Straddling The Edge

by Julie Prestsater

  “Hey, what happened in the past is in the past. Sure, you still hate Chase but who wouldn’t in your situation? Damn. That guy was cheating on my sister from the very beginning. He deserves a major ass kicking.”

  “I know. I wanted to tell Shelly back then, but it was toward the end of the school year and they had broken up and gotten back together so many times. I figured they’d break up as soon as they started college. I thought I’d save her the heartache. I never thought they would actually get back together years later.”

  Ty’s nose flares the more he thinks about Chase. I can see how pissed off he’s getting and that’s not why Dean is here.

  As much as I’d love to talk strategy about how to knock Chase the fuck out, Dean came to us for advice and I’m going to give it to him. “Dean, Summer loves you so you have to be honest with her. You have to be the one to tell her about your history with Chase. If it comes from you, she won’t question it. But if the story is twisted and Chase tells her first, she’s going to think you kept it from her for a reason. Ty and I both know how miscommunication can lead to a lot of unnecessary bullshit so tell her. As soon as you can.”

  And pray that she forgives you for keeping it from her this long.

  But I don’t tell him that.

  Chapter 18

  Summer

  “Dean,” I call out when I step into his house. I felt weird using my key the first time I opened his door, but I’ve gotten used to it. “Where are you?”

  “In here, sweetheart.” I hear his voice coming from his office.

  When I turn the corner, it looks like a bomb went off. It’s an absolute mess. “What the hell happened in here?”

  “Just decided to do some spring cleaning … in the summer.” He laughs, wiping sweat from his brow. “I was waiting for you to get here so I could take a break. I need to talk to you about something.”

  “That sounds good but can it wait a bit?” He’s on the floor ripping out old carpet, so I bend down to give him a proper hello. “Shelly and Mel need our help. Shel and Ty’s dad is in the hospital. They’re thinking it might be a heart attack. Mel’s mom is out of town and they don’t have anyone to watch the babies. She asked if we could watch them while they’re taking care of things. I’m scared to death to watch both of them at the same time but I couldn’t say no.”

  “Of course not. Sure, I don’t mind helping with whatever I can.” He stands up and runs his hand along the back of my head. “Don’t worry. We can do it.” I sure hope so. I’ve only watched Mia, and that was for a short time while she and Ty went out for dinner. And we were at their place so Mia could be in her comfort zone.

  “Thanks. I thought we could watch them here. Your place is a lot bigger than mine. I think the four of us along with all the gear Matt said they were packing would be a little cramped.”

  “No problem. When are they coming?” he asks, looking down at his watch.

  “Mel and Matt are bringing the kids over while the others are with their mom. They should be here in about a half hour.”

  He dips his head to kiss me quickly on the lips. “I’m going to take a shower really fast. I don’t want the kiddos to inhale all this gunk when I hold them.” He’s covered in a film of dust and it touches my heart to think he would even consider what Mia and Noah might need. “Let’s make sure to keep this door closed. There are about a million ways they could hurt themselves with the mess I’ve made in here.”

  “What are you up to anyway?” I ask, taking a quick look around the room. His office furniture has been moved out. The carpet is half gone and he’s apparently going to give this place a fresh coat of paint too. Two rather large swatches of sage colored paint coat a section of one wall.

  “Just moving on to a new project. I’ll be right back.” He leaves me in the demolition room, still soaking in the possibilities. Dean does amazing work. I have no doubt this room will be just as appealing and cozy as the rest of the house, full of modern amenities while still maintaining charm. One night when we were chatting before bed, he confessed that his real love for carpentry and construction is in renovating old houses. But he isn’t interested in turning a quick profit. If that was the case, he wouldn’t be a teacher. Instead, he likes to take his time and live in a house so he can decide how to make changes. It’s as if the house speaks to him, inspiring him to create a new story.

  “If only I could make a living taking my time,” he had said. “But that’s not how real life works. Everyone is in a hurry to make a buck. That’s not me. So I decided to teach woodshop to have a steady income and fund my true love. Taking wood and cabinetmaking in high school really turned me on to the trade. I think it’s kind of cool that my love for the craft could change a kid’s life. Let’s get real. No matter how many times politicians preach that every student will go to college or should be college ready, it’s not reality. Our society needs skilled workers. I hope that my students who choose not to go to college feel like they have another option after taking my class.”

  And of course, that night another piece of my heart became his.

  I take a look around one last time before I step into the hall and close the door behind me. I begin to wonder when he’s going to sell this one. The office is the last room he has left to finish. I’m going to miss it. It almost feels like home, even more so than my own apartment.

  Matt comes in with Noah and a giant bag. He’s completely rattled which is not his usual demeanor, but it’s completely understandable. He passes the little guy off to Dean and starts babbling a bunch of incoherent directions. A few seconds later, Mel flies through the door with Mia and pushes her into my arms. She places another giant bag on the counter and begins talking a mile per minute.

  During the five minutes they’re in our presence, I think the only things I caught were: change diaper often, Goldfish crackers in side pockets, and be careful because they’re both mobile. Knowing that they’re crawling around with the speed of cheetahs, Dean made sure to close all the doors to bedrooms and bathrooms. He blocked off a route into the dining room and formal living room with some chairs, so now we’re confined to the family room and kitchen. He really seems to know his stuff.

  “So what should we do first?” I ask the three of them. Dean looks down at Noah, and both kids are strangely quiet, glancing back and forth at each other and at us.

  “Let’s see what kind of toys your daddy packed for you,” Dean says, tickling Noah’s belly and he lets out a giggle.

  With a heavy baby girl in one hand and propped on my hip, I use the other to dig through her bag. “Nothing but a few board books in here.”

  “We have a play phone.” Dean looks at me wide-eyed. “What happened to all the stuff they planned on bringing over?”

  “I don’t know. They must have forgotten to bring it all in.” The babies each have a favorite blanket they like sleeping with and those are folded on the kitchen table. I let out a sigh of relief when I see them. I heard I would scream like I was being pinched to death if I didn’t have my blankie to sleep with. But that’s it. Nothing else but a bag full of extra clothes, bottles, sippy cups, and diapers.

  “I have an idea.” Dean takes Noah into the center of the family room and settles him down on the soft carpet. Noah flaps his arms up and down with a smile. “Stay with him for a sec.”

  Mia and I go over and sit with him. I sit her up next to Noah and they start with the baby talk. It reminds me of the old Kirstie Alley movie, Look Who’s Talking. I have to wonder if they can really understand each other. They don’t babble over each other. Mia goes first, then Noah, and they go back and forth, as if they’re having a real discussion.

  “They seem content to just sit here and talk to each other,” I call out to Dean. “You’re like your mommies, huh?” I wiggle my fingertips against Mia’s belly.

  Dean comes in with a stack of plastic cups in one hand and bowls in the other. “My mom always said that no matter how many cool toys they bought me, I was happier just going throu
gh the cupboards and playing with the Tupperware.”

  He sits down next to me and I watch as the plastic ware seems to multiply. The kids’ eyes grow bigger and bigger each time he reveals a smaller bowl from inside a larger one. Noah is the first to dive in. At first he inspects a red plastic cup, turning it upside down and staring down the inside. Then he does what any baby would do and tries putting the whole thing into his mouth. When that doesn’t work, he licks the side of it and finally holds it to his lips and tilts his head back to take a drink. Mia watches quietly for a minute while she jabbers something to her little cousin. Then, she digs in too.

  “It’s a hit,” I tell Dean, pushing my shoulder into his. “You always know what to do.”

  “Oh, stop,” he says, teasing and nudging me back. “I wonder how long this will keep them busy.”

  “Not long, probably. But as long as they don’t C. R. Y., I’m willing to empty your cabinets in search for other fascinating items for them to drool on.” I rest my head on his shoulder. He tosses his arm around me. We lean back against the seat cushions of the sofa and watch as the little ones have fun trying to put the cups and bowls back to the way Dean originally had them.

  Surprisingly, a half hour later, they’re still at it. Noah is now lying on his back, his feet in the air, and a cup still in his mouth. Mia has taken to turning a large bowl over and banging on it with a cup. Whatever makes them happy.

  I hear my phone chime.

  “It’s Mel,” I tell Dean. “She says initial tests are back and it looks like he has some minor blockage so they are going to put in a stint to open it up.”

  “That’s good news. My dad had that a year ago. It was a quick recovery. He’s been doing really well since. He’s changed his diet a little and exercises a lot more.”

  My phone chimes again.

  “She says the kiddos will probably start getting fussy soon so we might want to start getting their lunch ready. Then, they get a bottle and a nap.”

  As if on cue, Mia tosses the plastics aside and crawls over to me. “Ma ma ma.” My heart squeezes hearing her call out for her mommy.

  “How cute is that?” She does it again. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you want something to eat, baby girl? Want some nom nom nom?” I tickle her belly and sprinkle kisses all over her chubby little cheeks. She giggles in my arms, a sweet baby laugh that fills my ears with joy.

  “She likes you,” Dean says, getting to his feet. He smiles down at me, and ruffles my hair. “Come on, little guy,” he says to Noah, holding out his hands. Noah looks up and flails his arms at the greeting. “Let’s go fix the ladies some lunch.”

  I grab Mia and follow them into the kitchen.

  Dean digs through the bags and places some jars and containers on the counter. “Let’s see. Would you guys like some chicken and rice or … lasagna?” He looks up at me. “They’ve really expanded the choices, haven’t they?”

  I laugh. “Oh, look. Here’s a note.” I remove it from the bag and begin to read it. “It says we can give them each a half a jar of one of the dinners, a few veggie bites, and they can split a yogurt for dessert.”

  “Sounds good.” Dean picks up a jar, empties it into one of the baby bowls from the bag and tosses it in the microwave for a few seconds. “Now that we’ve decided on the dinner that’s not going to stain your face red for the next year, how about some veggies? What’s that? You want to let Mia decide.”

  I put two bags of veggies in front of Mia. “Which ones do you want to have? Carrots? Or green beans?” Surprisingly, she paws at the green beans.

  “What about you, sweetheart?”

  “I’m okay for now. Let’s get the kids fed and off to a nap, and then we can fix something for ourselves.”

  He smiles. “Spoken like a true parent.”

  “I hope to be someday.”

  “So do I.”

  Without high chairs or some baby seats, Dean and I settle on sitting the babies on the edge of the table with their feet dangling over the side. We position ourselves in front of them and start feeding. Noah is a lot more cooperative. He’s a guy through and through. It’s time to eat, not time to play, and he’s not about to waste any food. Mia is a different story. After every bite, she puts her fingers in her mouth and then pulls at her hair. Her cute little pig tails have been replaced by hair spiked with chicken and rice.

  Since Mia needs to be cleaned up, and spraying her with a hose is out of the question, I decide to go for it and give her a bath. And while I’m at it, I suggest we may as well throw Noah in the tub too.

  “You want to fix their bottles?” I ask Dean. “They’re just playing now. I can handle this. Or I can fix them.” The two children have been splashing around for a while, but Mia is starting to rub her eyes so it’s definitely going to be nap time soon.

  “I’ll fix them.” He leaves me with the two little ones who are jabbering up a storm again. They love having water poured over the heads so I keep them content until we’re ready to get to take them out of the tub.

  When Dean comes back, we grab their slippery bodies, wrap them in towels, and take them into Dean’s room. Before we put them in the tub, I got all their clothes ready and their diapers. Each kid has their own changing station on the bed. Once again, Dean takes my breath away with how comfortable he is spreading baby lotion all over little Noah, putting on his diaper and maneuvering his arms and legs into his new clean outfit.

  “All set,” he says, hoisting Noah into the air and bringing him down for a little smooch on the cheek. “Let’s get some warm milk in that belly and get you off to bed. We don’t want you to be fussy for your mom and dad so you need your rest.” As if Noah understands what’s being said to him, he nods his head in agreement.

  “Did you hear that, Mia? It’s nap time.” She’s going to be out soon. She’s digs her little hands into her eyes and yawns. I take it she agrees too.

  When our friends arrive, Mia and Noah are knocked out on a blanket on the floor, side by side, holding their own soft blankies. Dean and I are halfway through our own lunches.

  “Peanut butter and jelly,” Shelly says, looking down at our sandwiches.

  “Already acting the part of real parents.” Mel adds, with a laugh.

  “I’m surprised you actually took the time to spread anything on a piece of bread. Mel and I usually have some Fruit Loops.” Tyler actually seems impressed.

  Matty chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “And we have Captain Crunch.”

  “With berries,” Shelly adds. “Look at them. They look so peaceful. Thank you both so much. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you guys were able to come through for us like this. There isn’t anyone else I could’ve trusted our babies with.” Tears fill her eyes and my throat tightens.

  “We were happy to help. I hope everything is okay with your dad.” I reach out and give Shelly a quick hug.

  “Yeah, he scared the shit out of us.” She dabs the corners of her eyes with a tissue. “But they caught it early. It wasn’t a severe heart attack so it didn’t cause too much more damage than was already there.” She goes on to tell us about the procedure he had to have and how he’s recovering. Instead of sitting there and staring at him, they decided to come over, get their children and go home and rest.

  While the guys pack up the bags, and take the gear out to their cars, the women get the little ones ready to go. Noah wakes, smiles at his mommy and snuggles into her chest. When Shelly tells him to say goodbye and thank you, his eyes widen and he flashes me his two teeth. Mia doesn’t wake at all. When Mel picks her up, she just falls against her mom’s shoulder and stays fast asleep.

  Mel runs her hand over her daughter’s head and kisses her forehead. “You gave her a bath?”

  “Yeah, both of them,” I tell her. “She got a little messy at lunch. Her hair looked like Cameron Diaz in Something About Mary.”

  The three of us laugh at my joke. “I tell Ty that all the time. She never touches her
hair unless she has a handful of food in her hand.”

  The guys come back and Ty says, “We’re all set.”

  “Hey, babe. Summer gave both the kiddos a bath,” Mel tells her hubby.

  “Wow, I’m impressed.” Ty gives me a slow nod in approval.

  “Yeah, they were both a piece of cake,” I tell them. “I thought it was going to be a little difficult with both of them at the same time, but your kids are great. They made it seem easy.” Dean’s smile beams down at me, while he runs his fingers through my hair.

  “Sounds like you two are ready for a kid of your own,” Shel says with a wink.

  “Someday,” Dean replies, and by the look in his eyes, I can tell he truly means it.

  “Well, let’s go then so they can get started. It only takes one good swimmer, Dean. Give the boys a pep talk and in nine months, you can join the daddy club with us,” Matt says, smacking Dean on the shoulder.

  “I guess that’s our cue. I don’t want to be here when Dean talks to his nuts or sperm or whatever you were referring to,” Shel says.

  “Neither do we,” Mel adds.

  And with that, they’re gone after a round of thank yous and hugs.

  “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” Dean puckers his lips to me and bends down just shy of my face.

  I smack my lips against his with a loud muah. “Not at all.”

  “So what do you think?”

  “About what?” I ask, circling my arms around his waist and grabbing a handful of his sweet ass.