Page 183 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
I make my way back to the festival, emotions swirling. The longer I walk, the less certain I feel.
Tonight was fun with Jack. But Lila was here. Whenever Jack asked for something he couldn’t have, she knew exactly how to say no and move him on to the next thing. When he whined about the hay on the hayride feeling itchy, she knew exactly how to distract him and keep him happy.
Am I really ready to spend time with Jack alone?
Ready or not, I just committed.
Time to dust off my ties and turn myself into a dad.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lila
I am one hundredpercent positive I am going to be a stressed out, nervous wreck while Perry and Jack are at the father-son breakfast. Which is why booking a yoga class for the hour or so when they’ll be at the school was such a good idea. It’ll cut into my workday a little bit but seeing as how my boss will be at the elementary school eating pancakes and sausage links with my little boy, I’m banking on him not minding if I show up to work a little late.
The morning of the breakfast, I pull on my favorite leggings and a sports bra before heading to Jack’s room to get him ready to go.
The child isbuzzingwith excitement. He’s also supposed to wear a tie, which . . .okay,I can value the importance of teaching little boys how to dress up and take care of themselves, but I’m not sure the school thought through themenu choices very well. All I can imagine is a whole bunch of kindergartners with ties dragging through the pancake syrup on their plates.
I get Jack mostly dressed, then send him to brush his teeth while I run a Google search on how to tie a tie. IthoughtI wasordering one of those kid-sized ties that adjusts with a zipper, but Amazon sent me an actualtietie. And I have no idea how to make the thing work.
Halfway through a YouTube video walking me through the simplest knot for children’s ties, I’ve paused and restarted the video almost a dozen times.Thisis simple? How on earth does anyone ever wear one of these things?
When Marley’s face lights up my phone screen, I gladly click over to answer her call. She’s a single mom with a son. Maybe she’ll know how to help.
“Hey!” I answer. “Do you know how to tie a tie?”
“What?”
“A tie. Jack has to wear a tie to school today.”
“Oh,” Marley says. “I always just bought the zipper ones. Or a standard clip-on.”
“Ugh.” I groan. “That’s what I thought I was buying. But now he has to wear one today, and this is all we have, and I have no idea how to tie the stupid thing.”
I drop the tie onto the back of the couch and head back to my bedroom to grab my shoes. I’ll have to leave just after Perry does in order to make it to my class.
“I think I read somewhere that it’s easier if you’re wearing the tie. So you like, put it on yourself, tie it, then widen the head hole so you can move it from your head to your kid’s head.”
“Oh, that’s actually a good idea.”
“Why does he have to wear a tie to school?” Marley asks.
I slip on my sneakers one-handed, hopping across my room to keep my balance. “It’s a father-son breakfast thing. They’re all supposed to dress up. Something about dressing for success or being their best selves. I don’t remember.”
“I think it sounds fun. Is Jack’s grandpa coming up to take him?”
I pause. I’ve been so wrapped up in my new job, inPerry,I haven’t given Marley an update.Anyupdate. Which isn’t all that weird. We’re friends. It’s easy to talk to her, to relate to her, and it always feels like we pick up our conversation like it never really ended. But we aren’t the kind of friends who text each other daily updates.
The last time we talked was the day I drove out to rescue Perry from his flat tire.
Since then, I’ve progressed from assistant to reunion date to exclusively dating, and now to this. To Perry taking my kid to an event designed for sons and theirfathers.
I do not have time to summarize how we wound up here.
I also won’t lie to her.
“Oh, um. Perry is taking him, actually.”
