. In fact, a big one looked suspiciously like a boot box.
“Really?” I said, glaring at him.
“What?” he groaned when she got up to go to the bathroom. “Her feet are freezing in her old boots.”
I shook my head.
He tipped his head at Kola’s bag. “I wouldn’t talk.”
“I was out of it,” I confessed with a sigh.
“Yeah,” Kola agreed. “Some guy Pa used to know thought I was his boy.”
“Oh dear God,” I groaned.
“You are his boy,” Sam said, confused.
“No, no,” Kola said, smiling evilly. “His, you know…” He coughed and waggled his eyebrows for Sam. “Boy.”
Sam’s entire body clenched; I saw it, and mostly the corded vein in his neck. “I’m sorry?”
“Pa took care of it, cleared it up,” Kola told Sam. “And right now, I’m wondering if the guy really believed it, or if he wanted there to be someone doing exactly what he was doing so bad that he saw what he wanted to.”
I stared at my son.
“Living two separate lives like that,” he murmured, looking at me. “That’s gotta be lonely, don’t you think?”
“I do,” I agreed.
“I’m really glad that you didn’t ever do that,” he said, giving my leg a pat as he smiled at me. “That you and Dad have always been who you are, and yeah, I remember losing some friends when I was little, when their parents found out you two were together, but not many, and this way, I mean, I know I can love whoever I want––”
“Preferably––”
“––my same age,” he continued on, chuckling. “And that’s on you guys. You modeled loving whoever you love.”
“Ohmygod,” Hannah said, sitting back down, leaning forward. “Did Kola learn something? It’s a Christmas miracle.”
He mock laughed, making a face at her, and then turned to me. “Remember what I said I was gonna get her? Well, forget it.”
“What?” she asked, affronted, and then made a face. “No, no, no, I take it back.”
“That’s what sassy gets you—nada.”
“Oh come on,” she pleaded with her brother. “Let’s talk about this.”
As we walked together after lunch, Kola carrying all the bags, Hannah’s as well, he listened to her talk, and when she tugged on his arm, he followed her into a jewelry store.
“So, what happened?” Sam asked, hand in mine as we walked side by side.
I explained about Trip and how I knew him, and how long it had been, and the path his life had taken.
“Oh, I remember that guy,” Sam rumbled, tucking me against his side, leaning over to kiss my temple. “You were supposed to be on a date with him, but I called you.”
“I don’t remember that,” I told him. “What I do remember is that you showed up, and all I could see was you.”
“Like always,” he said smugly.
“Yes,” I agreed as he kissed my ear and then my cheek. “Like always.”
“A secret life was never gonna be yours. That’s why I knew I had to be brave. If I wanted you, I had to be all in, tell everyone who I loved.”
“Any regrets?” I asked, tipping my head back so I could see his beautiful eyes.