Page 109 of The New Guy
“I wish we could be there,” she keeps saying.
Maybe next year. I can’t voice that, of course. But if Hudson and I are somehow a couple, things will be different. Jordyn and I would be able to sit in his comp seats, and nobody would blink.
His arrogant dad can buy his own tickets. I hear they’re four grand a pop on StubHub. He can afford it.
My phone rings. I glance at the screen.
“It’s Grandma,” Jordyn says.
“We’ll talk to her tomorrow.” After a beat of indecision, I decline the call. “She probably doesn’t know our game is on.”
Unfortunately, the phone rings a couple more times.
“What if it’s important?” Jordyn asks. “What if something is wrong?”
Lord. This is one of thosewhat-nowmoments in parenting. Twenty years from now, I don’t want Jordyn decliningmycalls. So what kind of example am I setting?
Although my nerves can’t really take a call from Eustace right now. We haven’t spoken since her threats to me.
“Daddy,” she says, her eyes pleading.
I answer the damn call. “Hello, Eustace. Jordyn and I are a little tied up in the hockey playoffs.”
“It’s nine forty-five!” she gasps. “Jordyn should be asleep.”
Eddie would be glued to this game, too, if he were here. But I don’t mention that. I get up off the couch and walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. “Did you have something important to say? Or did you just call to question my parenting?”
“Why do you push my buttons?” she asks. “I only called to check in about the summer.”
I close my eyes and inhale slowly. “Eustace, the last time we spoke, you threatened to take custody of my child. If that’s not pushing buttons, I don’t know what is.”
She’s silent for a moment. “I thought you should know that Chad and I speak of it often. We want to raise Jordyn as our own.”
“Yeah? Well I want a winning lottery ticket. But the only way to get it would be tosteal it from its rightful holder. Which, unlike you, I’m not willing to do.”
“There’s no need to be dramatic! We wouldn’tstealher, Gavin—”
“STOP,” I insist. “Just stop saying awful things, and trying to pass them off as normal or helpful. Eddie would hate what you’re doing to us.”
“Not true,” she snaps. “He’d want us to care for his daughter. He’d hate that you moved her away from us! To some crappy little apartment in a violent city!”
That’s it. I won’t take this anymore. “Eddie had aten-pagewill!” I snap. “If he wanted you to have custody, then you’d have it. But he didn’t. And I’m sorry you lost him, and I’m sorry you’re upset. But here’s a tip—if you want access to Jordyn at all, you’ll stop acting like a shrew, and you’ll apologize for lawyering up.”
“You are sodisrespectful!” she screeches.
“That’s what a good father sounds like!” I yell back. “When someone tries totake his child.”
“Listen—”
“No,youlisten. Eddie would befuriouswith you over this. I’m doing everything I can for Jordyn, and he’d be so ashamed of you right now. Is this how you honor the memory of your only son? By trying to intimidate his husband and invalidate his wishes?”
She sniffles.
“I wanted Jordyn to have her grandparents in her life. She loves you. But if you can’t stay in your lane, we’re done here. I willneverback down.”
She sobs.
“You’re not going to break me with your insults. There is nothing wrong with the choices I’ve made. I’m doing the best I can. If you can’t be gracious, then you can’t be in our lives. That’s it. The end. Please think about it.”
