Derailed (12 page)

“Everett, I shouldn’t have made the textbook comment. You’re anything but a textbook guy. You’re kind, spontaneous, and expressive. I didn’t mean your soul was textbook, just your appearance.”

“Thank you, I guess?”

“And about the course—I was just picturing you in a sea of hipsters with your Hugo Boss suits and the image made me smile. I think it would be wonderful for you to attend my class, so stop pouting.”

“I already told you, I don’t pout, and the suits are Armani.”

“You do pout, but I’ll give you the thing about the suits.”

“Thank you.” He smiled sarcastically.

“Now I’ve got Boston. I think it’s going to be a few months before the firm entrusts me with another Baton Rouge gig. However, I can fly home on Fridays and leave late on Sundays. That would give us the weekends. And I can leave on Thursdays probably as often as every other week. I don’t think it would do for you to fly while Ryder’s in school, but during the holidays and summer we can revisit the list and see what works. What do you think?”

“So you’re outlining the parameters of our relationship?”

“I’m trying to figure out how often we can all be together. I’m willing to give it a shot if you are—and I really hope you are.”

“I am. I just wish we weren’t separated by a plane ride.”

Everett exhaled loud and long. “I know.”

“What else can we do?”

“Come here.” His fingers demanded her skin. She crawled onto his lap and he kissed her lips. “How about we take it week by week? Do you think that would work for Ryder?”

“Yeah, I think it could work. Maybe I could get a calendar and we could write our together days on it.”

He smiled, “Our
together days
. That sounds nice.”

“Not as nice as it would sound to have you here forever.”

“I think when we are together, we’ll cherish our time because we know it’s going to end.”

“I thought that too.”

His nose nuzzled her cheek. “I’m committed to you and Ryder. Eventually an answer will come.”

“You’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been.” She spoke against his lips before she kissed him.

“You’ve done that for me as well.”

Sunday morning Everett awoke before Fiona. He pulled on a T-shirt and shorts and walked into the kitchen intent on pouring a glass of orange juice. As he sipped the thirst-quenching fluid he heard the pitter-patter of young feet behind him. He turned to see Ryder. “Hey, buddy.”

“It’s Sunday,” he huffed.

They’d oriented him with a calendar. He’d taken to marking the days off with a magic marker. Everett’s relationship with Fiona was going to be difficult for Ryder.

“It is Sunday, but I’ll only be gone for three days.” He tousled Ryder’s thick hair.

“But you’re not coming back until Thursday night.”

“We’ll just have to talk your mom into letting you stay awake to greet me when I get here late Thursday. That way there are only three days that we’re not all together.”

He smiled. “Three days doesn’t sound like a long time.”

“It’s not. Especially since you’ll be in school all day.” Everett poured a juice for Ryder. “I want you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I want you to make sure you and your mom are near the phone at eight o’clock every night.”

“Okay. You gonna call us?”

“I am. Eight o’clock. You think you can manage that?”

“I’ll make it happen.” He nodded sharply.

“Now what do you say we make your mom breakfast in bed?” Everett opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs, cream, and butter.

“What will we make?”

“I’m pretty good at making French toast.”

“Really?”

“Yep. You fetch the bread and I’ll grab a pan.”

Ryder peered down into a large mixing bowl. “Usually Mom lets me crack the eggs, but I guess I can’t do it with my cast.”

“Tell you what … I’ll crack them into the bowl with the cream, and then we’ll let you whisk them.”

“Cool.”

Everett held the bowl still while Ryder attempted to vigorously whisk the eggs with his non-dominant hand. It pulled at Everett’s heart to watch him as he struggled and poked his tongue out of the corner of his mouth while he focused on the task.

“Okay, I think the eggs are stirred up.”

“Looks perfect.” Everett poured the mixture into a shallow pan, and then held two pieces of white bread in the air. “Now it’s time for these guys to skinny dip.”

“What’s skinny dip?”

“It’s when a person dives into a pool naked.”

Ryder squealed in delight. “The bread is naked.”

“It is. Here”—he passed a slice of white bread to Ryder—”you do the honors.” Ryder pressed the bread into the pan so that it soaked up the egg juice.

“Do people skinny dip in your pool?”

Everett grimaced with a flourish. “I certainly hope not.”

Ryder pinched the bread between his thumb and index fingers. “Eww, it’s squishy.”

“Lay it flat in the pan.”

It wasn’t long before they had mounds of eggy custard bread. “How many pieces do you want to put on the plate for your mom?”

“Two.”

“Go for it. I’ll dish out the melon.”

They arranged the plate artfully, and then Ryder reached for the powdered sugar.

“Hold on, let me grab the tea strainer.”

“What’s that for?”

“So we can make it rain.”

“Rain?”

“Spoon the sugar into the strainer.” Everett held the device directly over the toast. As Ryder added the sugar, a little made it through the sieve, but it was when Everett had him tap the contraption with a metal spoon that it snowed all over the toast.

“Wow! That’s awesome!”

“What’s going on?” A sleepy feminine voice inquired.

“Mommy, look! We made it snow!”

She walked up to the counter. “Oh, it’s so pretty. You two have been quite busy.” They both smiled at her. “We made French toast.”

Everett leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, rubbing her back. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“How about some hot tea?”

“I’d love some.”

“Mommy, you go sit and we’ll bring everything to you.”

“Sounds wonderful!”

As they shared breakfast, Ryder animatedly regaled Fiona with the steps required to make the French delicacy they enjoyed.

“Hey Everett, after we eat will you let me give you a tattoo?”

Everett looked to Fiona for answers.

“Ryder has an extensive temporary tattoo collection.”

“Well in that case, do your worst.”

“You can tat me too. And we’ll tat Mommy.”

Everett held his hand up. “I volunteer for that job.”

Ryder giggled. “Mommy, did you know these toasts”—Ryder held a slice in the air—”skinny dipped naked in the pool?”

Everett choked on his swallow of tea.

“Is that so?” Fiona cut her narrowed eyes at Everett. “Corrupting my firstborn already Everett?”

“It’s okay Mom, Everett said people don’t do it in his pool.”

Fiona giggled as she shook her head.

“I guess I shouldn’t have taught him that.”

Fiona continued to smile as her eyes scanned from Ryder to Everett.

“I like to be taught stuff.” Ryder lowered his voice to a whisper, “I know the swear words too.”

“No.” Everett placed his palm on his chest, aghast.

“Yeah, Mommy taught me.”

Everett gasped. “Ms. Miller has a dirty mouth?”

“Not very often, but occasionally I let one slip.”

“Mommy says it’s okay for me to say damn and hell, but I can’t say shit.” Ryder gasped as his hand swiftly covered his mouth. “Oops.” He mumbled.

Fiona and Everett laughed until tears filled their eyes.

***

Using her cover of thumbing through a magazine, Fiona inconspicuously watched from the couch as her son sat on the living room floor with Everett, digging through piles of rub-on tattoos.

“This one is Spider-Man 2099, do you know it?”

“Yeah, Miguel O’Hara becomes Spider-Man.”

“If you want, I’ll let you have it.”

“Thanks, that’s really cool.” He shrugged, half-committedly and Everett stifled a giggle. “Tell you what, I think I’ll take this one of the Amazing Spider-Man right here”—Everett slapped the stencil against his left bicep.

“Cool! And I’ll do Spider-Man 2099 right here”—Ryder laid the stencil on his shin. “Mom needs one.”

“I wanna be Catwoman.”

“Oh, man.” Ryder huffed.

All eyes turned toward her. “What?”

Everett shook his head at her. “You can’t be Catwoman, that’s DC comics. We’re doing Marvel.”

“How about Wonder Woman?”

“Nope. Same issue.”

“Just pick me something out.”

Ryder held up a stencil. “You can be Spider-Woman.”

After they sported three tats each, they decided it was time to actually watch Spider-Man and make Ryder’s favorite snack—M&M popcorn.

“How long will these temporary tats be with me?”

“Sometimes I can have them for the whole week,” Ryder boasted.

“Good thing I wear a suit to the office.”

“Everett,” Ryder called. “I want to show you how we make the popcorn.”

They all joined Ryder in the kitchen. “Mom, do we have mini marshmallows?”

“I think we do.” Fiona reached into the cabinet where the mugs were housed and pulled out a half bag of marshmallows. She also grabbed pretzels and a bag of M&Ms. At the microwave Ryder popped a bag of kettle corn.

Ryder passed the bowl reserved for the concoction to Everett. “You have to pour the M&Ms in the bottom so they get melty.”

Everett complied and dumped the candy into the bowl. Fiona added the marshmallows and pretzels.

When the microwave pinged, Fiona reached in to grab the steaming bag of corn.

“Somebody has a sweet tooth.” Everett chuckled.

“I’m afraid we both do.”

“Wait until you try it Everett, it’s the best.” Ryder popped a marshmallow into his mouth as he stirred the amalgamation.

Everett scooped a handful of the treat into his mouth.

“Mmm, it’s actually good.”

“Did you think it wasn’t going to be?” Fiona asked.

“Kind of, but it’s salty and sweet.” Everett whispered the rest of his message in her ear, “Salty and sweet just like you.” His eyes flashed fire at her and she forced herself not to think of his impending flight.

***

On the way to the airport not much was said. They all appeared to be deep in thought and apprehension. Fiona had spoken to her son in Everett’s absence to ensure he understood that Everett would separate from them during the week to go and work in Boston. He’d said he understood. It was after ten, but Fiona knew Ryder would need to see Everett off at least this first time. She hoped Ryder wouldn’t cry at the airport because his pain would be like a wooden stake in her heart.

Fiona and Ryder escorted Everett through security, Ryder insisting to bring his Kermit the Frog.

At the gate Ryder held the plush animal out to Everett. “I wanted you to take him with you so you wouldn’t forget about me.” Ryder spoke in his big voice and held his chin high, in an attempt to demonstrate a brave front.

Everett squatted in front of Ryder, taking the doll from his hand. “Ryder”—Everett’s voice was broken and Fiona watched him swallow, the action causing an audible thud in his throat. “I could never forget you. Ever. Or your mother.” He grasped Ryder’s free hand in his. “I love you. I’ll be here—always. If you need anything, all you need to do is call and I’ll be on the next plane.”

Fiona cried as she watched them converse. Everett caught her eye, grasping her hand from his position in front of her son.

“Do you understand what I said, Ryder?” Ryder stood, staring at Everett. “Ryder?”

“Are we gonna be a family?’

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I want it to include you.”

Ryder nodded and leaned in to wrap his arm around Everett’s neck, and then he whispered something in Everett’s ear that caused him to pull her son tightly to his chest. When they pulled apart, Everett dug in his pocket. He pulled out a set of keys and fiddled with a charm. He placed the trinket in Ryder’s palm.

“It was my father’s.” Ryder admired a die cast ship. “He got it when he was in the Coast Guard.”

“Wow!” Ryder sat and played with the ship, turning it round and round in his hand.

Everett stood and placed his arm around Fiona, pulling her into his chest and kissing the top of her head. Next to her ear he whispered, “I’m sorry I have to leave the two of you. It’s hard. I understand why you protected him from this, but I swear to you, I’m committed. Now that I’ve spent so much time with you, I don’t know how I’ll live without you.”

“You’re making me cry.”

“I’m sorry. It’s very ungentlemanly, but you need to know how I feel.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. She ran her finger over his embroidered initials. “EAD.”

“Everett Aaron David.”

“That’s quite a name. It’s a solid, earthy name.”

His palm cupped her cheek. “In three days, I’m going to show you just how solid it is.”

Her face heated as she smiled. He kissed her temple as boarding for his plane was announced.

They waved goodbye and he disappeared into the jetway.

“He’s gone.” Everett announced.

“He’ll be back, baby.” She raked her hands through his hair. “Let’s go home. You’ve got school tomorrow. I think you should skip the first hour, don’t you?”

He smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

After his bath, Ryder crawled into bed with Fiona. Given the events of the day, she knew he’d join her. He tried to remain independent, but whenever something wasn’t quite right, he’d always crawl into her bed. She wrapped her arms around him and they fell into a restless sleep.

The months passed. Fiona and Everett were still no closer to a permanent solution, so they resolved to take things week by week. They fell into a routine and even Ryder seemed to adjust to their sporadic schedule.

Today, Fiona and Ryder were extra energetic because it was Friday and they’d be awaiting Everett’s arrival. It had been ten days since they’d seen him as he was unable to leave Boston last week and she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into him, literally.