Page 42 of The Ex Next Door
Then Mr. Sheridan wanted to show David what an old and well-worn glove would look like after a season of playing, and they disappeared into the garage with Declan and Finn following.
Mrs. Sheridan led them to the patio, where they all settled into Adirondack chairs.
“Mommy, is it okay if I read my book now?” Naomi asked.
She brought one along for every occasion, and Amy pulled it out of her purse for her now. At the moment, she was a huge fan of the old Nancy Drew mysteries.
“She asks for permission toread?” Mrs. Sheridan asked. “Where did you get this child? Etsy?”
Amy laughed. “If I let her, she’d read all day, but I want her to play outside, too, and be social.”
“I have to find out how it ends,” Naomi said, opening to her page.
“I’m the same way.” Mrs. Sheridan patted Naomi’s lap.
Michelle’s phone buzzed and she gave it a quick glance. “Does anyone mind if I take this? It’s work. One of my adoptions hit a snag and my parents are freaking out. I’ll just be a minute.”
“Go, honey.” Mrs. Sheridan waved her away. “Take care of business.”
“Don’t tell Finn,” she said with a wink and walked into the house, the phone already to her ear.
Mrs. Sheridan must have seen the puzzled look on Amy’s face because she answered the question on her mind: What was that all about?
“It’s kind of like you and Naomi. Reading is a good thing but you want her to have a balanced life. That’s kind of what Finn wants for Michelle, and so does she. But can I tell you how proud I am to have a future daughter-in-law who can kick butt? It’s such a good time for women right now. And as long as we all keep having each other’s backs, it will continue.”
“Michelle is wonderful at what she does,” Amy said. “I have firsthand knowledge.”
“And howisthat all going for you?”
She meant the divorce. Everyone knew about her divorce. She wondered when people would stop asking her, but comparatively, though it had been about a year, it was still new. A year to work through all that.
Amy took a quick look in Naomi’s direction, and saw her deeply immersed.
“We’re finally in a good place. It was tough for a while, for all of us.”
“You must have been blindsided.”
“Yes. But… I should have seen it coming.”
“Hindsight has one hundred percent accuracy. You probably didn’t have the time, as a busy parent, to sit down and evaluate your relationship.”
“I should have made time.”
Mrs. Sheridan nodded in agreement. “Would you take him back now, if he changed his mind?”
Even Mom hadn’t asked Amy that question. Maybe she didn’t want to hear the answer because at one time it wouldhave been yes. People made mistakes and as long as he hadn’t cheated on her, Amy could have forgiven Rob and insisted on counseling to repair their marriage. But now… Now she saw so many roads ahead of her, so many choices and possibilities for an alternate future, and they all excited her in ways she hadn’t anticipated. She could be a teacher and still be a full-time parent.
She could fall in love again and it didn’t mean that she’d never loved Rob. He would always be the father of her children and they’d be forever connected. But she understood now that she was no longerinlove with him. She probably hadn’t been for a while. Even so, she would have stayed, because leaving was too scary.
“No. I can say that for sure. For the first time, I’m really excited about my future again.”
Almost as if he’d heard, one possible future in the form of a blond, muscular, solidly built male appeared behind the screen of the glass sliders.
“It won’t surprise anyone that Dad took David in the back to throw the ball around. Everything okay here?”
Their gazes met, and she allowed herself to fall into those wonderful and warm green eyes that always had a wicked smile in them.
Declan, the man who’d headlined her teenage life, was part of her present.
