Page 43 of Feels Like Home

“Wait. Dad? Can she do that? Take thecabin?”

I sigh and drop my head, closing my eyes for a moment. “It’s just a cabin. You’re moreimportant.”

“Mom? Why would you dothat?”

She glances at me then watches her —my— boys closely. Then she takes a deep breath and straightens hershoulders.

“Reece. Aidan. I lied to your father. I wanted to be what I thought he wanted me to be. I knew he wanted kids. I knew he wanted the life we had. And I loved him enough that I thought I could give that to him. But… and this is not on you. It’s on me. Something inside me, it’s… broken I guess. I figured that once I became a mom I would feel different.Happy.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you think you have to take away the cabin from us. From Dad’s family. You’re such a selfishbitch.”

Heather gasps, and my eyes bug out of my head at Reece’s quick use of the word, but now’s not the time to be getting on him about using a cuss word. Besides. He’s notwrong.

“Well, I hope you’re happy now… taking away the cabin. Being away from us. What kind of person does that?” Aidan shouts. “You never even liked to gothere!”

“Oh, kiddo… when you get older you’llunderstand.”

I guarantee neither of them willeverunderstandher.

“Thanks,” Aidanscoffs.

Reece apparently has had enough, though. He points at her, and she flinches at the anger in his eyes that’s aimed directly at her. “You know what? We don’t want you! We don’t need you!” He’s shouting loudly; his chest is rising and falling quickly. “Since you left? We’ve been so much better off without you in our lives. Dad is a hundred times better of a parent than you ever were.” He takes a deep breath before he glares at her then says in a low voice full of hurt andrage, “You’re a crappy parent, and we hate you. Just leave. We’re betteroff.”

“Reece,” I mumble and reach for him, but he yanks his hand away. Aidan seems slightly stunned by his brother’s outburst but lifts his shoulders and puffs out his chest so he’s at full height next tohim.

“No. Dad. She wanted to tell us everything? Well, now she can hear everything we have to say, too.” He turns to look directly at her. “We really, really don’t need you around. What kind of awful person are you? You’re taking the cabin? The cabin that’s been in Dad’s family for years? Our happy place? You hated it there! What do you evencare!”

“I…”

Realizing that nothing Heather could say will make the boys, or me for that matter, understand, and if possible, she might be making things worse, I decide the conversation is done. “I think it’s time for you toleave.”

She looks at me, and I stare back, unfeeling. There was a point where seeing her cry would have brought me to my knees. Where seeing a hint of her sadness would have caused me to do about anything to change it. But those moments are gone. They’ve been gone for a while. Definitely since seeing her having sex with another man. But it was beforethat.

“I…”

“Bye,” the boys say at the same time, not giving her any more emotion than shedeserves.

She walks closer, and they both flinch when she opens her arms like she is going to give them a hug. Aidan turns away first, giving her his back. Reece simply shakes his head at her then walks away, back into thehouse.

Heather looks to me, tears flowing freely from her eyes. I shrug, not knowing what she wants me to say. She did this; I need to remind myself of that. This wasn’t mychoice.

Without another word, Heather turns on her heel and runs toward the house. Less than a minute later, I hear a car engine start up, and with that, she’sgone.

Less than a minute after that I hear a loud crash and know the boys aren’t as okay with it as they tried to play off. And I can’t blame them. Onebit.

13

Christine

I’m fumblingwith grocerybags as I walk in the door. It’s been a long day, trying to help at Balance while still managing everything at Dreamin’ Beans. And, of course, the constant worry going on in my head since I woke up this morning, knowing that Heather was going to be meeting up with Andytoday.

My phone rings, and the screen lights up with Andy’s smiling face. It was a rare moment I caught him in, his worry for the boys being at the forefront of his mind, but he was laughing at something James said at his wedding to Carly, and I managed to capture the picture. James and Andy are even farther apart in age than he and I, but that hasn’t stopped them from growing increasingly close. Their own little bromance. Which is nice because Carly and I are such goodfriends.

Andy has needed time to work out some of his frustrations, and he loves working with his hands. James definitely has plenty to do at Balance, so Andy’s been helping at the restaurant as much as hecan.

James and Carly had her son Jack and his daughter Lily stand up for them in the wedding a few weeks ago. It was a quiet ceremony in Tess and Barrett’sbackyard.

Carly looked beautiful in her ivory lace fitted gown, and James looked amazing in his dark bluesuit.

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