Chapter 3
1575 Words
Chapter 3
KateAfter the party, Kate didn’t want to go home just yet. She felt too uneasy. Instead, she returned with Sarah to her house. It was convenient that they all lived on the same street. It allowed them to be physically present for each other. But still, even if they found strength and comfort in being together; nothing changed the fact that their trio was falling apart.
“Tea?” Sarah offered as she shut the front door behind them. She helped Zoe out of her jacket. “There you go,” she said to Zoe. “Can you hang this up for Mommy?”
Zoe took her jacket from Sarah and carefully hung it up on the low hooks that Caleb had fashioned for the children.
“Noah! Liam!” Sarah called out to the boys. “Please pick your jackets up off the floor.”
“Don’t worry—I’ve got these,” Kate said of the jackets as she bent down and picked them up. “Tea sounds good.” She took her own coat off and hung it on the rack by the hall table. “I won’t stay long though. Evan took Adam straight home, and I promised I’d be back in thirty minutes. He needs to be somewhere afterwards.”
“I swear, they’re driving me mad. Kids!” Sarah called out to her three children.
Kate followed Sarah into the kitchen.
“Can you all go on upstairs and get changed—please!” But by then, the children had scattered off to different parts of the house. “Kids!” Sarah said more firmly that time, with her hands on her hips.
“I’ll take care of the kids,” Caleb said as he came up behind them.
Sarah turned around and blew an exasperated breath out. She tiptoed to give him a kiss. “Thanks, honey.” She smiled. “I’m thinking of taking them out into the woods tonight and leaving them there.”
Caleb laughed and took Sarah in his arms. “Uh-uh... Liam’s too smart for that. He’d just take a bag of bread with him and leave a trail behind to follow home after.”
Kate laughed. She didn’t know how Sarah did it. As busy as her kids kept her, Sarah was a fantastic mom.
“Ah, but Noah and Zoe might find the gingerbread house and stay there,” Sarah teased. “You know how much they love their candies.”
Caleb smirked. “Two out of three ain’t too bad.”
“You guys are so funny,” Kate chuckled.
Sarah playfully slapped his arm. “I’m starving. Do you want anything to eat?”
“Nah, thanks,” Caleb said. “You ladies relax,” he said, turning to Kate. “I’ve got this.”
Sarah pulled out a box of Ritz crackers from the pantry and popped one into her mouth. “He’s my hero,” she said with her mouth full, motioning to Caleb. “Did you know that?” She filled the kettle and set it on the stove. “Want one?” she asked and passed the red box to Kate.
“No, thanks. I’m still full from the party,” Kate said. “Looks like you guys are still in the honeymoon stage; all sweet and lovey-dovey,” she teased after Caleb had left the kitchen.
Sarah snorted. “I don’t think we’ve even had a honeymoon stage.” She popped another Ritz in her mouth.
Sarah and Caleb had recently gotten married. They had a beautiful ceremony at the White Willow Bed & Breakfast. It was lovely and so very different to Kate’s own wedding. Hers had been rushed and, in hindsight, unromantic. Of course, what followed was a rocky marriage. One that was bound to fail from the moment they’d each said I do.
Kate and Evan had what some called a whirlwind romance that took her eight thousand miles away from the Philippines—away from her family, friends, and everything else that she knew—and into the arms of the man she would later call her ex.
It wasn’t long before loneliness, insecurities, and alcohol-fueled violence claimed their marriage.
“Evan has met someone new,” Kate blurted out.
Midway through putting another Ritz into her mouth, Sarah turned to face Kate. “What?” She wiped her mouth and frowned. “What do you mean he’s met someone new?”
“Well,”—Kate pulled out a chair and sat down—“he told me that he’s met someone and that it’s becoming quite serious.”
Sarah put the cracker back in her mouth. “I thought he said he was going to wait for you?” She took a container out of the fridge and opened it. “Brownie?” Sarah handed the container to Kate.
Kate shook her head. “No, thanks.”
“Try it,” Sarah pushed. “It’s so good.” And when Kate declined, Sarah broke a brownie in half and held it between her teeth while she covered the container. “Are you sure?” she asked, her words barely comprehensible. She took the brownie out of her mouth and smacked her lips.
“Yeah, thanks.” She shook her head. “Anyway, it doesn’t really matter,” Kate said about Evan. “I couldn’t give him what he wanted, and I really didn’t expect him to wait around for me.”
“But you share a child together,” Sarah pointed out.
“And?” Kate raised an eyebrow. “I don’t mind it.”
“I mean, you guys are so good together.”
“I guess...but, hey, three years ago, you absolutely hated him,” Kate reminded her.
“Yeah—three years ago, he was an absolute Neanderthal,” Sarah said. “You’ve got such a good partnership now. And ever since Evan joined AA, he’s done so well with his whole—what do you call it? Sobriety journey?”
“You’re right in that we have a good partnership. But I think that’s all it is—a partnership,” Kate said. “Besides, I really don’t mind.”
“You already said that.”
“Because it’s true; I don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“I don’t mind.” Kate laughed. “We had our chance, and it didn’t work out.”
“Is that really how you feel?” Sarah asked.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kate had been holding on to the hope that they could get back together and give their marriage another try. But last year, when Evan was ready—Kate wasn’t. And now...well, she wasn’t sure what she was, ready or not. “I’m fine with it. I really am. I think it’s great that he’s happy.”
The kettle whistled, but Sarah stood fixed with a worried look on her face.
“That’s the kettle,” Kate pointed to the stove.
“Yes, I know that—duh!” Sarah got up and turned the stove off. “But I still think you two can work things out.”
“The thing that concerns me is that Evan wants her—Brooke—to be part of Adam’s life.”
Sarah paused and scrunched her nose up. “In what way?”
“I don’t know...he wants Adam to meet her and to do stuff with her, I guess.”
“What kind of stuff? Like, to play happy family?” Sarah frowned. “Do you know her?”
Kate shook her head. “No, but he wants us to meet each other.” It had come as a surprise to Kate when Evan had told her about his new relationship. It wasn’t something she’d seen coming. He was always around at Kate’s house spending time with their son, Adam. And it wasn’t as if she was looking for signs or anything like that. The thought just hadn’t occurred to her. “Evan says she’s the owner of the flower shop on Lighthouse Road.”
Sarah’s eyes widened with surprise. “Do you mean Heaven Scent? The one that’s just a few doors up from Chapter Five.”
Chapter Five was Louise’s bookstore. She’d gifted it to her stepdaughter, Abby, in the early days following her diagnosis. “I think so,” Kate said. “Isn’t that the only flower shop we have here?”
“But that belongs to,”—Sarah closed her eyes and twisted her lips in thought. “What was her name? Victoria, wait—no, Lydia!” Sarah snapped her fingers. “Lydia Wilson! It’s always belonged to Ly...” Sarah’s voice trailed off. “Ooh...Lydia had passed away last year,” she said mostly to herself before she looked up at Kate. “I wonder if she might be Lydia’s daughter?”
“She might be. Evan said that Brooke had moved back here from somewhere...I think he said San Francisco. I can’t really remember. But I’m meeting her on Sunday, so I should know more then.”
“As in, this Sunday?” Sarah asked. “Gosh, that’s a bit sudden, isn’t it?”
Kate blew out a sigh. “He wants us to be able to work things out.”
“Is he going to fight you for custody?” Sarah asked.
“No—he’d better not!” Kate said with a nervous laugh. “But he said that he would like to have Adam spend more time at his place.”
“But he’s always at work—who’s going to look after Adam?”
Kate shrugged. “I’ll meet them on Sunday and see what comes of it. Then I’ll make my decision.”
“Just make sure he doesn’t bully you into anything you don’t want to do,” Sarah said.
“I won’t.”
“Good! Oh hey, do you want an egg sandwich?”
Kate scrunched her nose and laughed. “What?”
“An egg sandwich—do you want one?”
“I heard what you said,” Kate said. “But seriously...what’s going on with you?”
“I found this amazing recipe for the best egg salad sandwich. It was literally called, The Best Egg Salad Sandwich.” Sarah laughed. “Anyway, it’s soooo good.” Sarah went to the fridge, that time, taking out a round container. “You have to try it.”
“Hey, uhm...just thinking out loud here,” Kate said. “Are you pregnant, by any chance?”
“What? No.” Sarah looked up from the egg salad. “No—no, no, no,” she said in quick succession.
Kate looked at her, amused. “No, seriously. When was the last time you had your period? I mean, eggs are one of those common pregnancy cravings. I think it means your body needs some protein or something like that. I didn’t crave for eggs, but I was so into steak when I was pregnant with Adam—and I’m not a big fan of steak.”
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