Page 9 of Other Side Of Never
When Kian smiled, Isaiah smiled.
And when Kian said, “Ten minutes.Tops.You have a hammer I can borrow?”
Isaiah turned to Kian before running after Susie.“I’ll be right back, Dad.Gonna get that hammer for us.”
I circled my tables and returned to the kitchen.When I came back out, the shelf was secured to the wall, Susie was walking out the door, and Kian and Isaiah had settled back in their seats.
I delivered their charcuterie board with a flourish.
Isaiah rose to his knees on the bench seat, his eyes wide.“Wow!”
Kian’s eyebrows rose as he stated, “This is not on the menu.”
My stomach lurched.Did I overstep?I always overstepped.
You just don’t know when to stop, Bridget.
“It’s specially made for you guys.And it covers all the major food groups!”I asserted, swallowing my doubts as I turned to Isaiah.“Eat all the veggies so your dad doesn’t give me trouble, okay?”
Isaiah snagged a baby carrot and chomped down.“Is one enough?”
I shook my head and smiled at him as I walked away.“That’s up to Daddy.”
I watched them surreptitiously, and every time I looked over, they were tucking into their food with gusto.
Warmth spread clear through to my bones.
Kian deserved a slice of happiness.
Isaiah did, too, but I worried about him less.He had his dad.He had Aaron and Nadine.He had me as much as his dad would let him have me, and I had no doubt he’d soon compile a long list of friends and admirers.
Kian had nobody.Because while Aaron welcomed Isaiah with open arms, he wanted nothing to do with his father.
I’d held out hope until the last minute that Aaron or Wren would invite Kian to help with the baby shower for Aaron and Nadine’s coming baby, and Kian’s first grandchild.Everyone in our small group of friends played a role in organizing the food, the invites, the decorations, transporting gifts, and even building the baby furniture.
Only Kian was left out in the cold.
More than once, I’d brought it up to Wren, but having tried unsuccessfully to talk to Aaron, she was at a loss.
It broke my heart.
When Isaiah pushed back from the table, I brought them a takeaway container to pack up the leftovers.
“I hope you left room for dessert.I did promise you chocolate.”
Isaiah rubbed his little food belly.“Always room for dessert, right, Dad?”
“Right, buddy,” Kian replied softly.
Right, buddy.
So sweet.
Aaron had missed out on all that Kian had to offer.
No wonder he was angry.
In the kitchen, I scooped vanilla ice cream into a bowl, topped it with a swirl of freshly whipped cream, and covered the whole lot with a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup though the ingredients made me cringe.Then I chopped the chocolates I’d crafted so diligently hours before and sprinkled them over the top and around the perimeter.For Kian, I kept his chocolates intact beside his ice cream.
