Page 51 of We Were Something
“It’s not your grandchild!” I shout, my anger finally getting the best of me. “Why can’tyouseethat?”
There’s silence on the other end of the line.
“This is not your daughter-in-law, pregnant with your grandchild, who you’re spending time with while I’m out of town,” I continue. “This is my ex-wife, who cheated on me and is having a baby with another man. This is notyourgrandchild. This is the baby she wanted so badly she had an affair.”
“Because you wouldn’t even consider her desires to have a child.”
I come to a stop at a red light and close my eyes for a brief moment, my anger finally dissipating.
“That will always be the breaking point for you, won’t it?” I ask, my voice quiet.
“Logan…”
“No. It doesn’t matter that I told herbeforewe got married that I didn’t want kids. It doesn’t matter that we were on the same page for the first nine years of our marriage. What matters is that she started watching her friends have children, and she grew jealous and regretful that she ever considered not having them. What matters is thatyouwanted a grandchild, even though you’vealwaystold me you understand my reasoning for not wanting to be a father.”
Silence.
“You don’t care that she became intimate with someone else. You don’t care that she violated our vows andleft me. You just care that she might allow you to be a pretend grandmother. Which is apparently more important to you now than being a real mother to me.”
“Logan!” she says, shock evident in her voice at my claim.
“I’m pulling into the hospital and have a lot on my plate today,” I tell her. “Give me a call when you feel like beingmymom.”
And then I hang up.
Unlike the last few times I’ve talked with her, I don’t feel regret at my tone, at the line I’ve drawn in the sand.
I’m not asking her for something crazy. I’m not asking her for anything even remotely out of the ordinary. I’m simply asking her to remember who her son is.
If she can’t handle it, maybe her lifewouldbe better if she were some sort of honorary mother and grandmother to Jen and Rodney and their new kid.
As sick as it would make me.
Before I can allow my mind to trot off down some horrible road believing my mom would be happier in that life with Jen than in one where she’s my mom andnota grandmother, I shut off my car and head inside the hospital.
As I walk through the long corridor of rooms filled with sick children, I remind myself of the million reasonswhyI refused to have kids of my own in the first place.
CHAPTER10
LOGAN
Hi, Logan. It’s me, again.
Look, your mom is really upset but she won’t tell me why and…well, I can’t help but think it has to do with me.I get that you’re still mad at me. That you…wish things had turned out different. But I don’t think it’s fair for you to take things out on Nancy.
Can you please give me a call? I feel like you and I have some things to sort out, and your mom is getting put in the middle. I’ve called you a few times now without you calling me back. It’s a little immature, don’t you think?
Anyway, I’ll be home all weekend. Rodney’s painting the baby room again to cover over the hideous green he wanted—it’s going to looksomuch better in gray. I’ve been banished to the living room so I’ll have lots of free time whenever you’re ready to talk.Looking forward to it!Bye.
*message deleted*
CHAPTER11
PAIGE
“Ladies, when I tell you I havenevercome like that in my entire life, I am shitting you not.”
Hannah giggles, her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink at my brazen sexual revelry. The girl is so easily flustered by the topic of sex, so I make sure to poke the bear as often as I can.
