Page 80 of Better Daddy
My brother shakes his head, but his expression lights up.
“We really must go out for tea, Lola.” Mum turns back to me. “Sloane too. She’s so good at making reservations. She can take care of that, right?”
“No.” The single word is sharp and forceful. For years, I was too busy to deal with my mother’s demands, so I pawned off the tedious parts on Sloane. And yes, the choice to do it was made easier by the dislike I hold for the woman who likes to pretend she raised me.
But those days are over. I kick myself each time I think of the bullshit I piled on Sloane’s plate. Fuck, I was a selfish bugger. “She’s busy now that she’s back at work.”
“What about this weekend? Surely she hassomefree time.” Lips pursed, Mum crosses her arms over her mint-green sweater.
Yeah, she’s pissed off. But she can bloody well be upset. Better her than my wife.
“We have plans.”
Sloane might not know yet, but her karaoke weekend is approaching.
“Plans, huh?” Lo cocks a brow. The damn woman has been decoding my every statement, trying to suss out the state of my relationship with her best friend. “What kind of plans?”
The kind that are none of your business.
That’s what I want to say. In reality, I need her on board. Cal too. Though I hate to admit it, my brother is the life of every party, and Sloane could use more fun. I want her smiling all night.
“I told Cal.” I look toward my brother, whom I mentioned the plan to, knowing I could count on him to help me make it happen. “Remember? We’re going to karaoke this weekend.”
Cal snorts. “Yeah, I’ve never seen Brian so excited to babysit.”
My poor best friend spent way too much time at that bar with us after Sloane discovered they had twice-a-week karaoke nights.
My mother frowns. “What an awful idea.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to join us,” I say. Bloody hell, she better not join us. If she did, it’d surely ruin Sloane’s weekend. “We’ll do karaoke without you. If you’d like to spend some time with your grandkids though, I’d be happy to arrange something on Sunday.”
My mother scoffs. Of course she has no interest in seeing the boys. She has no time for anyone who can’t spoil her. Bollocks. Eventhough I already knew that, somehow it hits me all over again. Just like when I was a boy and she had no time for me.
“Sully, I raised you better than this.”
“That’s just the thing,” I say, finally seeing the truth of it all. “You didn’t. I get it, Mum. Parenting is hard. Maybe I didn’t fully understand how hard until I was faced with doing it on my own. But that’s still no excuse. I never should have expected my wife to do it all. I refuse to be like you. I refuse to make my kids an afterthought or a chore to attend to. My wife taught me that. So yes, this weekend, I am taking her to karaoke. Then I’m going to spend time with my son and my nephew. If you’d like to spend some time with your grandkids—or you know meet Murphy—you can schedule a time that works for all of us, but Sloane won’t be making the tea times or hotel reservations.”
My mother’s shocked expression makes it abundantly clear that I’ve not gotten through to her. Hell, she probably didn’t hear a word after no. But I’ve spent the majority of my life trying to appease the wrong people: my father, my mother, clients. I won’t do it anymore. My wife and my children come first.
I’ll be better. For all of them.
“Should I call you a car?” Cal offers.
My chest inflates with pride, because bloody hell, I’m glad he’s got my back.
My mother gapes at him and then huffs. “I instructed my driver to stay. I didn’t believe you were really living here. But I see you’re both just as delusional as your father was. When you wish to apologize to me, you can find me at the Ritz.”
I snort. Fat chance that will be happening.
Lo pulls her lips together to stifle a giggle and averts her gaze as my mother storms out.
We’re all still stunned silent when Brian peers into my office, wide-eyed. “Bloody hell, did that really just happen?”
His teasing makes my body relax completely.
“You’re a real wanker,” I say with a chuckle. Then I turn my attention to Cal. “Thank you for that.”
My little brother shakes his head. “Without you, I’d have been completely alone growing up. You should know by now that I’ll always have your back.”
