Page 105 of The Single Dad

I heave a sigh. “When I told you about my history with my mom, I didn’t tell you everything. There have been some… run-ins between us.”

“Run-ins like that?”

“Pretty much.”

The water boils, and the electric kettle shuts off. Cole pours each of us a cup of steaming tea—peppermint. I breathe in the sweet, sharp scent, and it soothes my rattled nerves. I wrap my hands around the cup, letting it steep.

“My mom tries to reach out periodically,” I admit. “It always ends badly. In the early days, I used to try to let her in a little bit more, but I’ve learned that it’s just not worth it. She always wants something. It’s completely transactional, and she’s never changed, even if she says she has.”

“And she asks you for money every time?”

“Pretty much,” I say, nodding. “I’m worried that she won’t leave me alone this time now that she thinks she stands to gain something. She thinks that I have money now.” I look at the countertop as I finish speaking, unable to meet Cole’s gaze.

I’m expecting him to chew me out, but he doesn’t. He maintains a few seconds of thoughtful silence, then says, “Well, if she keeps bothering you, don’t worry. I’ll help you deal with it.”

I jerk my head up, surprised. “I—are you sure? It really isn’t your problem, and—”

“I’m sure.”

I blink, grateful. “I won’t let it interfere with my work,” I promise. “Or—if she gets persistent, I can quit. I don’t want her to be around Archie.”

“You’re not quitting,” he tells me firmly. He lifts his teacup and takes a sip, and I do the same, mirroring him. “That’s not why I’m doing this—not why I offered to help. I just want to help you. It’s that simple.”

I open my mouth to reply, but no words come to me.

“Come on.” He gives me a nod, walking over to the living room. “Let’s check up on the train situation, shall we?”

Chapter 32

Riley

“That’s unbelievably fucked up,” Olivia says.

She’s on speaker as I sit in my room, drawing at the little desk in the corner. I’m putting the finishing touches on a pencil sketch of a tortoise, which I promised Archie I would teach him to draw. I just finished filling Olivia in on the situation with my mother.

“You’re telling me,” I groan, shading the tortoise’s pupils. “She’s a mess. The whole situation is a mess.”

“I don’t know why, but I thought she might give up after the last time.”

Olivia has been my friend long enough to know the entire sordid history between me and my mother. She’s been there on other occasions when my mom tried to contact me, and she’s been my shoulder to cry on when everything fell apart. It’s nice, not having to explain myself to her.

“I know,” I agree. “But she never does, does she?”

“Guess not. But you were right to try to keep those walls up. Your mom doesn’t deserve to be in your life, and it’s for the best if you keep her at a distance.”

“Yeah.” I flip the pencil around, using the eraser to put a little shine into my tortoise’s wizened eyes. “Thanks, Liv. I really needed to hear that.”

“Any time,” she says. “And I do mean, any time. Like, if your mom calls you, you can redirect her to me.”

“You sound like Cole,” I say with a chuckle. My humor fades as quickly as it came, and I sigh, setting the pencil down. “I’m just so humiliated that it happened in front of Cole—and Archie. Like, why did she have to talk to me like that in front of a child?”

“She’s a piece of shit,” Olivia reminds me helpfully, bringing my smile back by degrees.

“Okay. True.” I shake my head and resume my drawing. “I keep thinking Cole’s going to see me as trashy, but… he never does. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Olivia doesn’t reply, but makes a slight humming sound, like she’s waiting for me to say more.

“Offering his support like that… it was so… I don’t know. It was good of him, you know? And I’m really grateful.”

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