Page 44 of Pelvic Flaws

Charlie’s head shot up from his new reading material and turned towards Carl.

“Hey, Dad.”

Carl moved to him and stooped to kiss the top of Charlie’s head.

“How you feeling? Any better?”

Charlie nodded. “Yeah much. Did Mum tell you I was sick all over Dex?”

I grimaced as Carl looked at me, a brow cocked expectantly.

“I thought I’d asked you if I could meet him before he was around the kids again. Yet, he was evidently here last night and again just now.”

“I wasn’t expecting Charlie to be here and the other two were in bed. And he came over to check on Charlie. He’s been here ten minutes at the most.”

I felt like a teenager getting caught out sneaking a boy into her bedroom, and the look he was giving me definitely made Carl look like my dad. His chin was set in grim determination and his eyes were narrowed on me in a look of disappointment.

“I texted you to say I’d brought him home.”

“A text, really?”

I crossed my arms over my tomato soup stained chest, watching the glimpse of guilt on Carl’s face before his dad expression returned.

“He wanted to come home. Said he wanted to be with you,” he replied, quietly, glancing at Charlie who had gone back to his magazine.

“If he was that ill, you should have called me.” I omitted to admit that I probably wouldn’t have heard the call as I was in a busy bar, but he didn’t need to know that.

That was what divorce was all about, wasn’t it? Be as amicable as possible while pointing out your exes mistakes and conveniently omitting yours from the conversation.

“Yeah, you’re right. I should have called. Even so, I’m not happy that he was around Charlie when I don’t know anything about him.”

Carl shoved his hands into his pockets and I knew his hands were fisted, by the way the veins on his forearms were sticking out. God, I used to love those forearms, but now I found them distinctly average after seeing Dex’s and his myriad of tattoos.

“Well, now you’ve met him,” I replied, flippantly, bored of the conversation.

“I hardly call that me meeting him, Katie. Maybe Sophie and I should come around one night.”

The thought was a heinous one at best, but I knew he was right. They were his kids and he was doing the right thing by wanting to meet Dex properly. After all, I’d insisted on pretty much the same thing when he’d started seeing Sophie.

“That sounds like a good idea,” I found myself saying. “I’ll speak to Dex. Although, you know we’ve only just met and had one dinner. I don’t even know if we’re going to see each other again.”

“Yeah right,” Carl scoffed. “I think the way he was with you in the hall means you’re going to be seeing each other again.”

I wanted to squeal and ask him what he meant, but me saying ‘was he looking at me’, made me sound like a teenager.

“Well, like I said, I’ll ask him,” I replied, trying to ignore the excitement rolling around in my belly.

“Good. Now, Charlie boy,” he said, turning to our son. “You feel up to coming back with me, or you want to stay with your mum again tonight?”

Charlie looked at me and then his dad, blinking rapidly. I knew he was torn and could sense the emotional pull he was feeling between his two parents. The poor kid had been the one most affected by the divorce. He was a sensitive boy and hated upsetting either of us. He was too young to have to deal with it, and for a split second I wished we were still a family of five and Charlie didn’t have to go through this trauma.

“I’d rather he stay, if that’s okay,” I said, noticing a sag in Charlie’s shoulders as I did. “I want to be sure he’s okay, and if it’s a bug you don’t want Jessie catching it.”

Carl looked at Charlie, who gave him a, ‘I’m as disappointed as you Dad’ kind of look.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Maybe come at the weekend instead, hey dude?”

Charlie grinned and nodded. “Yeah, okay Dad.”

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