We’re Just Neighbors

by J. P. Comeau

  As I watched her leave my house, I knew that it wasn't Addison who would have a problem with Annie. She would love Annie. It would be Heather.

  17

  Annie

  As I stood in the mirror, checking my outfit, I still had a hard time believing that Richard had a daughter. It made me feel better about our relationship, though. Ever since that night at dinner, where he kept flowing in and out of our conversation, I suspected that he wanted to break-up.

  Yet, as I admired my pink sundress and wedge sandals, getting ready to meet Richard and Addison, I had never felt so secure in our relationship.

  I got into my car and headed to the lake, which was where Jake and Julianna had spent a romantic evening before meeting us for breakfast the following morning. The property had belonged to their parents and had stunning views of River Valley. I packed a bathing suit just in case we decided to go for a swim, too.

  Even though I wasn’t upset at Richard for keeping Addison a secret from me those past few weeks, I was a bit concerned about Heather. She wouldn't let him have any alone time with Addison, and our day at the lake was the first time she wouldn’t be there to supervise. Heather sounded controlling and narcissistic.

  My pink convertible turned left onto the road that led to the lake, and it couldn’t have been a better day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, birds were chirping all around us, and I could smell charcoal from the grill. After eating protein bars and grilled chicken salads that week, I was looking forward to some hamburgers and hot dogs.

  From what Richard had told me about Addison, she was a stereotypical little girl who loved playing with dolls. So I took it upon myself to pick her up the latest Barbie, complete with a few outfits. It reminded me of how much Caley had loved playing with her Barbies at that age.

  I made my way over to the lake, where Richard was sitting with Addison, and instantly remembered more about Heather from seeing her at a party several years ago. Even though she was the spitting image of her father, Addison resembled her mother a bit as well.

  Richard and Heather never seemed to be a good couple. Despite practically swimming in money, he was always the more down to earth one. Sure, he enjoyed designer clothes and top of the line appliances. But Heather couldn’t be bothered to help other people, whereas Richard was continually donating money to charities.

  Julianna had told me about one fight that stood out to me. Richard had donated fifty-thousand dollars to help a local homeless shelter. The amount of money it was receiving from the county barely covered its bills. As a result, many homeless people often went without having more than one meal per day, if that.

  When Heather found out, she chastised Richard for giving too much money to ‘people who refuse to help themselves.’ She had brought it up over dinner at a restaurant, and he was utterly mortified. Richard told Jake that when they got home, Heather complained that he could have started his own company for that amount of money.

  My biggest concern was Heather confronting me about our relationship, and that she wouldn’t want me anywhere near their daughter. That would be my worst nightmare.

  I watched Richard and Addison playing together, and it was apparent that she had become the center of his world. I would have to be the bigger person when it came to Heather and go out of my way to prove that I could be a better mother figure. There was a good chance that she’d have a problem with me.

  As I got out of my car, I reassured myself that no matter what, Richard would stick up for me.

  “There’s Annie,” Richard said to Addison.

  She stood there, waving and smiling at me with her little crooked front tooth, also wearing a pink sundress.

  “We’re wearing the same color!” Addison ran over to me, and I instinctively bent down to hug her.

  She reminded me so much of Caley at her age. “We sure are, sweetie. How are you?”

  She pulled back and smiled at me, this time only a few inches from my face. There was no mistaking who her father was at such an up-close view.

  “I’m hungry,” she said, “but Daddy says that I can’t eat until lunch. We’re having burgers and hot dogs!”

  I laughed at her enthusiasm as Richard walked over to us.

  “Well, before we eat lunch, do you want to go swimming?”

  She nodded her head, then ran back over to Richard. He lifted her sundress, and underneath she was wearing a pink bathing suit.

  “Can I use the guest house to change?” I asked.

  “Of course.” Richard pointed toward the front door.

  I came out a few minutes later and saw both of them swimming in the lake, splashing the water around. It warmed my heart to see Richard interact with his daughter so much, especially since her mother had no desire to be a parental figure.

  “Annie, come on!” Addison waved her arms wildly, small giggles echoing across the water.

  I smiled and jumped into the lake, creating a huge splash. All three of us swam around for about an hour, taking turns as we helped Addison learn to swim better. It was reasonably shallow, though, so she didn’t need too much help. Richard got out a few times to check on the hamburgers and hot dogs, which gave Addison and me plenty of time to get to know each other.

  “Are you having fun?”

  Addison smiled at me and nodded enthusiastically.

  “I heard you liked Barbie, so I brought a doll for you.” She jumped toward me and gave me a big hug in the water, and I could already feel us bonding.

  We all sat down to lunch at the picnic table next to his parent's cottage. The food was delicious, and Addison seemed to be having a good time. She played at the table with the Barbie that I brought her, pretending as though the doll was eating too.

  “I wish Mommy were more like Annie,” Addison said to Richard.

  He looked at me and smiled, then hugged Addison. I could tell that he was at a loss for words. Richard didn’t want to acknowledge that Heather was a poor mother, but he knew that he couldn’t deny it either.

  Shortly after eating, while the three of us were playing a game of Uno, Richard's eyes shot up. I turned around to see a black SUV pulling up to his house. When the driver's side door opened, Heather walked out and stormed over to us.

  “You are so typical, Richard.” She stood less than two feet away from us, with her hands on her hips and her face turning beet red. “The one time I allow you to see Addison without me, and you bring this slut!”

  I turned toward Addison, who instinctively pressed her head into Richard’s body.

  “Don’t make a scene, Heather. Especially in front of our daughter.” Richard’s voice was firm as he spoke, careful not to make Addison even more upset.

  “This time was for you and Addison, not her!” Heather practically hissed as she pointed her finger at me. “I know all about you, Annie. You and your little yoga studio. Do you think you can change this man? Or are you just after his money, bending over in those tight yoga pants all of the time?”

  I stood up, but Richard put his hand on top of mine, signaling me to lay low.

  “I knew you were following me,” Richard said through gritted teeth.

  He got up and walked over to Heather, while I went over to console Addison by putting my arms around her.

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” I said, but she started to cry.

  “You just love the whores, don’t you? Maybe that’s why you’re still working for your dad. It’s easy money that gives you plenty of time for all of those strippers!”

  Richard was about to talk to her, but Heather quickly went around him and snatched Addison from my arms. “Sign the papers and hand over the cash, because I’m done with this nonsense!”

  Richard and I watched Annie drive away, and her tires left a cloud of dust from the dirt on the road. When it cleared, I looked down at the Barbie I’d gotten her.

  It was covered in dirt.

  “Richard, look-“ He held up his hand, then started packing up everything he had brought.

  “Your
front left tire is low,” he said in a low voice. “Let me take you home, and I’ll have someone fix it and drop it off to you.”

  The car ride back to my place was extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet. As we got closer to my loft, his body seemed to be a bit less tense and at ease.

  We got outside and walked to my door, but he stopped me from finding my keys.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  He took my hand and walked me over to a bench, where we both sat down.

  “About Addison?”

  Richard let out a sigh, then put his hand on the back of my head. “Annie, as much as I care for you, this just isn’t the time for a relationship. I can’t be worried about you becoming a mother when I haven’t even fully become a father. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

  I fought back the tears as I struggled to say something, but it took me a minute. “Richard, Addison, and I got along so well today. She’s not the problem, and I can deal with Heather. I’ll just lay low while this whole thing blows over.”

  But Richard just shook his head. “It’s not that easy, Annie. Heather is more vindictive than you realize. I’m pushing for joint custody, which means that she’ll always be in my life. Heather and Addison will always be a problem, and it’s just too much for me to handle right now.”

  Somehow I kept myself from crying. I simply nodded, stood up, and went upstairs to my loft. It wasn’t until I locked my front door that I broke down crying, chastising myself for letting my guard down yet again. I had proven myself to be a good mother figure, and Addison’s mother had to ruin it for me. I understood where Richard was coming from, but as I crawled into a ball on my sofa, I didn’t know how I was going to recover.

  18

  Richard

  I was in no mood to go into the office that morning. Luckily everything that I needed to do was at my home office, so I made some breakfast and sat down to work in my pajamas. I tried to focus on a purchase agreement for a piece of property, but my mind kept going back to Annie. When it came to working, I had no problems making a decision.

  Yet, I kept wondering if I’d made the right decision by ending our relationship.

  My phone went off with a text message, and I jumped up, hoping that it was from her. But it was from my father, and he wanted to see me that morning.

  I let out a sigh, finished my breakfast, and headed into the office. I didn’t even bother to change out of my sweats and a t-shirt. Screw it. I was the boss' son and had earned the right to an occasional off day.

  My father was sitting behind his large desk when I walked into his office. He made a face at my choice of clothing.

  “Is everything alright, son?” He looked genuinely worried about my wellbeing, as though it weren’t just my choice of clothing.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. Just not feeling well this morning, but I should have put on something more appropriate.” I rested my hand on my chin, then stared down at the floor.

  “No, I’m not talking about your clothing. Although it is a different work look for you. I feel like you’ve been distracted by something lately.”

  “I suppose that I have been a bit out of my element lately,” I said, “although everything is moving forward with that farmland deal. I’m in touch with some prospective buyers, all of them local, and they’re all experienced farmers. I remembered what you said about keeping it local whenever possible.”

  “That’s great, Richard, but you’ve seemed out of it in every meeting we’ve had lately. I asked Gavin if he knew of anything that could be bothering you, and I got the sense that he was keeping a secret.”

  Thank God Gavin kept his mouth shut.

  I wanted my father to find out about Addison from me. “Maybe it’s just the extra workload, but please don’t let that stop you from giving me more. I’ll get used to it eventually.”

  My father shook his head and took off his glasses. He wasn’t buying my lies.“You’ve been carrying the same workload for years. It’s just a higher level of responsibility now, Richard.”

  I let out a sigh, ran my hands through my beard, and found the courage to face my father. If I could tell Annie about my love child, then I could say it to him.

  “There is something that I’ve been keeping from you,” I said. “First of all, Heather is back in town. Second of all, she informed me that I have a daughter. Third, she’s demanding back child support even though she didn’t tell me until a few days ago. She’s also, demanding a large, lump-sum payment. Which will probably pay for her wedding to some guy named Michael.”

  I waited for him to chastise me. To tell me that I should never have had sex before marriage. To give me the story, yet again, about how he and my mother waited for their wedding night. My nerves were a complete mess, and I realized it might be harder than telling Annie.

  “Wow, Richard. I’m both surprised and happy. What’s her name?”

  My mouth fell open, blown away by his reaction. “You’re not mad, Dad?”

  He laughed. “Why would I be mad about having a granddaughter? And look, you’re a grown man. What you do in your romantic relationships is your business, son. I’m aware that the times have changed.”

  “Thank you, Dad! You have no idea how worried I was to tell you about her. Especially, since I think Heather is trying to blackmail me. To make it look as though I’m some careless father who’d rather fool around with strippers than see his daughter.”

  My father held up his hands and shook his head. “I don’t need the specifics, son.”

  I laughed a little bit. “Those days are behind me, Dad. Besides, they were more of a reaction to our breakup than who I am as a person.”

  He looked relieved.

  I told him all about Addison, then went into the legal issues surrounding custody and back child support payments.

  “So why are you just now finding out that she was pregnant?”

  “Heather probably didn’t tell me because she was worried I’d make her stay in River Valley since she was carrying our child. Honestly, though, I really don't know for sure. She has yet to tell me. Regardless though, I refuse to give her the money that she’s asking for.”

  My father nodded, then leaned over the table toward me. “Who’s your lawyer?”

  “Danielle Estrem, the one our family has been using for decades.”

  “Danielle is a good attorney, but there are a few other ones that might be better, Richard. I know of one who is ruthless and cutthroat. He’ll make sure that you don’t get screwed over.”

  “That’s okay, Dad. Danielle has been going above and beyond for me. She had me take a paternity test, even though I knew it wasn’t necessary.” I pulled my phone out and showed him pictures of Addison, and his face lit up.

  She even looked like him.

  “No,” he said, fighting back the tears. “There’s no doubt that Addison is a Truman.”

  He turned around to wipe his face clean. Showing emotion wasn’t something that my father often did, and it was heartwarming to see him happy over his new granddaughter.

  “But that’s good that you took a paternity test, Richard. All custody cases should have one done. Has she met Annie yet?”

  My father thought Annie was a good match for me, and I’d hoped he’d understand why I broke it off. “Well, I invited Annie to the lake this past weekend, and she met Addison, but then Heather showed up, and it all went to shit.”

  My father’s face became cold, the way it always did before he made a big decision for the company. “What happened?”

  I told him everything. That Annie and Addison were getting along so well. How I’d been suspicious of being followed around town by a black SUV. That Heather screamed at Annie and me in front of Addison. And how I had to break things off.

  “So naturally, I’m in a bit of a funk right now. I don’t know what to do, especially since Heather wants complete custody.”

  My father shook his head. “No, Richard. I can tell that you’re in love
with Addison, so you make sure that Danielle gets you at least joint custody. Don’t let that bitch ruin your life yet again, and you tell me if you need anything. Do you understand?”

  I smiled and nodded at my dad.

  He leaned back, smacking his lips. “As for Annie, that sure sucks. Are you sure that you made the right decision, son?”

  I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, trying to get her image out of my mind. It was impossible.

  “I hate that she’s not in my life anymore, but yes, I made the right decision. I barely have time to take care of myself, let alone be in a relationship.”

  Dad nodded. It was a problem he and my mother had while Jake and I were growing up. We’d sometimes hear them arguing in their bedroom, and my mom would be complaining that he was never home. Children need a good home life and parents who had a strong bond.

  “Well, like I said, just let me know if you need anything.”

  “Yes, thank you. I just need some time to think right now, that’s all.”

  “If you’re looking to get away and clear your mind for a while, why not head out to New York? We have an upcoming meeting with a few bankers out there tomorrow. I was planning a virtual meeting with them, but it would be great if you showed up to represent the family in person. You can just stay in my penthouse. There’s no reason all of this legal stuff with Heather can’t be worked out over the phone while you’re gone. Unless you plan on seeing Addison, that is.”

  I let out a huff. “Are you kidding me? Over these past few weeks, I’ve only seen her a handful of times. I doubt I’ll get to see her until this custody crap is over with anyway, so yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  He nodded, then handed over some paperwork for the meeting. We went over a few specifics, and I realized that I’d have to leave River Valley immediately. I picked up a few things from my office at my parent's house, got back in my car, and sped back to my mansion.

  I also spotted the black SUV a few times along the way, but it didn’t follow me all the way home. Good. Let Heather believe that I’m holed up in my mansion. If anything suspicious happened, I’d get a notification on my phone and have her arrested for trespassing.