by J. P. Comeau
With my eyes focused on the picture of us, I felt myself falling asleep. I didn’t remember all of the details from my dream, but it involved Addison and Annie.
21
_____
ANNIE
I was in bed and under the covers, curled up in a ball when someone knocked at my door. I refused to answer it, though. If it didn’t involve me using the bathroom or getting something to eat, then I insisted on staying in bed. Losing Richard was one of the most painful experiences of my life, even though it had been my shortest relationship.
Several yoga instructors had gone through training right up until Richard broke up with me. As soon as that happened, I immediately put them to work. The idea of teaching people how to reconnect with their bodies was the last thing I wanted to do when I couldn't even take care of myself. Instead, I holed myself up in my apartment, under the covers, and alone with my thoughts.
Crystal still didn’t know all of the details about the break-up. I simply told her and the other instructors that I needed time off to work on my product line, but I hadn’t looked at my business plan or any of my products in days. The wallpaper on my laptop was too painful for me to see, and I couldn’t bring myself to put up a new one. It was Richard, Addison, and me at the lake. We looked like the perfect family, smiling at the camera in our bathing suits. The look on Addison’s face was vastly different from when her mother showed up.
Every time I looked at the picture, I could hear her calling me ‘Annie’ in her sweet, adorable voice.
The knocking on my door grew louder and more persistent. I flung back the covers and made my way to the front door. I wasn’t expecting any packages, and I knew better than to find Richard standing on the other side of the door.
I peered through the peephole and saw Crystal, holding a pint of ice cream in each hand.
“Hey,” I said while opening the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here on a rescue mission,” she said.
She barged into my apartment before I could ask her to leave, and I begrudgingly shut the door behind her. I should have expected her to show up after not hearing from me for several days.
“That’s sweet, Crystal, but I’m busy working on my line.” She ignored what I had said and put the ice cream in the freezer, then sat down on the couch and stared at me.
“Bullshit,” she said. “I also brought movies which are in my purse.”
“No, seriously, that’s why I took some time off. I have some ideas for food items, and I need to order more fabric for the yoga pant. Plus, the-"
She held up her hands. “Your laptop is sitting in the corner, fully charged, and your hair looks like you either had amazing sex or haven’t combed it in about a week.”
“That was a bit harsh,” I said, sitting down next to her on the couch.
She put her hands on my knee and rubbed. “Tell me the real reason you took time off, Annie.”
I shook my head. The thought of rehashing everything was too overwhelming. It was hard enough not wondering where Richard was or what he was doing.
“I can’t,” I whispered.
“That’s not what a holistic medical professional says, Annie.”
I laughed a little bit, realizing that she was right. If a student came to me looking the way I did, I'd be concerned too. “I’m just not feeling very ‘zen’ right now.”
“You are one of the strongest women I know Annie, but even the strong ones go through tough times. Talk to me. It’s just us right now, okay?”
I realized that Crystal was hellbent on getting me to talk, and there was little point in pushing her away. So I sat back and closed my eyes, wondering where even to start.
“Remember that night I went to Richard’s house for dinner, after I had been waiting to hear from him all day?” She nodded and leaned into me a little closer. “Well, as it turns out, he wasn’t distant because of our relationship. He had just found out that he had a seven-year-old daughter with his ex-girlfriend, Heather.”
Crystal’s mouth fell open as she gasped.
“It gets better. Not only is Heather demanding back child support for the past seven years, but she also wants an additional lump sum payment and full custody of their daughter.”
Crystal ran into the kitchen, pulled out a pint of ice cream and two spoons, and then raced back to the couch.
“Wait a minute,” she said as we started eating. “Is Heather the one who waited around for, like, five years? Then dumped Richard when he wouldn’t change?”
I nodded.
Crystal took a bite of ice cream, her eyes wide. “I remember you telling me about how stuck-up she sounded.”
“She’s worse than I thought,” I said. “Heather’s made it clear that Addison, their daughter, is too much work, so she and her fiancé are sending her to a boarding school.”
“Is that what she wants the extra money for?”
I shrugged my shoulders, even though Richard and I both suspected that she wanted the money for her wedding.
“Who knows. I think Heather is just trying to milk him dry, then run off with his money and abandon Addison at boarding school.” I put the spoon down as tears formed in my eyes, picturing little Addison far away from her family.
She must have known that Heather didn’t love her. I put my hand over my stomach, wondering how any mother could be so cruel to their child. Crystal leaned forward and hugged me, and we just sat there for a while, rocking back and forth as I sobbed into her shoulder. “I had no idea it was so bad, Annie.”
I pulled away from her and dabbed at my eyes.
“The worst part,” I said in between sobs, “is that Richard doesn’t feel confident that I’d be a good mother figure. How could he even question that, Crystal? He’s seen me with Caley!”
Crystal shook her head. “He’s crazy if he thinks you won’t be a good mom, Annie. You’re practically a mother to all of us at the yoga studio. He’s a fool for breaking up with you!”
As I pulled myself together, I realized that I wasn’t mad at Richard. He was only doing what he felt was best for Addison. In a perfect world, there would be no Heather in between us.
“No, it’s not his fault. Nor is it just me being a stepmother to Addison.”
“Then what is it?”
After wiping my face clean with some tissues, I told her about how obnoxious Heather had been at the lake. That she had been stalking Richard that whole time, along with me, and even called me a ‘slut.’
“Who the hell is SHE calling a slut?”
I put my fingers to my lips, worried that students down below would hear Crystal screaming.
"Sorry, but she doesn't know you."
"She’s just nasty, Crystal. Before Richard came along, I might as well have been a nun. Did I tell you about the time he bought her a Coach handbag, and she complained about the color?”
“Are you serious? I would give anything for a designer handbag of any color!"
I told Crystal how back when they were dating, Heather had made it clear that she loved Coach handbags. She had gone on and on about how badly she wanted one, specifically in black but only this one style. Richard had contacted the store directly, who knew who he was, but they only had that style in beige. Ordering one would take several weeks, and it was their anniversary, so he got her the beige one.
“So there they are, having a romantic dinner at his place, and she flung the handbag at him from across the table because it was the wrong color.”
Both of us shook our heads. Not only was Heather a stuck-up, spoiled woman, but Richard was a genuinely good man who deserved better.
“No wonder she’s a horrible mom,” Crystal said. “Well, I think Richard will come back around. Once the whole child custody legal crap is over with, he'll be able to think straight again. Has anything else happened with your lifestyle line?"
"There is some good news. The investor emailed me and wants me to fly out to New York City. They’re ready to move forward with
creating my line, but I need to meet them in person.”
Crystal threw her hands in the air and yelled, “Annie, this is perfect! When you go out there, you can see Richard too.”
I tilted my head at her, confused at what she was saying. “Richard lives here, Crystal. In River Valley.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I heard that he flew out to New York City for business the other day, and this is the perfect opportunity to show him what he’s giving up. Prove to him that you’re not letting go that easily.”
My eyes lit up for a second.
“Annie, he cares about you. That is no question.”
I didn’t even know he had flown to New York City, but then again, his dad had been giving him more work. He was probably staying at his father’s penthouse in midtown Manhattan. I’d never seen pictures of it, but knowing the Truman’s, I'd bet good money that it was gorgeous.
“I don’t know, Crystal. Being confrontational just isn’t my style. Wouldn’t I be acting just like Heather?”
“Confrontational may not be your thing, but I know that you have it in you. Richard probably ended things with you because he didn’t want to hurt you in the long run. Showing up at his doorstep is your chance to show him that you’re worth fighting for and that you two belong together.”
“He made it clear that he doesn’t have time for a relationship right now,” I said.
That was my biggest concern. I knew that we made each other happy, and I never doubted his feelings for me, but relationships took a lot of work. With everything going on in his life, I didn’t want to be a burden.
“If you can run a successful yoga studio and launch a product line at the same time, then he can make time for you. Richard is a good guy, Annie. I say go for it.”
As Crystal fished through her bag to find the movies she brought, I played a few scenarios in my mind.
If I showed up to his place and he was happy to see me, then maybe we could work things out. I could prove to him that I’d be a good stepmother to Addison and that his legal hearings wouldn’t get in the way of our relationship. I wasn’t a woman who had nothing to do all day besides waiting for her man.
I had my own life, too.
If he wasn’t happy to see me, then at least I’d have closure and could move on with my life. The past few days had been awful. I convinced myself that it would get better in time, but that wasn’t happening. I needed one more shot to be with Richard.
“I'll think about it,” I said to Crystal.
She smiled and hugged me.
“But if he doesn’t reciprocate, then it’s all your fault.”
Crystal sat on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned on the television.
“Deal,” she said. “Now, let’s watch a movie. I need to see Channing Tatum strip.”
22
_____
RICHARD
All four of us sat at the large conference room table on the top floor of Heather’s attorney’s office. Of course, Heather was wearing another designer suit. She had no problem flashing her money in front of me while simultaneously demanding mine. Her lawyer, Donald, was going over his notes while Danielle was reviewing hers. Heather kept rolling her eyes and scrolling through her phone.
I had a feeling that she would accept my final offer, even though it killed me inside to know that she would stoop so low. She was an evil woman through and through, and I couldn’t believe I’d ever dated her.
“Can we please hurry this up,” Heather said, tapping her Christian Louboutin heels against the table leg. “I have a hair appointment in an hour.”
New York City was her home, and she flew back here as soon as she heard that I was here on business. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but I suspected that she had Addison ride in coach while she sat up in first class. She probably had a flight attendant watch her while she drank champagne.
“Here’s our final offer,” Danielle said while pulling out some forms.
“Does it include back child support, too? How will future child support payments be sent?” Danielle glared at Donald.
“Please review our offer first, Donald.” Heather and Donald looked at each other, a bit confused as to what was happening. “In addition to this one-time payment, Heather will relinquish all parental rights. She will have the right to contact Richard if she wants to speak with Addison, but that will be up to Richard.”
“Excuse me,” Heather said. “Are you asking me to give up full custody of Addison?”
She wasn’t expecting me to pull such a drastic move, but I had no other choice. Addison didn’t deserve to be sent away to some boarding school so that Heather could dote on her fiancé. Plus, she was a horrible mother. It pained me to think of the life that Addison would live if she were to stay with her.
Heather looked at her attorney, who appeared just as dumbfounded as she did. They pegged me as a life-long bachelor who was more concerned with losing money than having a daughter, despite my apparent attempts at seeing her more often.
“If you think for one moment that I would do such a thing, you’re out of your mind Richard Truman. One of the reasons I never told you about Addison was that I knew you wouldn’t be a good father. Do you think I’d let her see you with all of your sluts, like that yoga instructor?”
Danielle slid the piece of paper across the table, and both Heather and her attorney stared at the dollar amount. If what I was offering wasn’t enough to have Addison to myself, then I’d offer even more money. I’d also consider giving her some of my collectible cars, or even buying her a piece of property, just so long as she wasn’t Addison’s caretaker anymore.
Yet something told me she’d oblige.
Her eyes bulged out, and I could see her getting excited. Without even looking at me, Heather grabbed a pen from the table and signed the agreement. Even though I was getting what I wanted, my heart still sank into my stomach. Addison did have one money-hungry bitch of a mother who only cared about her fiancé and material possessions. I suspected that he was paying for her lawyer, too.
“I’m not leaving here without my check,” Heather said, looking at me.
I could tell that she wanted me to say something, to start one final argument between us, but I refused to stoop to her level.
I pulled out my business wallet, wrote out a check, and handed it over to her. She snapped it out of my hand so quickly that I almost got a paper cut.
As her lawyer had her sign some papers, she whipped out her phone and started texting someone.
“Where am I going to meet you to pick up Addison?”
Heather waved her hand in the air at me. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes with her. Relax.”
I watched as she left the office, leaving all three of us at the table. It was an awkward few moments of silence, and I could tell that even her lawyer couldn’t believe she was so cold and heartless.
“Well, it was nice doing business with you, Donald.” Our attorneys shook hands, and then he left the room.
“I can’t believe she would just give Addison away like that,” I said to Danielle. “Did you see the look on her face? She had no emotion or remorse. How can someone treat a child that way?”
Danielle let out a sigh and nodded. “It’s for the best, Richard. Some people just weren’t cut out to be parents.”
I started thinking about all of the things that I wanted to do with Addison, like taking her for bike rides in Central Park and introducing her to Broadway musicals. While we were in New York City, I was going to have her soak up as much culture as possible. Maybe even bring her to Chinatown, ride the subway, and visit One World Trade Center. I’d also make sure that her room in the penthouse was what she wanted.
“Well, I’m going to be the best father that I can be. That’s for sure.”
Danielle patted me on the back, and we walked outside together.
About ten minutes later, a chauffeured car pulled up. I was anxiously awaiting and wondering how Addison would respond to
me being her full-time parent. The driver of the vehicle pulled out several suitcases and handed them to me. As I held them, I watched as little Addison got out of the car holding a teddy bear. She looked terrified until she saw me.
She ran toward me so fast that I dropped her suitcases on the ground, immediately scooped her up and hugged her as I cried a little bit.
“Daddy!” I could hear and feel the excitement in her voice, and I vowed to protect her for the rest of my life. “Mommy’s gone, isn’t she?”
I put her down and looked into her eyes. I knew that question was coming, but I didn’t know how to respond. All of the million-dollar business deals that I had done couldn’t have prepared me for that moment. Yet somehow, as I looked into her precious eyes, I found the courage not to lie to her.
When I was growing up and started learning about the ways of the world, my father never sugarcoated the truth. He somehow found a balance between being blatantly honest and reassuring me that life would carry on, which is the same method of parenting that I decided to use at that moment.
“Yes, sweetie, Mommy’s gone, but I’m going to take care of you now.”
“She never wanted me.” It was more of a statement than a question.
I wanted to say no, that’s not true, but I thought about how my father would have responded. Addison was mature beyond her years, and I didn’t want her to question her intuition.
“The world is full of both good and bad people,” I said, “and we can’t always control which ones come into our lives. The good news, however, is that I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”
A big smile displayed across her face, and I let out an exhale before we piled into the car. It was time to head back to the penthouse, and I was relieved this whole ordeal was finally over. All I wanted to do was get Addison situated in her new home.
“Do you live in a big tower?”
I nodded.
“Yes, here in New York City, I live in a penthouse, and now you will too. It’s big and has lots of room for you to play. As soon as we get home, I’m going to call someone to help decorate your bedroom. Do you know what colors you want?”
