Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 57908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
He cut me off. “You’re not my teacher. I don’t need your help.”
I bit back my retort, not wanting him to see me angry.
At the house, he greeted Cherry coolly, picking at his breakfast. She and I exchanged worried looks, and she tried to engage him in conversation. But his replies were short and, at times, dismissive.
After we finished, we began to clear the table.
“Josh,” Cherry said. “Can you bring me some of the dishes, please?”
He frowned. “I’m not a servant.”
She stopped what she was doing. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m not here to work.”
“I never said that. I asked you to bring me some of the dirty dishes.”
“This isn’t my home, and you’re not my mom. I don’t have to,” he snapped and stomped off to the small room we’d made into a temporary bedroom.
I gaped at her. “What was that?”
“Him being a teenager.”
“I don’t like it. He shouldn’t speak to you like that.”
“I think he’s a little tense today. Let it go.”
I helped her clean the kitchen and went to get Josh to head to the garage. Part of me wanted to tell him unless he lost the attitude, we weren’t going, but I hoped his mood would improve.
It didn’t.
In the garage, he sulked and barely spoke. Showed no interest in the cars or what the guys were doing. He sat in the corner, playing on his iPad and slowly eating away at my patience. He was rude to Charly when she sat talking to him, and she looked at me with her eyebrows raised.
“Something is eating him,” she observed, coming to stand beside me.
“He’s been like this all day.”
“Have you talked to him?”
“No.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “His mom’s boyfriend yells a lot. From what I gather, so does she. I don’t want to add to it.”
“You can speak firmly and not yell.”
I sighed. “Can I, though? I tend to get mad fast.”
She smiled. “It’s amazing how we can control our temper for our kids. And he needs boundaries.”
“Cherry said the same thing. She says he is pushing it today.”
Charly chuckled. “She’s right. Maybe things will go better once you show him the house.”
I hoped so.
Josh looked around, clearly not impressed. “This is my room?” he asked.
“It will be when you visit, yes,” I said. “You can pick a paint color and help paint it if you want. We’ll do a painting party with everyone.”
“When?”
“We get the house in two weeks. So, sometime after that.”
“You plan on playing daddy every weekend?” he asked, a bitter tone in his voice. “Making me come here so you feel better, instead of letting me be where my friends are?”
That pushed me over the edge. I kept my voice low and firm. Calm. “Listen, Josh. I have no idea what flew up your butt this morning or the middle of last week, but knock it off with the attitude.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you gonna do about it? Send me back to Mom?”
“What’s going on? Where is this coming from? You’re disrespecting Cherry, me, the guys in the garage. You were rude to Charly. That’s not you.”
“How do you know? You don’t know me.”
“I’m trying to. Which is more than you’re doing right now. You’re pushing me, all of us, away, and I want to know why.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He tried to brush past me, but I put out my arm, stopping him.
“No. You’re not leaving, and you’re not burying your head in your iPad and ignoring me either. Talk to me.”
“Why?” he shouted. “So I can get used to you being around, and then you’re not?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“For how long? Mom says as soon as you get tired of playing daddy, you’ll walk again.”
“I never walked!” I snapped. “Your mother took you away and refused to let me see you.” I stepped closer. “I followed you to Saskatchewan. I tried to see you. I fought her as much as I could until I had nothing left to fight with. Every time I got enough money together, I tried again and failed.”
“So, what changed?” he challenged, his voice no longer as hostile.
“Cherry did. She had a friend who listened to my story and helped. Halton found you and your mom and took on my case. He made my biggest dream come true.”
He blinked. “I’m your biggest dream?”
“Yes. You’re my son. I missed you so much, Josh. It felt as if part of me was gone.”
“And you won’t walk away?”
“Never.”
He hung his head. “Mom and John told me all week not to get used to seeing you. That you’d leave again. That I meant nothing to you but a way to get back at Mom.”
My anger was instant, as was my indignation. But I refused to let Josh be the punching bag for that anger.