Page 11 of Love You Madly

She nods, understanding. “You’re a good father, Owen. Barrett’s lucky to have you.”

As I thank her for her kind words, Dad emerges from the fort, laughing as Barrett pretends to be a superhero, saving the day. “He’s got quite an imagination,” he says, catching his breath.

“He sure does,” I reply, watching my son destroy the fort from the inside out with dramatic “POW!” and “Boom boom!” chants.

As the hours pass, I start to feel the weight of the days’ events catching up with me and know it’s time to head home. I gather our things and we say goodbye to Dad and Beverly. Dad hugs me tightly, a silent understanding passing between us.

We leave Dad’s house, and I drive back to Sabrina’s to drop Barrett off. By the time I’m on the road back to Mount Vernon, it’s close to 6 PM. The sky is starting to darken, the sun dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the fields.

About fifteen minutes from home, my phone rings. It’s Mom.

“Hey, Mom,” I answer, keeping my eyes on the road and rolling up the windows in the truck so I can hear her better.

She hesitates. “Owen, can you call me back when you’re not driving?” she asks, her voice tense.

“Mom, just tell me now,” I say, feeling a knot of anxiety forming in my stomach.

She takes a deep breath. “Your Uncle Teddy just passed away, baby.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I swallow hard, trying to process the news.

“What happened?” I manage to choke out.

“He had a heart attack,” she says softly. “It was sudden.”

“Do you know if anyone has gotten ahold of Dad yet? I was just with him a little bit ago. I can try to call him,” I offer.

“You don’t have to do that, honey. Henry was already informed. Teddy’s wife called him on their way to the hospital. Your dad and Beverly made it there pretty quickly since he lives so close. But Teddy had already passed, baby. I’m so sorry.”

The grief comes in waves, overwhelming and suffocating. I grip the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Thanks for letting me know, Mom. I’ll call Dad to check on him when I get home.”

“Be careful, honey. Are you close to home?” she asks.

“Yes, about ten minutes out. I’ll be okay.”

“I love you, O.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

I hang up and drive the rest of the way home in silence, the weight of the news settling heavy on my shoulders. The familiar streets of Mount Vernon blur past as I navigate through the small town, my mind reeling with memories of Uncle Teddy–his laugh, his advice, the way he always seemed larger than life. Now, he is gone, and the world instantly feels a little dimmer.

And I know the dreams are going to hurt even more now that he’s gone. Because it won’t just be the girl in them I miss every time I wake up. It will be Teddy too.

five

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - EMINEM FEAT. RIHANNA

CALLIE - APRIL 4, 2013

Before I found out I was pregnant with Sara, Adam was obsessed with trying to get me to bring women home. He’d constantly push for threesomes, saying things like “You like girls, anyway. It would be so hot.” Typical. Just another guy trying to fetishize my sexuality. How original.

Red Flag #302.

I caved more than once, but only after numbing myself with alcohol to get through it. He took it a step further and asked if I would be interested in swinging and introduced me to a couple he’d found online. To add insult to injury, I didn’t find either person remotely attractive. The moment I saw Adam with the woman, I felt sick. I kicked them out and locked myself in the bathroom, sobbing until I was so exhausted I fell asleep on the floor.

Red Flag #323.

The following day, he acted like nothing ever happened.He stopped pushing the issue for a while and things went back to normal.What the fuck was I still doing with him?

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