Dawson was my little chatterbox, as if he had something to say about everything today. I think he simply needed his dad’s attention. Greg’s horde wasn’t as animated as usual. I could tell they didn’t understand why their mom was missing in action.
After we got the kids inside, Peggy took me aside. I looked deep into her green eyes. They were playful, like she wanted to laugh and was just waiting for the joke.
“Rumor on the street is that you’re single again.”
It surprised me that she’d only now discovered that fact. I hadn’t really advertised it, but I would have assumed Pam or my mom would have told Peggy by now. Then again, Pam wasn’t really one to spread gossip.
“I may have sworn off women for now.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment,” Peggy said.
“Maybe I’ll do what Lexi suggested and find hookups instead of trying to date anyone right now. In a couple of months, I’ll be off to do my James Bond movie. I don’t see the point in starting anything now,” I explained.
She shrugged.
“That actually makes sense.”
“What are you doing tonight?” I asked.
“The cross-country team is going to a party.”
“Looking for your own hookup?” I teased.
“Who knows?” she said and then became serious. “I hear Mitch showed up. What did he want?”
“He claimed he wanted to see Little David. I gave him a couple hundred dollars, and he went away.”
She didn’t look happy.
“He turned out to be a huge mistake. I can’t believe he would show up asking for money. If anything, I would hope he’d at least show an interest in his son.”
“I hope I’ve made it clear that I consider Little David to be my son. If you’re worried about his future, I would be willing to put it in writing, so you know those aren’t empty words.”
I’d already created a trust for him but wanted Peggy to know without a doubt how I felt about the little guy.
“How would that work?” Peggy asked.
“I don’t really know, but I’m sure if we ask my lawyers, they’ll have some ideas. Why don’t you ask Scarlet to investigate it for us?” I suggested.
“Okay, but I’m not looking to give up custody or anything.”
I smiled.
“I would never ask you to.”
Peggy left to change clothes when the oven timer started buzzing.
◊◊◊
One-year-olds will eat anything one day and not like anything the next. Today, Carol decided she would rather feed Duke than eat. I’d given up on making my hound mind when the little ones were at the table. At least it was easier than having to pick up the food that hit the floor. Funny how your perspective changed once you had kids.
Kyle and Mac balked at cheesy broccoli tots until Greg made them out as a treat and scarfed down a handful. When he reached to eat theirs, they decided they might be okay. That was all Nate needed to convince him to eat his tots, too. Mine were too young to understand that tots shouldn’t be green.
Greg and I counted ourselves lucky that we survived the next few hours with only a couple of meltdowns. We finally got mine worn out and put to bed. I put Duke in charge of watching them and came back downstairs.
Greg’s kids were watching a cartoon movie on TV. We weren’t going to be written up as model parents anytime soon with a dog and the TV in charge.
“My test results came back negative for any sexually transmitted infections,” Greg said.
I said a bad word. If I’d been smart, I would’ve waited to find out before telling my mom and Lisa. Perhaps I was the ‘stupid boy’ everyone claimed me to be. I sent a text to Lisa to let her know. I guess I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t get a response back.
“What do you plan to do?” I asked.
Greg sighed.
“I’m more than a little overwhelmed with raising three kids on my own, going to school, and running a business without Angie. It isn’t so bad during the week because I can drop them off at daycare, but the weekends are a bear. When it was the two of us, we could trade off watching them.
“I hate to say it, but I would almost be willing to forgive her just to have some free time.”
In my case, I only had to take on that responsibility for an evening or afternoon at most. I couldn’t imagine what Greg was going through.
“So, you might not get divorced?” I asked.
“Hell, no. That ship has sailed. Angie has made it clear she’s moving on without us.”
“Any idea who the other guy is?”
He shook his head ‘no.’
I felt terrible for my brother, but I was smart enough not to get into the middle of whatever he was going through. If he needed my help, he would tell me, I was sure. I think all he really needed tonight was someone to listen to him.
◊◊◊
Chapter 35 – It Was Perfect Saturday March 18
Today was our annual baseball tournament. For the last three years, we’d played all the games at the park. Little League, Pony League, and American Legion teams all used the park’s baseball fields during the summer. This year, our high school field would also be used for the tournament because we were better set up for crowds.
