Page 68 of Hometown Heart

"Last week. I've already booked a room at some place called Harbor View Inn. Got a recommendation from someone in the Whistleport Parents Facebook group."

Of course, he had. Edward always did his research—meticulous, thorough, leaving nothing to chance. It was what made him an excellent architect and a maddeningly prepared ex-husband. "Edward, we have an agreement. Visits are supposed to be planned in advance, not sprung on us days before."

"I know, but this came up suddenly. Peggy's baby shower is Saturday, and I figured since I'd be in the region anyway... I want to see him play hockey, Jack."

"This isn't a good time," I argued, knowing how weak it sounded.

"Is there ever a good time?" Edward countered. "Look, I'm not trying to disrupt anything. I just want to be part of his life. More than phone calls and the holiday visits."

I glanced back toward our table. Cody had abandoned his fractions and was talking animatedly with Silas, who nodded along while refilling the sugar containers. Watching them together—the easy rapport and genuine affection—sent a complicated mixture of emotions whirling through me.

"Fine," I conceded, recognizing defeat. "But this is Cody's weekend. Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I won't," Edward finally said, his voice softer. "I'm trying, Jack. I know that doesn't erase the past, but I'm trying."

I ended the call without responding to that. When I returned to the table, Cody's eyes were bright with excitement, but there was something guarded in his expression too—like he was afraid to let himself believe whatever Edward had promised.

"Papa's coming to see me play!" he announced, though the question in his voice betrayed his uncertainty. "This weekend, right?"

I forced a smile. "That's what he says, bud."

"Will he stay with us?"

"No, he's got a room at the Harbor View."

"Can we have dinner together? All of us?" Cody pressed, his enthusiasm growing with each question. "He wants to meet Silas. I told him all about the hockey stick marshmallows. And maybe Brooks and Coach Rory too. And Tyler! He has to meet Tyler."

Silas approached, coffee pot in hand. His expression was neutral, but I recognized the concern in his eyes.

"Everything alright?" he asked, topping up my mug even though I'd barely touched it.

"Edward's coming to visit," I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "This weekend."

Silas nodded, his expression warming as he turned to Cody. "Well, we'd better make sure you're properly fueled for practice this week, then. Can't have your papa missing your best moves."

Cody beamed, completely oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around him.

I watched Silas navigate the moment with such grace—acknowledging Cody's excitement while silently communicating his support to me. The knot in my stomach loosened a fraction.

As we gathered our things, Silas pressed a paper bag into my hands. "Scones for later," he said quietly. "And Jack? Call me if you need anything."

The simple offer warmed my heart. I herded Cody toward the door.

I deposited Cody at the school gates, receiving his usual half-hearted hug before he raced off to join Tyler. The two of them immediately launched into what appeared to be a spirited debate about hockey stats, complete with wild hand gestures that nearly took out a passing sixth grader.

Standing there, watching his animated face—so carefree, so full of anticipation about Edward's arrival—sparked an uncomfortable realization. I hadn't seen Cody this excited in weeks. Not about hockey, not about school, not even about the upcoming team pizza party that he'd been plotting participation in for days.

All it took was one phone call from Edward to light him up like the Whistleport lighthouse on a foggy night.

The drive home stretched longer than usual, the waterfront route that normally calmed me now serving as a winding path for my churning thoughts. Lobster boats dotted the harbor, their weathered hulls rising and falling with the tide's gentle rhythm—steady, predictable, unlike the emotional waves crashing through me.

Once home, I started to clean, but then I sank onto Cody's bed, exhaustion washing over me. Last night had been another late one, filled with easy conversation and stolen kisses at Silas's apartment above Tidal Grounds. We'd reached a comfortable rhythm, spending evenings together when Cody had sleepovers, building something that felt increasingly substantial. Something real.

And now Edward was coming, peering into our carefully constructed life with his architect's eye for structural weaknesses.

My phone buzzed with a text notification. Silas.

Silas:You okay?

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