Page 111 of Resorting to Romance

He’s standing next to Brad, asking a question or something. All I know is Kai is calm and cool as a cucumber and Brad is not pleased with Kai being here—at all.

“Hey,” Kai walks over to greet us.

“Hi, Unko! Did you come to see the demo?”

Kai chuckles. “I did. And to see you and your mom.”

“How did you know we’d be here?” Noah asks.

Kai looks only momentarily stumped and then he says, “Your mom mentioned it.”

“Oh.” Noah accepts this without further question.

Then he walks over to Brad while Kai and I stand at a distance watching them.

“Mister Brad, I want to see the demo. Also, I know that’s a skid steer.”

“Wow,” Brad says, smiling a wide smile at Noah. “You’re right. Do you know what they do with those?”

“A skid steer digs and hauls in small spaces.” Noah quotes the book we used to read.

“I think I might hire you,” Brad says, pinching his own chinthoughtfully with a thumb and pointer. “A guy like you could come in handy around a job site like this one.”

“Really?” Noah beams up at Brad.

“Well, let’s see,” Brad pretends to size Noah up. “You’re smart. I can tell that much. And you know about demo and skid steers. Do you have a degree?”

“What?” Noah’s face scrunches up.

“College? High School? Maybe your contractor’s license?”

Noah shakes his head. “I don’t have those.”

Brad’s approach is warm and caring. I can see he’s out of practice. But that will get better over time. He’s trying so hard. It’s written all over his face how much this moment means to him, even if he’s playing it cool by joking with Noah.

My heart pinches and then it feels like something hard and heavy falls away. Brad’s never going to be my husband again. But this? This is good. He’s making an effort with Noah. He’s following my timeline and asking me what to do at every turn. If reunification had to happen, at least it’s happening in a gentle and good way. For Noah’s sake, I’m treasuring this day in my heart.

Brad looks at Noah seriously. “I tell you what. If you like, I’ll let you sit in the skid steer and move the levers around to make the bucket raise and lower. And then, if you stay in school and get your degree. Well, we’ll talk after that.”

“Will you still know me then?”

“I hope I will. I plan on being around.”

“Okay.”

Brad sticks his hand out and Noah looks at it.

“It’s not a deal if we don’t shake on it,” Brad explains.

Noah grabs Brad’s hand quickly like he needs to snatch up his future job opportunity before it evaporates. And then they stand there, shaking hands. And my eyes well with tears. This is the first time Brad has touched his own son. And it’s the first time Noah has ever touched his father.

Kai places a hand on my lower back as if he knows. He does. He just knows.

“Mom! Can I? Can I go in the skid steer?”

“Sure, honey. You can.”

I look up at Kai and he’s smiling down at me like I cured cancer, when all I did was make room for Brad in Noah’s life.

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