Page 26 of When Morning Comes Around

“I could have made a better life for us if I’d left him years ago, couldn’t I?”

“Don’t, Mom. That wasn’t what I was saying, and I think you know it. It is what it is. Looking back and thinking about what you could’ve done differently is pointless. You know how the saying goes; you can poop in one hand and wish in the other and see which fills up first.”

She laughed. “You’re right. And thanks, Josh. I’ll do better in the future. I don’t mean to burden you.”

“You’re not. I’m glad that we can talk like this.”

“So am I, but I feel a little bit guilty – kind of like you’re the one doing the parenting here.”

“Nah, I don’t see it that way. It’s more like we’re friends – when your friends are in a tough situation, you want to be there for them, and you want to see them through it, help however you can.”

“I know, and I love that we have that, but…”

“I know what you’re thinking. I know that you don’t think much of parents who try to be their kid’s best friend, but this is different. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not a kid anymore. I’m a fully grown adult with my own life, and my own opinions. I think at this point, us being good friends is a reflection of what a good parent you were.”

Sadie covered her eyes with her hand as she swallowed around the lump in her throat.

Josh laughed. “Don’t go getting all sentimental on me. You know what I mean.”

She sniffed. “I do. Thanks, sweetheart.”

“So, what happens from here? Have you talked to a lawyer?”

“A lawyer?”

“Yeah, you’re going to divorce him, right? He’s going to have to buy you out of the business.”

Her heart sank. “I don’t know, Josh. I haven’t thought about it. I… We built that place from nothing. I don’t think he can afford to buy me out. I…”

“I’ll tell you what, when you’re ready to talk to a lawyer, will you include me? I’ll come out there. It’d be good to see Grandpa, anyway.”

“I…”

“Yes, repeat after me, Mom:yes.He’s already screwed you over. I’m not going to let him do it financially as well.”

She blew out a sigh. “The last thing I want to do is drive a wedge between you and your father.”

“You won’t. I already voiced my opinion of him, and out of respect for you, I won’t repeat it. I haven’t had much of a relationship with him for years, and there’s a reason for that. I think you’re well rid of him, okay?”

“Okay. I’m not going to argue. I’ll just say that if you do want to build some kind of relationship, some kind of friendship with him, it won’t bother me. I’ll be happy for you. I’d never want to come between the two of you.”

“Got it, and thanks for the thought. But it’ll never happen. And this might be a weird thing to say right now, but I’m going to say it anyway.”

“Say what?”

“You remember Theo – my roommate in college? His parents divorced last year, and his mom met someone new about a month after they split. She felt all kinds of guilty, and tried to hide it for a while. There was no need for her to do that – it didn’t bother Theo that she’d met someone new; he’s a great guy. Butthe way she tried to hide it from Theo caused some problems between them. Anyway, what I’m getting at is that if you meet someone new, I’ll be happy for you, so don’t try to hide it … In fact, no, if you meet someone new, I want you to tell me so that I can vet him, okay?”

She laughed. “What, because you think you’re a better judge of character than I am?”

Josh laughed with her. “I’d say something about you being the one who chose to marry Dad, but if you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. So, I’d say that one wasn’t such a bad choice, it just came at a high price. Seriously, Mom, I guess what I’m saying is that I want to look out for you. If you meet someone new, I want to know for myself that he’s a good guy.”

“Okay, but I don’t think that’s something we’ll need to worry about any time soon.”

“Maybe not.” He chuckled. “But at the same time, you’re not getting any younger. You might want to hurry up about it.”

“Josh! You need to update your thinking. I’m not like a bottle of milk with an expiration date. I could take the next twenty years for myself, and then decide in my seventies that I want to find love. It happens all the time.”

“Yeah, sorry. I was only joking. I think what I really meant is that you deserve to be happy, Mom. I don’t think you need to waste any time getting over what Dad did. It’s like I said, you did your grieving while you were still married to him.”

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