Standing under the hot spray, I try to recall what Noah was like at this age. The gap between a pre-teen to teen was filled with sports and two fathers that never let him act like a brat. Even with Liam back, Nick was never far away, and was always present in Noah’s life. If he couldn’t talk to Liam about something, he went to Nick. I know that hurt Liam, but he never let Noah onto the fact.
Still, Betty Paige pushes the envelope because Liam lets her. She’s not like this when he’s not home. She’s independent and eager to help around the house. But when her father is home… Lord help any man she decides to date, especially if it’s Mack Ashford, Nick and Aubrey’s son. I have a feeling if their shy flirting turns into something serious, Liam will have a heart attack.
When I get out of the shower, music wafts through the speakers in our house and the smell of French toast fills the air. I use these last few minutes to finish packing. I won’t need much—bathing suits, cover-ups, and a few dresses. The girls and I don’t plan to do much except lie by the pool and relax.
“Smells good,” I say as I enter the kitchen. Liam gives me a quick kiss and goes back to tending to the skillet.
“Paige wanted French toast.”
I nod, and keep my comments to myself. There is no use fighting with him about her, especially when I’m about to leave. The phone breaks me from my thoughts and I rush to answer it without looking at the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mom.”
“Noah, hi.” I glance quickly at the time on the microwave and realize it’s very early in Portland, where he lives. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I have practice in a bit, but I wanted to call and tell you to have a good time. You deserve this vacation. You all do, actually.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m going to miss your game, but Dad and Paige will be there.”
“I don’t want to go,” Paige yells out. She hates football, or more so she hates that her brother’s games take up her weekends right now. Not that she has a social life or anything.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s moody this morning.”
“It’s fine. Are you all packed?”
I laugh at his question. “Listen to you, acting like a parent. Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Hell, no. No kids for me, Mom.”
My heart breaks a little. Not that I want to rush him into anything, even though I’d love having a baby around the house again, but he needs to be with someone that deserves his love. His current girlfriend, while she’s beautiful, I’m not a big fan. I do my best to hide my feelings when she’s around.
We talk for a few more minutes until it’s time for Paige to go to school. Liam hands me a paper bag with my name written on the front.
“What’s this?”
“Breakfast for your flight. If you’re ready to leave me for a week, we ought to get you to the airport. Unless you plan to stay?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows.
“You wish!”
He does wish and by the look on his face, he’s crushed that he’s not enough to keep me home. He is, but I don’t want to let the girls down.
3
Katelyn
The sand is cold against my bare feet, and the cool breeze makes me shiver. I should’ve changed into something warmer before I decided to trek out in the wee hours of the morning to watch Harrison surf. It’s not often that I do this, but something woke me and told me that I needed to be out here. I’m thankful that I am.
Harrison glides over the waves, holding his balance until he’s safely back on shore, only to paddle back out and wait for the next crest to form. Moving to California has been a good thing for us. At first, I balked. I didn’t want to leave Beaumont, leave Mason. The thought of not visiting Mason’s grave whenever I wanted, gutted me, but I had to do what was right for Harrison because he had done so much for me. When Quinn chose to move here for school, I knew Harrison wanted to be near his son. Not to mention his mom and sister live here. But it wasn’t until Elle said she was going to enroll at UCLA did I finally agree. The only problem with that is it left Peyton all alone. Even with her choice to attend school in Chicago, I haven’t fully accepted that my girls aren’t together. The twins are twenty now and vastly different than what I expected them to be.
It’s funny. When they were born, Mason and I used to lie on our bed with them between us and discuss what we thought they’d be when they grew up. I had these grand ideas of the girls being doctors or lawyers while Mason said that Peyton would be the first female coach in the NFL because he was going to teach her everything he knew. He would’ve, if given the chance, and she would be on her way, but that’s not her path. His little football player strives to be on the sidelines with live reporting or broadcasting for big sports channels.
Peyton and Mason had a bond that I could never compete with. From the time she was a newborn, until he died, she was his shadow. When I couldn’t calm her down, he could. When she was hurt, she only wanted her dad. After Mason died, I thought she would crumble, but Liam was there to hold her up, and with Liam came Harrison. He has a bond not only with Peyton, but Elle as well, that will never be broken. People who don’t know us, would never suspect he isn’t their father.
With Elle, I thought she’d be the one to go to school and become a cheerleader or study fashion merchandising. She was always my little fashionista. Elle was the one who always butted heads with her sister about her sports attire and how it didn’t match her stylish clothes. So, it shocked us when she announced that she was going to school to learn business
management with a minor in music so she can become an agent or manager.