Page 60 of My Song for You
Logan spotted the old tree house in the backyard and scurried over to the thick trunk. In awe he gazed up at the large, finely crafted wooden structure, complete with a balcony.
“Wow, your parents still have it?” Callie said, grinning.
“They saved it in case Kristen and I gave them grandkids one day.” The structure was still solid, and Dad had recoated it with stain the previous summer.
“Is it safe?”
“Absolutely.”
Callie helped Logan up the steps. A moment later they disappeared inside the wooden structure.
I was about to join them when Kristen sidled up to me. “I didn’t know you were dating Callie.”
“We’re just friends.”
Kristen rolled her eyes. “You just keep telling yourself that.” Snickering, she left to play catch with Emma. A few minutes later, Logan and Callie emerged from the tree house, and before I knew it, the three of us, along with Kristen, Craig, and Emma, were running around the backyard, kicking a beach ball like it was an oversized soccer ball. Mom and Dad cheered from the sidelines. Logan and Emma giggled the entire time as they attempted to kick the ball around.
And damn, it did my heart proud seeing Logan enjoying himself like this. With his family.
After we were finished eating dinner, Mom stood up and started gathering the plates. “Jared, can you help me with the dishes?” she asked, even though I already was. It was her hint that she wanted to talk to me—alone. Callie offered to help, but Mom waved her off and told her to take it easy. She already knew Callie worked full-time and took online classes part-time. It was clear to her that Callie was exhausted.
Mom and I finished gathering the dishes and carried them into the house. “Logan’s the reason you came over last week to check out the old photos, isn’t he?”
“Maybe I was just interested to see what I looked like when I was four.” I placed my stack of dishes on the counter and leaned back against it, then toyed with my lucky guitar pick as I waited for the Q&A to begin.
“Right. So it’s just a coincidence he looks a lot like you did when you were the same age? I just never realized you and Callie had been dating.”
“We weren’t…and we’re still not. He’s not Callie’s. He was Alexis’s son.” I told her the entire story of what had happened. Mom didn’t say anything while I spoke. She just listened, her face not betraying her thoughts.
“The poor girl,” she said, after I explained how Logan had ended up deaf. “Callie had to go through all of that on her own? She never should’ve been thrown into that situation.”
I had no clue which situation she meant: Callie being a single mom to her nephew, the meningitis and subsequent deafness, or both.
“So what are you going to do about my grandson?” She stressed the last two words, making it clear she had no intention of not being a part of his life. But this didn’t come as a surprise. Mom would never turn her back on a grandchild, no matter what the situation surrounding him.
“Callie and I haven’t told Logan the truth yet. I’m spending time with him first, letting him get to know me better before we finally tell him.”
“But you’re planning to have joint custody with Callie, right?”
“I have no idea what I plan to do.” It was true. I knew my options. Cameron had discussed them with me at length.
“I can imagine there’s a lot to consider. It’s obvious Callie loves Logan as much as if he were her own biological son. I can imagine it would devastate her if she lost him. But you also have to consider what will happen if you marry another woman. If you and Callie have joint custody of Logan, it means he would be shipped back and forth between you two, never feeling like he truly belongs anywhere, especially if you and your wife have children of your own. And then there’s the touring you need to consider. How often will you be in Logan’s life while you’re on the road?”
None of this was news to me. God only knew how many times over the last few days I had considered leaving the band just so I could be there for Logan. “You think I should give Callie full rights to Logan and walk away as his father?”
“Heavens, no. I just want you to make sure you’re doing what’s right for everyone, but especially for your son. If you decide to be his sole parent and not share custody with Callie, we would definitely take care of him while you’re touring. He would be treated no differently from Emma or any other grandchild.”
“Even if you’d have to drive him to the special preschool he goes to for his deafness?”
“Yes, even then.” She closed the dishwasher. “Can I ask you something? If it’s none of my business, just tell me so.”
“Sure.”
“What’s going on with you and Callie?”
I cringed inwardly. “What do you mean?”
Mom peered out the kitchen window toward the gazebo where Dad and Craig sat. Logan was running around the massive tree trunk, with Emma toddling after him, while Kristen talked to Callie.
