Page 105 of The Life We Wanted

“Loveyou too, Dad.”

Pushingan exhale from my lips, I shook my head. “Okay, we need to stop. You’re goingto make me all emotional and I can’t deal with that shit.”

Welaughed as I clapped him on the shoulder, before turning to Tabby. “Thumbelina,am I getting a hug from you, or is that completely out of the question?”

Rollingher eyes, she muttered, “You get one hug and that’s it.”

Shestepped forward and blessed me with her touch as she wrapped her arms around mywaist. I know she didn’t give me permission, I know she probably didn’t evenwant it, but I tipped my lips to kiss the top of her hair, and I swore I felther arms hold me a little tighter.

“Youknow, I don’t want to be a presumptuous dick or anything, but I think you’regoing to miss me,” I mumbled against the top of her head.

That’swhen she unwrapped her arms, folded them over her chest, and stepped away fromme. “Then don’t be a presumptuous dick. Drive safe.”

“Yep.”I nodded, offering her a small smile.

Ilooked between the two of them, realizing that having someone to come home to,also meant having someone to leave, and God, that made it all so much harder. Butso worth it.

“Shit.”I cleared my throat. “If I don’t get the fuck out of here, I’ll be callingthose guys and telling them to find another drummer. Okay, I’m leaving.”

Withquick goodbyes and one last hug to Greyson, I forced myself to leave, hopingthe next two months would fly by as fast as the summer had. Time on the roadusually seemed to move quickly, but that was before I had people to rely on meand people to miss, and that … Well, that made the drive alone to Devin’s housedrag, and I could only imagine how the rest of my time away would be.

37

tabby

Two weeks afterschool had started, and twoweeks back to work, I asked Alex how the sale of Mrs. Worthington’s house wasgoing. His response was irritatingly vague, mentioning that he’d found a fewpotential buyers via the internet listing, but that he didn’t want me to beinvolved with it.

“Whythe hell not?” I demanded, all but stomping my foot. “I was invested in thathouse for the pastyear!”

“Yes,and look at what it did to you,” he responded with a pleading look in his eyes.“Hell, honey, look at younow. What are you even wearing?”

“What’swrong with what she’s wearing?” Jess asked, gesturing toward my leather blazerand Pearl Jam t-shirt. “I think she looks badass.”

“Ijust want to know where my sweet Tabitha went and why she had to leave JoanJett in her place,” he groused, tipping his nose into the air and leaving myoffice in a somber huff.

Jessturned to me. “I don’t think he even knows who Joan Jett is,” she mutteredthrough the side of her mouth, and I laughed, shaking my head. Then, she added,“I like this new you, by the way.”

Ilaughed inwardly at that. There really wasn’t much about this side of me thatwas new at all. I was finally just letting her come out and play, instead of tellingher to sit down and keep quiet while the grown-ups went about their business.

Afteryears of constantly fighting an internal battle, I had finally decided I couldbe myself while still remaining professional. And two weeks back on the job,told me that was true. I’d already taken on a couple of new clients in the area,neither of which batted a lash when I met them with my fingernails painted darkgrey.

Inever liked nude nail polish, anyway.

“Isthis what a month of going to concerts does to a girl?” Jess asked, crossingher legs and grinning.

“Ohmy God, Jess, it wasamazing,” I sighed, tipping my head back andreminiscing about the four weeks I spent maxing out one of my credit cards, dippinginto my savings account, and seeing shows I never thought I’d ever let myselfsee.

Mostof the tickets had been purchased through scalpers, since I was buying themlast minute. Normally, that’s not the type of thing even the younger mewould’ve done. But this time was different and it was special. I dedicatedthose weeks to Sam, and I learned to find freedom on my own.

“Soyou’ve said … about a hundred times,” she teased, rolling her eyes playfully asshe stood up and left my office. I guess I had that coming, after I’d spent thepast two weeks talking endlessly about how awesome my sojourn had been.

Ichecked the clock and noticed that it was already time to head over toGreyson’s school. I braced myself as I grabbed my briefcase and headed out the door.Every day since the start of school, I waited for him to show up with anin-school suspension notice or a detention slip. I was on edge, thinking it wasall too good to be true for a few months with his father to have cured him.

Pullingup to the school, I found him already waiting for me, and like every other day,a feeling of trepidation sat heavily in my gut as he got into the car.

“Hey,how was school?” I asked him, driving away from the curb.

“Itwas good.”

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