June 18th; 5:47 p.m.
Upstate New York
The Grabber Blue Ford Mustang rolled to a stop in front of a modest—yet modern—red, ‘L-shaped’ brick ranch-style house. Surrounded by a rock garden, a thirty-year-old oak tree shaded a plush green front lawn. Jacob rotated the ignition backward and the low rumble of the Boss 302 engine ceased. He turned his attention to the passenger seat. “Give me a few minutes, will you? I’d like to speak with her first.”
Spying the neighborhood, Amanda looked out all the windows. “Sure thing. You know where to find me.”
He smiled and put a shoulder to his door.
Walking up the driveway and by a silver GMC Acadia on his left, Jacob’s mind was flooded with memories, most of them good, some of them—his mind’s eye saw a tricycle on the front lawn—not so good.
He took the single step up to the porch, pushed the doorbell and knocked on the door. In the past, he would have walked in; but things change. He spotted a shadow behind a white drape covering the window in the door.
A second later, a woman appeared and opened the screen door. “Jake. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Yeah,” he stepped closer to the thirty-something woman with strawberry blonde collar-length straight hair that curled under at the neck, “I should have called.” He kissed her cheek. “May I come in? I need to talk to you about something, Olivia.”
Olivia turned her body, so Jacob could pass. She glanced at the Mustang and the blacked out windows. “Your car still looks as pretty as ever.”
“Thanks.” Jacob spun around and waited for her to close the door and face him. “Livs, I have a big favor to ask.”
“Okay,” the woman patted her perspiring forehead with the dishtowel she held, “what is it?” before untying and removing the apron around her body.
Jacob took a deep breath and sighed. “There’s this girl—she’s sixteen—that I’ve been helping the last few days. She’s orphaned and has no living relatives.”
Olivia frowned at her ex-husband. “Okay…where’s this heading, Jake?” She hung the flowered, yellow bib on a hook.
“I’d like—” through the sheer drapery over Olivia’s shoulder, he saw Amanda leaning against the car. For an instant, he thought he was watching D.D. He regarded his ex-wife. I can’t do this to her. I’ve had time to process everything. She hasn’t.
Jacob took Olivia by the arm and escorted her to the door. “I need you to see something first.” He slid the white drape sideways and tipped his head toward the outside.
Olivia gave him a look before she stepped closer to the window. Her eyes grew wide. She pressed her nose and hands to the glass. “Oh my God, Jake. Is that…” her voice gave out and her hand went to her mouth.
Jacob took her by the upper arms and turned her body toward his. “No. She’s not our D.D.”
“But,” the woman went back to watching Amanda, who had tipped her head back and was letting the sun beat down on her face, “she…she…”
“I know, Livs. I know.” He saw a tear streak down the cheek of the woman he once was madly in love with, and he took her in his arms and held her head. “She’s not our little girl.” He gave Olivia time to gape at the youth. “Her name is Amanda, and she’s the reason why I’m here.”
… … … … …
Jacob and Olivia sat at the kitchen table, his hands covering hers. “I know a man who can make all this happen, Livs. And I’ll be in the picture too. I can give you whatever money you need. In two years, Mandy will be eighteen and free to live wherever she wants.”
Olivia turned toward the door. “I don’t know, Jake. This is all so sudden.”
“I know it is.”
“Why can’t she just stay with you?”
He sighed. “I’ve recently taken on a new job and I won’t be that stable. She needs a home, a place with someone who cares about her.”
The woman put a hand to her chest. “And that’s me?” her hand swung toward the door. “I don’t know a thing about her. What makes you think I can do this, especially after—” she grabbed the towel and dabbed her eyes.
He looked over her shoulder and spotted a picture of their daughter wedged between the glass and the wooden frame of a kitchen cabinet door. “It’s especially because…that you’re the perfect person for Mandy. All I’m asking is for you two to spend a couple hours together.” He touched his former flame’s chin and drew her eyes to meet his. “Get to know her, Livs. If after that time you don’t want to do this,” he leaned away and held up hands, “I’ll find another way.”
Staring at the first and only man she had ever loved—or made love to—Olivia expelled a deep breath and crossed her arms. After all these years, you still know how to talk me into something. “All right, Jake.”
Planting flat hands on the table and rising, he bent over and kissed her on the cheek before leaving to get Amanda. “I’ll cook dinner, while you two chat.”
“You cook dinner?” She stood and headed for the kitchen. “I better get a head start on the antacids then.”
“Come on now. Keep it above the belt.”
She laughed and flung the white towel at him. “Maybe Amanda can help me cook dinner.”
… … … … …
7:29 p.m.
Laughing, her back to the kitchen, Olivia held her side.
Amanda wiped her eyes with a napkin. “Oh my…” she picked up her spoon and dug into the mound of ice cream on her plate, “that’s too funny.” She glimpsed Jacob to her right before looking at Olivia, seated across from him. She cocked her head to the side. “And he was completely naked? No clothes?”
Olivia held up a hand. “Honest.”
Amanda came back to Jacob and frowned, while shaking her head.
“Hey…in my defense,” he scooped ice cream and filled his mouth, “I thought I was alone for the afternoon.”
“And you just naturally,” said Olivia, “thought you’d watch a movie…naked on the couch?”
“I told you,” his face blushed, “my clothes were in the dryer. Why dirty something else when they were going to be done in half an hour?”
Amanda’s head whipped back and forth between the two adults. “What did the neighbors say when they walked in for dinner?”
“Well,” the elder female folded her napkin and placed it on her plate, “let’s just say we didn’t have to worry about inviting them over anymore.”
“You never told me,” Jacob protested, “we were having company.”
“Jake…” Olivia held out upturned hands and pumped them. “I told you that same morning.”
Giggling at the bantering couple, Amanda cranked her head around and gaped at a piece of brown fabric furniture in the living room. “It wasn’t that couch, was it?”
“No,” said Olivia. “We got rid of that one a long time ago.”
Jacob directed his spoon toward his ex-wife. “But only because it wore out.”
“Oh sure.” Amanda nodded her head and winked at him.
After raising a hand and pretending he was going to backhand the girl, he finished his dessert and leaned back, looking up to spot Olivia, elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm, watching Amanda.
After several moments, overwhelmed by happy memories, Olivia’s gaze settled on the man across from her. She smiled and nodded her head.
Jacob smiled back and mouthed the words, ‘Thank you.’
… … … … …
Jacob handed Amanda her overnight bag, closed the car door and leaned against the Mustang. “I’ll be back in the morning to drop off the rest of the stuff you and Stockwell bought the other day.”
“So,” Amanda set the bag on the ground, “how often will I be seeing you?”
“You’re going to see me so much you’ll be sick of seeing me. I’m going to be there when you start your new school in the fall. I’m going to be at all your school functions. Hey, do you play any sports?” He waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever you do, I’ll be there.”
Amanda smiled at him. “Promise?”
He nodded. “I even promise to be there for your first date.” He stood straight and mimed holding a long gun in front of his body. “I’ll be there with a shotgun to scare the living crap out of the kid.”
She pointed at his midsection. “Why not your 357 blaster there?”
“No,” he crinkled his nose, “a twelve gauge is more visually intimidating. After he sees me, he won’t want to lay a hand on you.”
“What if I want him to lay his hands on me?”
“I,” Jacob stuck forefingers into his ears, “don’t want to hear this.”
She giggled and pushed him before he settled back against the car. Shoving fingers into her front jean pockets, Amanda stared at the ground and dragged her shoe over the green grass. A bird chirped in a nearby tree, while a car drove by the couple. Pressure built behind her eyes. “Jacob?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the girl.
“How long do you think you have to wait to tell someone you love them?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on how well you know them. Why?”
“I had nothing going for me…no parents, no home…I was just trying to survive, living day to day. Thoughts of a future seemed pointless.” She lifted her eyes to meet his. “You changed all that.” She swung an arm toward the house. “Now I have a home…someone—two people—in my life who give a damn about me.” She swallowed and swiped fingers over a cheek. “I owe all that—” her voice cracked.
Jacob pushed away from the side door. “Hey come on now. This is supposed to be a happy—”
Amanda rushed him and closed her arms around his waist, nestling her cheek against his chest. “I love you, Jacob. Thank you for everything.”
For a second, he stood there, arms hovering above her tiny frame, before he hugged her. “I love you too, kiddo.” He cupped her head and kissed the top of her hair. “Love you too.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
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