sick; we looked so happy. How did we get from there to here?
I should’ve been at work, but Oakley had Marcus cover us both so she could babysit me.
“Can you call Mum and ask her for the number of the divorce lawyer she used?” I asked.
Oakley looked up. “You’re sure? You don’t need to do any of that right now. If you need time to think everything through…”
“I don’t need time.”
“Sure?” she asked.
“If Cole cheated?”
“I’d cut it off and then divorce him.” She reached over to her phone on the coffee table. “I’ll call Mum.”
I watched as Oakley called our mum, and I mouthed a refusal to speak to her on the phone. She’d probably cry, and I hated when Mum cried, I didn’t need to deal with that too right now. Oakley jotted down a number, promising Mum that she would look after me.
She blew out a sharp breath as she hung up. “You owe me one. She was almost in her car before I convinced her to give you some space.”
“Thanks. She can be intense.”
“She worries, that’s all.”
I nodded. “I know, but sometimes you need to not be okay, and I can’t do that in front of her.”
“Can you do that in front of me?” she asked.
“A bit.”
She bit her lip and turned her body to face me.
“I want you to be able to be honest with me, Jasper. You don’t have to pretend around me. I thought we were past that.”
We’d never be past that. I would always want to protect her. She was upset when I was, so how could I let it all out in front of her?
“I’m good, Oakley.”
“You just found out your wife is cheating on you. You’re not good! Don’t lie to me.”
“Fine, I’m not good. I feel sick, and I just want to...” I trailed off, gripping my hair as Abby’s betrayal pierced through my heart again, taking my breath away.
Oakley threw her arms around me. “Shh, you’re going to be okay.”
I wished I shared her optimism because right now everything I’d worked for was gone and I was going to have to start right back at the beginning.
“Uncle Jasper!” Everleigh screamed, running at me full pelt. I threw my arms out and caught her as she leapt up.
“Hey, did you have a good time at Auntie Mia’s?”
“Yep, we made Peppa Pig cupcakes and Leona let me ride her scooter.”
“Yeah and you got most of the cake mix on you so upstairs for a bath,” Cole said, pointing to the stairs.
“Okay, Daddy,” she replied, jumping like a rabbit towards the door.
“Alright?” Cole asked.
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Why don’t I give Everleigh her bath and you two can talk,” Oakley said.
I stood up and shook my head. “Why don’t I do the bath and you two can talk.”
Those were the magic words to get Cole to agree so I wouldn’t have to deal with talking about Abby or my sodding feelings again.
“Talk about what? Everything okay?” Cole asked.
She smiled. “Everything’s fine. Jasper’s right though.”
I left the room as Cole walked over to her with a deep, concerned frown. It was time for them to talk about Oakley’s nightmares.
Everleigh had just finished hopping to the top of the stairs when I started going up. “Don’t turn the water on yourself,” I called up.
“I know, Uncle Jasper, I don’t want to burned my skin off.”
I winced; hoping Cole and Oakley didn’t hear that. They tell her ‘don’t do that because it’ll hurt’ and I go in for the kill and tell her exactly what’ll happen. But she’s never had an accident when I’ve had her.
I ran Everleigh a bath, adding lots of bubble bath so she could build her castle out of it and sat on the toilet while she played.
“Where’s Auntie Abby?” she asked after a few minutes.
How should I handle that? I wanted to tell her Auntie Abby was a whore who couldn’t keep her knickers on, but Everleigh loved her, so I knew I couldn’t, plus she was three.
I swallowed the hurt and anger and replied, “She busy working.”
“Is she marking papers?”
I smiled.
I should’ve been at work, but Oakley had Marcus cover us both so she could babysit me.
“Can you call Mum and ask her for the number of the divorce lawyer she used?” I asked.
Oakley looked up. “You’re sure? You don’t need to do any of that right now. If you need time to think everything through…”
“I don’t need time.”
“Sure?” she asked.
“If Cole cheated?”
“I’d cut it off and then divorce him.” She reached over to her phone on the coffee table. “I’ll call Mum.”
I watched as Oakley called our mum, and I mouthed a refusal to speak to her on the phone. She’d probably cry, and I hated when Mum cried, I didn’t need to deal with that too right now. Oakley jotted down a number, promising Mum that she would look after me.
She blew out a sharp breath as she hung up. “You owe me one. She was almost in her car before I convinced her to give you some space.”
“Thanks. She can be intense.”
“She worries, that’s all.”
I nodded. “I know, but sometimes you need to not be okay, and I can’t do that in front of her.”
“Can you do that in front of me?” she asked.
“A bit.”
She bit her lip and turned her body to face me.
“I want you to be able to be honest with me, Jasper. You don’t have to pretend around me. I thought we were past that.”
We’d never be past that. I would always want to protect her. She was upset when I was, so how could I let it all out in front of her?
“I’m good, Oakley.”
“You just found out your wife is cheating on you. You’re not good! Don’t lie to me.”
“Fine, I’m not good. I feel sick, and I just want to...” I trailed off, gripping my hair as Abby’s betrayal pierced through my heart again, taking my breath away.
Oakley threw her arms around me. “Shh, you’re going to be okay.”
I wished I shared her optimism because right now everything I’d worked for was gone and I was going to have to start right back at the beginning.
“Uncle Jasper!” Everleigh screamed, running at me full pelt. I threw my arms out and caught her as she leapt up.
“Hey, did you have a good time at Auntie Mia’s?”
“Yep, we made Peppa Pig cupcakes and Leona let me ride her scooter.”
“Yeah and you got most of the cake mix on you so upstairs for a bath,” Cole said, pointing to the stairs.
“Okay, Daddy,” she replied, jumping like a rabbit towards the door.
“Alright?” Cole asked.
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Why don’t I give Everleigh her bath and you two can talk,” Oakley said.
I stood up and shook my head. “Why don’t I do the bath and you two can talk.”
Those were the magic words to get Cole to agree so I wouldn’t have to deal with talking about Abby or my sodding feelings again.
“Talk about what? Everything okay?” Cole asked.
She smiled. “Everything’s fine. Jasper’s right though.”
I left the room as Cole walked over to her with a deep, concerned frown. It was time for them to talk about Oakley’s nightmares.
Everleigh had just finished hopping to the top of the stairs when I started going up. “Don’t turn the water on yourself,” I called up.
“I know, Uncle Jasper, I don’t want to burned my skin off.”
I winced; hoping Cole and Oakley didn’t hear that. They tell her ‘don’t do that because it’ll hurt’ and I go in for the kill and tell her exactly what’ll happen. But she’s never had an accident when I’ve had her.
I ran Everleigh a bath, adding lots of bubble bath so she could build her castle out of it and sat on the toilet while she played.
“Where’s Auntie Abby?” she asked after a few minutes.
How should I handle that? I wanted to tell her Auntie Abby was a whore who couldn’t keep her knickers on, but Everleigh loved her, so I knew I couldn’t, plus she was three.
I swallowed the hurt and anger and replied, “She busy working.”
“Is she marking papers?”
I smiled.
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