Page 69 of Just a Distraction

“And it needs to be mentioned that you and Rose had very different upbringings. That’s not a non-factor, Milo,” Sebastian says. “It can make a relationship hard.”

“Rose is phenomenal. She’s really smart and will become a nurse. She’s going to school in North Carolina this fall on a full scholarship.”

“Nursing school in North Carolina? Why not a local school?”

“Because of the scholarship, and because she’s brilliant and deserves the best. UNC has one of the top nursing programs in the country,” Milo says. “She was on that path when she got pregnant with Callum, and then understandably, she had to take a break from her plans, which, honestly should tell you a thing or two about what a dedicated mother she is. But she’s also dedicated to becoming a nurse. And she’s going to get there.”

Tears prick my eyes. I rub the spot just below my throat, trying to make sense of the ache there.

“She’s going to need a lot of money for that,” Sebastian says. “And a lot of luck to finish.”

“She’s doesn’t need luck. She’s strong and stubborn.” Milo’s voice is laced with agitation at his brothers. “She has a couple of grants that are going to offset some of the costs. Her entrance exam score was in the top three percent, you guys. Not that her journey will be easy, and there’s nothing about this situation I haven’t considered. I don’t care about any of the obstacles, though. We’ll figure it out. We’ll cross those bridges when we get to them.”

A niggle of fear creeps up my neck, and I pace to the other side of the room, near the balcony where I can’t hear them anymore.

I love Milo’s words, but they scare me. What if I let him down? What if he realizes I’m just a normal human being who’s going to stumble a lot along the way? And all this talk about bridges confuses me. I’m not crossing any bridges with Milo because we’ll be parting ways before we even have that chance.

On the other hand, Milo’s belief in me also emboldens me in ways I’ve never felt before. If someone like Milo believes in me this much, I won’t fail, will I?

I finish cleaning the room in a hurry and then zoom out the door before Milo’s office door opens.

I need to pick up Callum and pull myself together before I see Milo at six.

Chapter 27

Milo

When I arrive at Rose’s place, I can hear Callum crying through the door. I wait a moment before I knock.

When I finally do, Rose barely meets my eyes. “Come in,” she says, throwing her gaze behind her shoulder. “I have to get back to Callum.”

“Can I help?” I follow her into the kitchen and am greeted by an upset Callum in his highchair. There’s macaroni and cheese all over his face, squished in between his chubby fingers. It’s in his hair, spiking it like hair gel. Thorin is wolfing down bits of food on the floor around him.

“Hey, Callum,” I grab a chair from near the table and push it forward so that I can be next to him.

He gives me something of a smile but then starts crying again. Rose rubs her temple with one hand while she tries to get him to eat another bite.

“Whoa. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Rose gives me a withering look. “Parenthood really sucks sometimes. Especially when you know your kid’s hungry and he just wants to throw his food around.” She shakes her head. “Sorry. I tried really hard to be ready at six, but I failed.”

“Hey,” I insist. “You didn’t fail.” A dull throb starts in the middle of my chest. Is she upset because Callum’s having such a rough time? Or is this directed at me?

She just gives me a look from the side of her eye.

“Look, we don’t have to go out. We can stay in. It’s okay.”

She gestures wildly with her hands. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been looking forward to going out all day, Milo. I had to clean toilets in the lobby bathroom today because I had a no-show. Callum’s really cranky and my ears hurt from his crying. And I want to go do something fun with you.” Her voice crescendos in frustration.

“Good. It’s settled then. But I had two ideas.” I’m trying to speak over Callum’s hollering, but it’s not working, and Rose shushes me.

“Can we just wait to speak until he calms down?” she asks me. “Please.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

She grabs a washcloth from the drawer and gets it wet with warm water from the faucet. When she returns to Callum, he squirms away from the cleaning, grunting, his face reddening.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” I ask him, feeling helpless.

---