Page 24 of Cry For You

“Comes in handy for reaching things way up high.” He smiles. “I hear a lot of good things about you from Jackson.”

“You have?”

“Sure. Jackson’s my godson. We hang out from time to time, playing basketball, video games, and stuff with his dad. Hey, maybe sometime you can come hang out with us, if it’s okay with your mom?”

“Yes! Oh. Please Mom, can I?”

“I don’t know…”

“Aw, Mom. You always say no.” He pouts.

“Jacob—” she chides

“Okay, not always, but let’s think about this, before you say no.” His eyes plead with her to agree with him. It makes me want to join in with him, for her to let him have his way.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

“Yes!” He raises his fist in a half-won victory. “Mr. Trigg, she didn’t say no.”

We all laugh at his youthful exuberance.

“Where’s my invite to the party?” Bree strolls in, smiling.

A party going down the crapper fast. Oh, man. I was going to tell her who Jacob’s mother was tonight. After Jackson was asleep, in case things didn’t go well. Okay, I know she’s not going to take it well.

“Hey, Bree,” Trigg says, upbeat, like this isn’t a train wreck happening right in front of him.

“Hey, guys. What’s up? Why didn’t anyone tell me the party was in here? You know I love a party.” She looks down at Jacob, her smile growing. “You must be the young man my son can’t stop talking about. Jacob?”

“Yep. That’s me,” he says, returning Bree’s smile.

“I won’t bother with the handshake nonsense. Come over here and give me a hug, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He walks into her arms. “You’re pretty.”

Bree laughs and gives him a squeeze before letting him go. “We need to keep you around all the time.” She looks at Lacey, reaching out her hand to her. “I love him. You must be Jacob’s mother? I’m Bree. It’s nice to finally meet the mother of the child my son is totally enamored with.”

I see the hesitation on Lacey’s face before she takes Bree’s hand with a weak smile. “Nice to meet you too, Bree. I wish we could stay, but we were headed out. We have a lot to do.”

“I understand, being a busy working mom myself. Don’t let me hold you up. Maybe next time we can hang out, get to know each other? Set up a playdate with the boys when I’m not working so much.”

The room falls into an awkward silence, Bree looking expectantly at Lacey, oblivious to her discomfort at her offer, Trigg glaring at me like I’m an idiot. The idiot he told to tell Bree about Lacey.

“Ah, we’ll see. Excuse us. Come on, Jacob.” She takes the cage and ushers Jacob out, holding his hand with a nervous smile.

“Hold up, Lacey. I’ll walk you out,” Trigg says, following her.

“Okay,” Bree says, still smiling, forehead creasing. She murmurs, “She seemed nice. But was it me, or did she get a bit weird when I said we should hang out?”

“I think you caught her off guard.” I sit on the edge of my desk with my arms folded, trying to work out how to tell Bree what really happened there.

“I guess. Not everyone can be as cheery as me. She seems nice though. If she can handle hanging out with you for an hour, surely I’ll make the cut. It’s inevitable. Our sons are besties.”

“Hmmhmm.” I nod, head down.

“Where’s Jackson?” She walks past me to the door leading to the backyard.

“Playing with the rabbit.” I look over my shoulder and see her smiling when Jackson stops chasing the rabbit and waves to her. That smile is about to turn upside down when she finds out who Jacksons mother is. “Bree.”

---