Page 65 of The Wrong One

If Ramsey wouldn’t accept our relationship, I was going to have to make the decision I hoped I would never have to make. Izzy had dark circles under her eyes this morning, and she wasn’t interested in smiling all that much. She was hurting. It killed me to see her hurting so badly.

As I pulled up to his house, I noticed Ramsey in the front yard, pushing a lawnmower across the grass. He could hire a landscaper but insisted on doing his own yardwork. Lily sat on the driveway, absorbed in her artwork with vibrant sidewalk chalk. A pang of guilt washed over me as I realized the impact our dispute might have had on their peaceful family time.

I parked the car and took a moment to compose myself. I needed to approach this conversation with understanding and a willingness to repair our friendship. I watched Lily in the driveway for a few seconds. I hoped Ramsey would allow me to remain in her life.

“Uncle Cam!” Lily waved at me. “Come and look at my picture!”

She held a colorful piece of sidewalk chalk, her small hands moving with the grace of an artist. Each stroke of her creation brought a smile to my face. Lily’s vibrant imagination took form on the concrete canvas. She drew a sun with rays that reached out like welcoming arms, and flowers blossomed in a riot of colors. The world she created through her art seemed to come alive, casting a spell of enchantment over the entire scene.

“That’s really pretty,” I said. “Good job.”

I marveled at her creativity, appreciating the freedom with which she expressed herself. In her world, there were no boundaries, no limits to what she could create. She was a lucky girl to have such a loving father. He allowed her to be free and explore her creativity. I wished he could see Izzy needed the same freedom.

I crouched down to admire her creation. “Wow, Lily! You’ve created a whole world right here in your driveway. It’s beautiful!”

She beamed with pride, her smile infectious. “Thank you.”

I ruffled her hair affectionately, my heart swelling with love for this little artist in front of me. “Keep doing what you love, Lily. Never let anyone dampen your creativity or limit your imagination. It’s a gift.”

Lily nodded, her eyes filled with determination. “I won’t. Maybe I’ll be an artist and a dancer.”

I made my way toward Ramsey, the sound of the lawnmower filling the air.

“Hey,” I called out, trying to catch his attention over the noise. He looked up, a mix of surprise and reservation on his face.

He looked at me but didn’t shut off the lawnmower. He kept going. He was going to make this as difficult as possible. I didn’t want to make a big scene in front of Lily, but if he kept it up, I would. He came back and made another pass. I grabbed the lawnmower to stop him from going by me a second time. “Stop acting like a prick!” I shouted over the sound.

He glared at me. “Don’t talk to me like that in front of my daughter.”

“Then fucking talk to me,” I snapped.

“Don’t,” he warned.

He let go of the handle, cutting off the lawnmower engine. I felt the tension and braced myself. He stepped away from the lawnmower and got very close to my face. I stared him down. We were nose to nose. I expected him to hit me. Then I remembered Lily in the driveway. I stepped back. I could take a step back and give him this win.

“I just want to talk,” I said.

I reminded myself I was here to make this right for Izzy’s sake.

“I have nothing to say,” he said.

“You need to listen,” I told him. “This isn’t about me or you. This is about Izzy and Lily. You have beef with me, I get it. If you need to be pissed, be pissed at me—not Izzy.”

“I’m pissed at both of you,” he muttered.

I took a deep breath, attempting to push past the tension that hung between us. “We need to talk, man. About the argument we had. It’s been eating away at me, and I want to find a way to resolve it.”

We walked toward the side of the house, away from Lily’s artwork, finding a quiet spot where we could talk undisturbed. The warm sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground as we settled in.

I started, my voice filled with sincerity. “I’m sorry, Ramsey. Our friendship means a lot to me, and I want to find a way to move past this.”

Ramsey sighed; his gaze fixed on the ground. “I don’t know what you guys were thinking. It was wrong. It was fucking wrong.”

“I know,” I said. “I regret that we didn’t tell you.”

“You should regret ever making a move,” he said.

“I don’t,” I told him firmly. “I’m not going to say I regret being with Izzy. I don’t. I never will. I’m sorry that it hurt you, but I really care about her. I don’t want to lose her. If I could go back, I would have told you from the very beginning. I never wanted to keep it hidden from you. I hated that we didn’t tell you. It was eating me up inside. It was hard on Izzy as well.”

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