“Hey, long time no talk.”
“I’m so sorry for not calling you back sooner,” Julianna said. “Jake and I are heading home.”
“That’s okay,” I said, thinking about how long their honeymoon had been. “You guys were gone for a long time. Did you have fun?”
Julianna told me about all of the countries they had been to, and about all the different hotels and museums they had visited. But most of all, how happy they were to be on their last flight, heading back to River Valley. “Jake and I both agree, maybe we’ve been gone a little too long. We can hardly wait to see the kids.”
“I’m sure Caley and Jude will be happy to see you guys, too. Caley’s been having fun with Mom and Dad, though. Just a heads up, Mom’s been feeding her a lot of sweets.”
I burst out laughing as soon as I heard Julianna let out a sigh.
“Caley’s in for a rude awakening when she gets home,” she said through gritted teeth. “How many times do I have to tell Mom not to feed her so much cake and cookies?”
I thought about our childhood for a moment. We were rarely allowed junk food either, so I understood Julianna’s point of view. Plus, it wasn’t that healthy to be eating so many sweets.
“She is a good baker, though. And Mom enjoys spoiling her.”
“That’s true. I suppose Caley deserved some junk food every now and then.”
As I listened to her tell me more about her trip, I made my way over to Central Park. My stomach was growling, and I could smell the hotdogs from across the street. It reminded me of the barbecue at the lake with Richard. He had brought one-hundred percent beef hotdogs, which were so juicy and delicious. For a second, I thought about making a hotdog-flavored protein bar, but realized it didn't sound too appealing.
“Speaking of junk food,” I said, “I’m about to buy a hotdog. Screw protein bars today.”
Julianna laughed into the phone, then commented about gaining a few pounds herself. “So, what’s new with you?”
I ran my hands through my hair, preparing myself to tell her everything. It was hard bringing up Richard again, but she was my sister and married to his brother. She would find out about it no matter what, so I gathered my thoughts and told her everything.
“He ended things because he doesn’t have time for a relationship anymore. At least that’s what he told me. After seeing the way Heather lunged at me at the lake, I understand his apprehension. I wouldn’t want to encourage that kind of drama, either. I just hope it’s not because he doesn’t think that I’d be a good mom, Julianna.”
“Annie, you would make a wonderful mother to Addison. I knew a bit about it, but only because Jake just spoke with Richard. You need to know that he cares about you a lot.”
I ate my hot dog while sitting on a park bench, watched families play with their children, and wondered if what she said was true.
“If he cares about me,” I said, “then he wouldn't have broken up with me."
There was a long pause on her end. “Richard has his daughter full-time now, Annie. He was probably focused on that whole situation when he broke up with you, but Richard just reassured Jake that he still has feelings for you. He said that he thinks about you all of the time.”
“Did you say full-time, Julianna? That’s interesting. When we were together, Heather was trying to get him to give her full custody and only wanted money out of him.”
“He paid her a large sum in exchange for full custody.”
I started to feel hopeful about Richard again. With Heather out of the picture, maybe there was still a chance for us.
“That’s good,” I said. “Heather was such an awful mother, Julianna. She treated Addison like one big annoyance, and the girl is nothing but a sweetheart. I know that Richard’s going to be an amazing father."
"I'm sure he will too, and that's an even bigger reason for you to reach out to him. He cares about you, Annie. I think you should give it another shot.”
If I told Richard that I wanted to be with him, I was terrified of what his answer would be, especially since he had become a full-time father.
As Julianna continued talking, I watched as a father pushed his daughter on the swing. She looked to be about Addison’s age, too. He was just pushing her, back and forth, as she kicked her legs in the air. I pictured myself standing in front of her, telling her to kick higher while Daddy pushed her from behind.
“What’s Richard’s address?”
Julianna paused for a moment before whispering something to Jake. As soon as she gave it to me, I tossed the hotdog wrapper in the trash and ran from the park. "I'll call you back. I love you."
Julianna giggled. "GOOD LUCK!!"
I hailed a cab, got inside, and told the driver where to go. I could feel my heart drop into my stomach along the way. Soon I would see Richard. Whatever he said, that would be the final decision. We could end up a happy family, or I would get closure and move on with my life.
