Page 7 of Bottle Shock
He smiles a smile I wouldn’t have recognized a year ago. “Inside, filling the piñata with candy.”
“I told her she didn’t have to get one.”
His head tilts, glancing at Marisa through the glass French doors before turning to face me. “She insisted. Said it’s going to be a new family tradition.”
“Well, if it’s our new tradition, then by all means.” I grin at Ethan, shaking my head at the difference Marisa’s made in him. He’s still a grumpy ass, but now he’s a happy one. He shrugs and turns his attention back to her, like he can’t help but stare.
I study Ethan for a moment, his usual hardened expression nowhere in sight as he gazes at his girlfriend. I can’t help but wonder what that’s like—to love someone with such intensity that you’re constantly searching for them when they’re not near. I’ve had my fair share of relationships. I’ve even been in love—or at least, what felt like love at the time—but I’ve never felt that kind of pull with someone who felt it back. I’d like to believe it’s still in the cards for me, but with each passing year, and my ongoing reluctance to truly put myself out there, that hope feelsmore like a delusion—a reality that simply isn’t meant for me.
I don’t think there’s a woman out there who’d fit seamlessly with me and Lily. And if there is, she’s already off-limits. In my experience, most women like the idea of a single dad—as if it somehow proves he’s caring and nurturing—but the reality is, most don’t have any real interest in my daughter or the day-to-day of our lives. The grind of parenthood is far from a fairytale. And the truth is, I can’t give a woman a hundred percent of myself. What woman wants a man who can give her barely half his attention on a good day—and even less once harvest begins?
My thoughts are broken up as the doors slide open, and Marisa walks through, holding a giant unicorn head piñata by a string.
She aims her focus on me. “Since you’re the tallest, and father of the birthday girl, you have the honor of hanging this thing up.” She lifts it for emphasis, giving it a jiggle, where it sounds like hundreds of mini candy rustle against each other.
The piñata ends up requiring me and Ethan and Shane, with Marisa and Elyse barking out directions, but eventually we get it up and ready to take a beating.
And a beating it takes.
Ultimately though, it’s Lily who cracks it open with more force than I thought she was capable of, and a herd of kids all dash at once, filling their baggies with candy.
As the party winds down, Allison’s parents catch my attention with a wave. They’ve never missed any of Lily’s birthdays or big events, all thanks to us working through the awkwardness of our situation. If there is an afterlife, I’d like to think Allison is proud of the relationship we managed to forge.
“We’re going to head out,” Wayne, Allison’s dad, says.
I could’ve sworn he told me he and Shannon were stayingone more night. He must take note of my confused expression, because he huffs a laugh.
“The kennel called, said Percy keeps crying so we’re going to go rescue him before they give him the boot.”
“I told you he’s always welcome. The pool house is big enough.”
Way back when Lily was first born, I had next to nothing, thanks to my nomadic lifestyle. The little I did own was in storage while I traveled the world. Once the initial shock of sudden parenthood wore off, I had a home built on my family’s land and made sure to include a space for Allison’s parents. It was my way of proving they’d always be welcome in Lily’s life—which is how the pool house came to be. Most of the time, it stays vacant, ready for them to drop by for a visit.
Shannon smiles. “He doesn’t travel well.” Her lips begin to turn down, eyes briefly glancing away. “Before we go, we wanted to double check with you that it’s still okay for us to take Lily on the trip.”
I can tell by the unease in her voice that she’s nervous I’ve changed my mind.
It’s been a tradition over the past few years for Lily to spend two weeks of her summer break in Seattle with her grandparents. It gives her a chance to see Allison’s family and it gives me a much needed break as well. The only difference is this year, they’re taking her to Disneyland.
“Of course.” I smile easily despite my stomach sinking when I think of how far away I’ll be from my daughter if anything were to happen. “She’s already made me buy her several pairs of bedazzled ears. There’s no backing out now.”
Shannon releases a relieved sigh. “Oh, good. And don’t worry about a thing, we’ll take good care of her. She’s going to have a blast with Matt’s kiddos.”
Matt—Allison’s brother—has two kids, Colby and Wren. Lily falls right between them in age, so they usually get alongwell. They’d normally be here, but a stomach bug kept them home this time.
I’m grateful Lily has cousins to grow up with, especially since none of my own siblings have kids yet.
“I trust you guys.”
They both look relieved at my admission. I’ve done everything I can to reassure them I’d never keep them from Lily, but they still seem to walk on eggshells around me. She’s their last living tie to Allison—and her mirror image. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, so I can’t blame them for being afraid to lose her too.
Shannon’s eyes light up as if she suddenly remembered something. “You’ll have to keep us updated on the house hunt. We haven’t been in years but I’m sure the lake is just as beautiful as it was back then. We wanted to buy a house there, but with so few homes available, anything that went up for sale was gone in an instant.”
A few months ago, Lily found an old photo album tucked away in a storage bin at Wayne and Shannon’s. It was filled with pictures of Allison as a kid—and the summers she spent at Wallula Lake, a sleepy little town about two hours south of Red Mountain. That discovery, along with Lily’s growing curiosity about her mom, somehow resulted in me deciding to buy a second home there.
We drove down one weekend to check it out, just to see what it was like. Lily fell in love instantly—with the lake, and the town, and all it’s charming quirkiness. By the time we got home, she was already asking when we could go back.
I’ve heard it’s nearly impossible to find a place for sale, but I’m going to try anyway.
