Page 48 of Irons

I nodded, understanding he didn’t want to speak about death in front of Addie. “I’m sorry to hear that, Creed.”

He gave me a nod then looked at Addie, then me again, then Addie. “Addie, why are you staring at Uncle Travis that way?”

“Dat pwetty wady wuvs Uncle Trabis. I don’t know why, cause its weird.”

Creed tilted his head, and I looked down at her. “Wow Addie, thanks for the ego boost, and that pretty Marine lady loves me like a friend. That’s different than how daddy loves mommy. We were friends when we were your age.”

She tapped her fingers on her cheek as she stared at me. It was really getting weird. “She pwetty, but not pwetty like mommy. But she pwetty.”

“Yes, Wrenly is very pretty.” Prettier than Morgan in my opinion, but it wasn’t her outer appearance that made her so gorgeous. Well, it was, but add her personality and she’s remarkable. I shook out of my thoughts and realized Creed and Addie were staring at me.

“Is there a reason I’m here on a Saturday morning?” I asked and looked between the two of them.

“Yep, I your best girl.” Addie answered first and was still tapping her fingers on her cheek.

“So, your dad called me over here just so you could stare at me all morning?” She was acting strange.

She stood then walked over and crawled up on my lap. “I your best girl.” She snuggled into my arms, and I looked at Creed, who like his wife did all the time, rolled his eyes.

“I heard you learned some news last night.” Creed said.

I looked down at Addie and back up at him. “They’re both consensual adults, I know it’s strange and kept me up half the night trying to figure it out, but it’s their lives and at least Melissa is smart enough to play it safe.”

Creed tilted his head, and his eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

I tilted my head. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard you…” He sighed then looked at Addie. “Addie, please go upstairs and check on your mom.”

“No, she you pwobem, not mine. I no wake her up, I not stewpid.” She snuggled in a little closer.

Creed groaned. “She loves it when you crawl in bed with her to cuddle in the morning.”

“No, Uncle Twabis cuddle too. He feels bedder dan mommy. I fine.”

“Addie.” Creed’s voice was a little deeper and she jumped. “I asked you to check on mommy. We are a family, and she isn’t just my problem but yours too.”

Addie gasped then jumped off my lap and ran upstairs. “Mommy! Daddy day you a pwobem!”

Creed groaned again. “Jesus, Addie! I didn’t say she’s a problem, you did!” Creed yelled upstairs then looked at me. “That kid is going to be the death of me. Anyway, I was going to ask about your family, but for some reason I’m more curious about Melissa. What is she up to now?”

I shut my eyes and shook my head before I looked at him. “Believe me when I say you don’t want to know. It’s one of those things that fucks with your head trying to figure it out. I’m doing you a favor by not telling you. Anyway, I’m fine about my family. Grandma died a year ago, grandpa five years ago, and my dad two years ago. He has another son, and my mom remarried and had a daughter. I’m glad they were able to move on with their lives after everything with Bobby and the lawsuit that was my fault. Wrenly and her dad are staying tight lipped about my whereabouts, and I appreciate it. If she really wants to find me she can do a simple Google search.”

“Will you meet with your mom if she does find you?” He asked.

I shrugged. “I don't know why not, but I won’t be heartbroken if she never reaches out. She wasn’t exactly a parent to me, that was my Uncle Tony, so there isn’t a reason to builda relationship. If seeing me helps her somehow, its fine, but I won’t be going back home.”

He nodded up and down. “That’s good. Meeting my mom again was good, not that it feels the same as when Morgan sees her mom, but it brings a strange kind a peace to my life. I’ve said my goodbyes and I’m sad she’s in a lot of pain, and I’m also sad for the boys, but I’m at peace with her death. I walked this world for quite some time with no parents to speak of and I can do that again. I will say I liked the person my mother became after her diagnosis. At least with mom I won’t have any regrets. My dad is an entirely different story. He wasn’t an absent parent, I was an absent son. Then I sold off his life’s work. But I think he would be proud of what we built here.”

“Yeah, I think he would be too. I didn’t know my dad well enough to make that presumption. I don’t even know what sports he enjoyed or what kind of music he liked. All my memories of my parents were of them fighting.” I said.

“What about their kids, your siblings? I can say I don’t have any regrets getting to know mine. I like watching them grow from boys to men.”

I tapped the table and thought about it. “I don’t know. My dad obviously didn’t want my brother to know me, and he got what I never had, so there really isn’t a reason to meet him. I’m not sure about my sister, she’s still pretty young. In a way I resent my dad's other kid and his mom. While they took up his spare time I was trying to survive this world alone. Both my parents cheated on each other, but dad had a whole other family while I barely had a home, so it’s more like he was cheating on me than mom.”

“So, you’re good?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine with it. My life won’t change, and I hope his other kid does alright in life.”

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