I’m pretending to have a party tonight so when Eddie arrives he can see me all dressed up. I feel so bitchy, I just want to show him what he’s missing.”
“Well, it is kind of bitchy but also normal human behavior. It’s that I may not want you but I still want you to want me thing. And anyway, look how awesome you look; of course you want him to see.”
“So you’re sure Louis won’t think I’m weird coming over to your house for dinner wearing a black cocktail dress?”
“Weird? He’ll think it’s his lucky night.”
Chapter Twelve
The best-laid plans of mice and men…
Naturally Sarah is in the middle of blowing out her hair when the doorbell rings. She sighs and gathers her robe around her as she goes to the top of the stairs and sees Walker and Maggie running to the door. They know they’re not allowed to open it for strangers, but as they peer through the glass they start shrieking and leaping up and down with excitement.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”
And then Walker opens the door and both of them fling themselves into Eddie’s arms. Eddie crouches down and squeezes them, as his eyes fill up with tears. He never wants to let them go. He never wants this moment to end. Oh, God, how he missed them.
“Daddy? Why are you crying?” Maggie breaks away and looks into his face curiously.
“Because I’m so happy to see you two.” Eddie laughs through his tears. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Walker doesn’t say anything; he just leans his head on Eddie’s shoulder with a beatific smile on his face, and Sarah swallows the lump that is now in her throat.
And once she has successfully swallowed the lump in her throat she takes a second look at Eddie.
“Eddie?”
“Hi, Sarah.” Eddie disengages from the children and walks over to where Sarah is standing, halfway up the stairs, and he leans over to give her an awkward kiss on the cheek, and Sarah’s mouth drops open in shock. She completely forgets her fantasy of wafting down the stairs in a stunning dress and just stares.
“You look amazing,” she says, before she even has a chance to think about what she’s saying. “What have you done?”
Eddie grins. “Just working out. I guess I’ve lost some weight.”
“Show me your muscles, Daddy.” Walker dances around him, unable to stop touching him, unable to believe his dad is finally here.
“Okay.” Eddie flexes. “Feel that.”
“Wow!” Walker gingerly prods his bicep. “Whoa, that’s big. Cool!”
And Sarah comes back to the present, remembering that this isn’t how he’s supposed to see her, and flustered she starts backing up the stairway.
“Look, I hope this is okay but I have a cocktail party at work. It won’t be long but I promised I’d make an appearance. Do you mind looking after the kids for an hour or so?”
“Are you kidding? I don’t mind at all.” Eddie works hard to cover up his disappointment. He was looking forward to spending the evening with all three of them, but he’s not going to show Sarah. He’s going to be cool Eddie, play just a little bit hard to get, not show her how much he’s missed her. At least, not yet.
But, God, it’s good to be home, back where he belongs. He runs a hand lovingly along the chair rail, smiles as he sees the spot on the stairs where Walker spilt some grape juice last summer. He takes the kids into the kitchen and instantly feels remorse when he sees the missing wall. For a moment he feels like a stranger—how odd that something so big should have happened when he was away—but it passes quickly.
And Walker and Maggie have changed so much. In just a few months it seems they have grown louder, more confident. Both of them are crawling all over him, talking talking talking, each of them having so much to say, their excitement making their words spill and stumble together as Eddie laughs. In the old days he would have sent them off to watch television, and now he just wants to be with them.
In the family
“Well, it is kind of bitchy but also normal human behavior. It’s that I may not want you but I still want you to want me thing. And anyway, look how awesome you look; of course you want him to see.”
“So you’re sure Louis won’t think I’m weird coming over to your house for dinner wearing a black cocktail dress?”
“Weird? He’ll think it’s his lucky night.”
Chapter Twelve
The best-laid plans of mice and men…
Naturally Sarah is in the middle of blowing out her hair when the doorbell rings. She sighs and gathers her robe around her as she goes to the top of the stairs and sees Walker and Maggie running to the door. They know they’re not allowed to open it for strangers, but as they peer through the glass they start shrieking and leaping up and down with excitement.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”
And then Walker opens the door and both of them fling themselves into Eddie’s arms. Eddie crouches down and squeezes them, as his eyes fill up with tears. He never wants to let them go. He never wants this moment to end. Oh, God, how he missed them.
“Daddy? Why are you crying?” Maggie breaks away and looks into his face curiously.
“Because I’m so happy to see you two.” Eddie laughs through his tears. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Walker doesn’t say anything; he just leans his head on Eddie’s shoulder with a beatific smile on his face, and Sarah swallows the lump that is now in her throat.
And once she has successfully swallowed the lump in her throat she takes a second look at Eddie.
“Eddie?”
“Hi, Sarah.” Eddie disengages from the children and walks over to where Sarah is standing, halfway up the stairs, and he leans over to give her an awkward kiss on the cheek, and Sarah’s mouth drops open in shock. She completely forgets her fantasy of wafting down the stairs in a stunning dress and just stares.
“You look amazing,” she says, before she even has a chance to think about what she’s saying. “What have you done?”
Eddie grins. “Just working out. I guess I’ve lost some weight.”
“Show me your muscles, Daddy.” Walker dances around him, unable to stop touching him, unable to believe his dad is finally here.
“Okay.” Eddie flexes. “Feel that.”
“Wow!” Walker gingerly prods his bicep. “Whoa, that’s big. Cool!”
And Sarah comes back to the present, remembering that this isn’t how he’s supposed to see her, and flustered she starts backing up the stairway.
“Look, I hope this is okay but I have a cocktail party at work. It won’t be long but I promised I’d make an appearance. Do you mind looking after the kids for an hour or so?”
“Are you kidding? I don’t mind at all.” Eddie works hard to cover up his disappointment. He was looking forward to spending the evening with all three of them, but he’s not going to show Sarah. He’s going to be cool Eddie, play just a little bit hard to get, not show her how much he’s missed her. At least, not yet.
But, God, it’s good to be home, back where he belongs. He runs a hand lovingly along the chair rail, smiles as he sees the spot on the stairs where Walker spilt some grape juice last summer. He takes the kids into the kitchen and instantly feels remorse when he sees the missing wall. For a moment he feels like a stranger—how odd that something so big should have happened when he was away—but it passes quickly.
And Walker and Maggie have changed so much. In just a few months it seems they have grown louder, more confident. Both of them are crawling all over him, talking talking talking, each of them having so much to say, their excitement making their words spill and stumble together as Eddie laughs. In the old days he would have sent them off to watch television, and now he just wants to be with them.
In the family
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