Page 17 of One Last Time
But when I exit the car, his smile shifts to a look of disappointment. I realize he’s still the same miserable person, but I’ve changed and no longer care if he’shappy.
I walk toward him, wanting to be polite. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
Silence.
We stand in front of the home where we shared our lives and can’t even look at eachother.
“Are the kids ready?” Scottasks.
Okay then. “Yes,they’re—”
“Daddy!” Aubrey screams as she spots him, cutting off this extremely uncomfortable exchange. “Daddy!Daddy!”
“Princess!” Scott calls back and rushes to her side door. He has her in his armsimmediately.
She squeezes him and kisses his cheek. “I missed you so much, Daddy! Somuch!”
I move to the trunk so I can grab theirbags.
“I missed you more. You got so big! Hi, Finn! How are you,buddy?”
Finn doesn’t respond. He just puts the headphones back over hisears.
“I never want to leave you, Daddy.” Aubrey giggles and wraps her little arms around himagain.
My heart breaks, leaving nothing but tiny bits remaining. I can’t stop the tears this time. I shift to put my back to them and wipe away the moisture before anyone sees. I hate this somuch.
I draw in a deep breath and pull my shoulders back. Time to be the bigger person again. I carry the bags to the sidewalk before heading to Finn’sside.
“Come on, dude. It’s time to go see yourdad.”
“I’d rather stay with you.” He glares at his father and then his eyes turn pleading. “Please,Mom.”
Please, God, help me throughthis.
I touch the side of his face, mustering every last bit of strength I have. “You should spend some time with Daddy. He probably missed you, and I’m sure he hasn’t been able to get to the next level inOverwatch.”
My eyes meet Scott’s, and I see appreciation for the firsttime.
Scott clears his throat, drawing Finn’s attention. “I’ve been trying, but you know I can’t capture the objective without mysidekick.”
Finn’s chin drops, and he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Fine, it’s not that hardanyway.”
“Why don’t you guys head inside so I can talk to your mom. I got some new stuff for your rooms.” Scott gestures to the front door, but before the kids can run inside, I stopthem.
“Come give mehugs.”
The kids each wrap their arms around me, and I hold them tight. This is going to be the hardest thing I do. Dropping them off every other weekend will never be something I look forward to. I love these kids and would keep them with me everyday.
“Bye,Mom!”
“Bye,guys!”
They run off, leaving me with Scott. Hopefully, this time he can actually say more than a few words tome.
I rock back on my heels and slip my hands deep into my pockets. “So?”
