"I didn't know about the ASL," I said. "I did think about enrolling him. But he won't be five until the end of September."
"That's not a problem," Shay said. "I always had a friend or two who didn't turn five until some time in the first month or two of school. It's an independent school. The rules are different from typical public districts. I know Lauren wouldn't mind. Especially if it's your kid."
"He's notmykid," I said.
"Maybe not yet," Shay said. "But a day will come when you will know without any question that he's your baby. You'll have a hard time remembering who you were before he took over your life. And it will surprise the hell out of you but you'll be okay with that."
I didn't respond. I didn't think I could since I was busy wondering if that day had already come. Was it too soon? Was it presumptuous of me? Or unfair to Penny, who'd gotten so little time with her son? I didn't have any of the answers.
When Ruth started clicking her pen, I asked, "But what about the custody thing? What if he ends up splitting custody with the friend and has no other choice but to move to Michigan?"
"That's not going to happen," Ruth said. "Custody for the grandmother was a stretch. The friend is straight-up bananapants and I'm annoyed that his attorney hasn't made it go away."
"But let's say it does happen." Shay caught my eye, nodding. She knew that I needed to think through even the most unlikely scenarios. "Would you follow them to Michigan? Is that an option for you?"
"Or would you try to make a long-distance relationship happen?" Jamie asked.
I clasped my fingers under my chin as I considered this. "Michigan could be an option but long-distance… I don't see how we'd ever succeed at that."
Ruth clicked the pen a few more times. "Why not?"
"Just look at the drama we lived through last month," I said. "When he's with Percy, he's completely present and he wants to keep it that way. Maybe that was one wild situation but when he isn't traveling for work, he wants to be home with his kid. He's not glued to his phone. He doesn't want to get on another plane to see me."
"If he wanted to, he would," Jamie said.
"Yeah, but is that a fair rule when we're talking about a single parent who has a cancer-survivor mother to look after? Not to mention his son's grandmother? Even if he wants to, there's still work, family, and his kid. There's not a ton of wiggle room. And our school calendar isn't flexible. I can't take a bunch of long weekends without it turning into a problem pretty quick." I tapped a finger to Ruth's list. "We'd go into it with the best of intentions but come out of it withered and worse off than ever before."
"Then we're saying no to the long-distance option?" Ruth asked. I nodded. "It sounds like we're also dropping the Michigan option to the bottom of the list?"
"Yeah. I think so." I went back to staring at Jude and Noah. They seemed to be having a good time, even in the blazing sun. They probably had a lot in common, at least on the unexpected fatherhood side. Also the complicated family matters side. And we couldn't forget about the fake wife and fiancée angle either.
If Jude stayed, they'd be friends. Gennie and Percy would grow up as cousins, sort of. Shay and Jamie, Ruth and Emme would become part of their family.
I knew he could be happy here with me, even if it upended his world. Picking up his kid and moving wasn't a small feat.He'd have to be completely invested in me for that. I wanted to believe he was but it wasn't hard to tell myself the other end of that story.
"Too bad Grace and Ben aren't here," Shay mused.
"She'd love the whiskey," Jamie said.
"And he'd love hanging with the dads," I said.
Shay smiled at me. "They'll have plenty of chances. We do have the Spooky Stroll coming up sooner than you'd think. And don't forget about the Thanksgiving Fox Trot."
"Don't talk to me about running right now," Jamie said, an arm banded over her belly. "Or any other time."
"Are you one of those people who asks on the first date if his family does holiday fun runs?" Ruth asked. "And if he says yes, you walk out immediately because marrying into that kind of family is your worst nightmare?"
"Let's get two things straight, baby cakes. First, I don't go on dates. I've never gone on dates. Dates are for people who want to get to know each other over expensive ramen and stilted conversation. I want to be facedown and ass-up with a minimum of three other people who will make me forget where I am, and I don't want to learn their names."
"My god," Ruth breathed.
"And second," Jamie went on, "marrying into any family is my worst nightmare. There's no situation that could occur on this earth that would result in me ever getting married."
"But off this earth?" Ruth asked.
"Beam me up," Jamie replied.
"Be careful. Those kinds of declarative statements are like flipping off fate," Shay said.
