Page 17 of The Grumpy Boss Agreement

I try to use my gentlest tone for my next question. “Why is your mom all scratched out in this picture?”

His lower lip protrudes. “Mommy’s gone.”

He shrugs and looks back down, his brow furrowed.

I nod slowly. It’s true enough. We’ve only seen Holly a whopping three times since she left me high and dry on the day of our wedding.

She’s ‘finding herself’ in Atlanta, whatever the hell that means. My free hand gathers into a tight fist. I swallow around a knot of tangled feelings.

I need to be here for Charlie, but I want to scream every time Holly’s name comes up. I take a measured breath.

“You know, kiddo. You can talk to me if you ever miss your mom. You can talk to me about anything.”

“Okay…” He looks up at me, shoving his hair out of his face. “Stay here.”

His words are a plea that level me. They hit my chest and run straight through to my heart, piercing me cleanly. I feel like Charlie has removed my skin and now he can see my heart pumping, my lungs inflating, my stomach gurgling.

It’s painful to have a kid. You feel like you want to wrap them in a hug and protect them from the world. But you can’t protect them from everything. And it is doubly agonizing to realize that you have failed them.

“I’m not going anywhere.” My heart constricts painfully. “Not on your life, kiddo.”

Charlie frowns down at his crayon drawing. “Mommy left.”

“Hey. Can you look at me for a minute?” I tap the paper before us. Charlie looks up, tossing his too-long hair. I pull him into my arms and give him a tight hug. “Your Mom still loves you. We both know that you didn’t do anything wrong. And I will always love the stuffing out of you, no matter what. Do you know that?”

“But Mommy—" His eyes shine with unshed tears. “I want Mom.”

I grit my teeth and look at my son, who is obviously hurting deeply. For making him feel this way.

“Your mom is just a phone call away. I’m sure she would love for you to call her. You just let me know when. Okay?”

Charlie hugs me tightly. “Can Mommy come here?”

God. Please don’t let her come to Cape Simon.

“Sure. In the meantime, you and I will hang out here. We’ll have so much fun visiting Mimi and Big Daddy that you’ll never want to leave.”

He is quiet for several seconds. “Mommy lies.”

That gets me right where it hurts. I suck in a breath and rock side to side with him. I can’t think of what to say to that.

Charlie’s lip quivers. “I miss her.”

“I miss her too.”

Sometimes, I qualify my statement in my head. I miss the person I thought she was.

“You do?”

“Yup. You know what I do when I’m feeling lonely?”

He shakes his head. I give him a soft smile.

“I talk to somebody else that I love. And now that we’re here visiting Mimi and Big Daddy, that list is way bigger. I could talk to Big Daddy. Or Mimi. Or Uncle Rex.”

“Who’s that?” he asks.

“Uncle Rex is my brother. That’s why I wanted to bring you here. So you could get to know all of my brothers and sisters better now that you are old enough to remember them. It’s good to be surrounded by family.”

---