Page 91 of Until Landon
The desk-clerk with a gray ponytail looks at him like he has been living in a cave.
“’Where The Boys Are?’”
“Nope.”
“’Stupid Cupid’ or ‘Lipstick on Your Collar?’”
“Never heard of them. Are those real songs?”
He looks from my face to Landon’s, waiting for someone to say, “psych”. She slides the keys across the counter and chooses to ignore the question. He has committed sacrilege against The Big Bopper in the sky.
“Each room has two keys. You’re down the hall to the right, a few doors past the statue of Elvis.”
That’s a sentence I never thought I would hear.
“Okay, thanks,” Landon says, passing two keys to Hunter.
He walks ahead of us, all the way to his room. As he turns the key, there is a one word message.
“Later.”
“This was a long day for everybody,” Landon says, putting an arm around my shoulders. He kisses the top of my head as we get to our room.
“All I want is to take a shower and get in bed,” I say. “I want the image of that man out of my head.”
He tosses the key on the entry table and I put my purse down too.
He takes my hand.
“Come on, babe. Let’s wash the day away.”
Driving toward Mabel’s place, I am getting a little anxious. Hunter is happy the show tunes and jazz have stopped playing.
“Who are you going to say we are? Am I supposed to be your kid?”
“No. I think we should keep it simple. I’m just going to introduce you as Kim and Hunter. Let her fill in the blanks. If anyone questions what our relationship is, I’m telling the truth. My girlfriend and her son.”
“This is so fun! I think you’re going to get it. I do,” I say. “You nervous?”
“No. Well, kind of. I really want this for my dad. I’d do anything for him.”
Landon’s words settle, and without even looking back, I know what Hunter is feeling. It breaks my heart to know he won’t have a father to make proud, or share a laugh with. No dad when he graduates college, or gets married. Not if the babies come. It has affected his life in big moments and small ones. It is a great loss. I hate that I can’t fix it.
“Your dad worked for the post office, right?”
Landon’s question comes gently. I wait.
“Yeah. He used to let me ride the conveyer belt for the packages sometimes. He worked the night shift. When I was a little kid.”
Oh. I am holding my breath. Hunter rarely mentions memories of him. To me at least.
Landon chuckles. “That sounds cool. I would have loved that.”
A laugh rises from my boy and it makes me happier than I knew I would be.
“They were like two best friends,” I add. “The day Hunter was born was the best day of his life. That’s what he would say.”
“You and I were lucky that way. We landed in good families.”
