“I think Jake is now ashamed to call me his dad.” That earns me another chuckle. “Anyway, what about you? How was your day?” I ask.
I hear what sounds like a blender whirring in the background before she speaks. “My day wasn’t as eventful as yours, obviously, but I did manage to catch up with Sof, Brody, and a few other friends I haven’t seen in a while. We just got back from dinner actually, and now I’m about to crash on the couch with my margarita slushy, and probably just read a book for the rest of the night.”
“It’s good to hear you’re going out again and having fun with your friends. How is everyone?”
She lets out a long, tired sigh. “Oh, you know. Sofia and Brody are the same as always—arguing one minute, all over each other the next. The rest of our friends are… a little more awkward. It’s like they don’t know how to be around me after everything that went down with Dean—like they think I’m made of glass, ready to shatter at any moment.”
“And how does that make you feel?” I ask gently.
“Annoyed more than anything.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I just hate that they see me as some fragile victim they have to tiptoe around, afraid to say anything that might set me off. Allthey offered was pity, instead of seeing how far I’ve come—how hard I’ve been fighting to move forward.”
“I’m really sorry they’ve made you feel that way.” My voice is gentle and sincere. “You are anything but fragile, Mila. I see your strength, and how hard you’re working to reclaim your life. I have the utmost respect for you because of that. And in time, I’m confident others will see it too.”
“Thank you, Jason. That really means a lot,” she whispers. Then, with a gentle shift in tone, she steers the conversation away. “Alright, onto a less serious topic—what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” she asks casually.
“Well, we’re planning to see the rest of the attractions we didn’t get to today, stop to watch the night parade and fireworks, and have a family dinner before we all head our separate ways again.”
I had planned to join Jake and the rest of the gang at Ueno Zoo in the morning to see the pandas, but I need to handle an unexpected issue with one of my suppliers that failed to deliver half my ingredient order at the restaurant, causing a menu shortage and temporarily disrupting our service. That’s what I get for switching to a cheaper, less reputable supplier.
“That sounds fun. I bet Jake is super psyched.”
“Oh, he’s buzzing, alright. If it were up to him, he’d probably never leave this place.”
I’m just about to ask her what her plans are for tomorrow when there’s a knock at my door.
“Hold on a sec, babe,” I say to Mila before cradling my phone between my shoulder and ear. As soon as I open the door, I freeze.
It’s Elena.
Standing there—alone.
No Jake.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” she says almost sheepishly. “Jake’s with my parents in their hotel. We’re all heading out for a late snack, and he wanted me to see if you’d like to join us. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer—and now I see why.” She nods toward the phone tucked between my shoulder and ear.
“Oh, um… yeah, okay. Just give me fifteen minutes to shower and change, and I’ll meet you guys in the lobby.”
The smile on my ex-wife’s face is so wide, you’d think I’d just handed her the rarest, most precious gift in the world. “Okay, great,” she beams, “we’ll see you down there.” And without another word, she turns on her heel and walks back to the elevator.
I stand there for a moment before slowly closing the door behind me. Gripping my phone, I bring it back to my ear. “Sorry about that. You still there?”
Silence.
The kind that stretches just long enough to make me wonder if she’s hung up.
Then I hear it—a soft exhale, barely audible, like she’s been holding her breath the whole time while I spoke to my ex. “Yeah, I’m here.”
“That was Elena,” I explain.
“I heard,” is all she says, her tone clipped.
“You probably caught the part where she invited me to come out with everyone too?”
“Yup,” she says sharply. “And before you ask, I’m fine with you going. I’d never stop you from spending time with your son, whether your ex is there or not.”
“Thank you, Mila. I’m sorry about this. I know I promised we’d have a longer chat tonight, but I can call you again just before you go to bed, if you want.”
“I’d like that,” she says coolly.
