“That’s great, Mom. Do you think it will be a problem with me being a Galloway and knowing what happened with…”
“No… I am good friends with him.”
“Oh, you are?” I smiled at her. I had never seen her smile so big.
She was getting nervous and one thing my mom didn’t do well, was get shaken.
“Anyway, Son, I am so blessed that I am getting to see the changes in you, the great things you are going to do.” Mom held up her hand for the waiter to see her.
“Can I get a frozen margarita, please, for my son? No salt.”
I looked up confused. “Why are you ordering me that?”
“It was your aunt Rhonda’s favorite. That’s what she came here for.”
“Make it two then.” I said. “One for me and one for my mother.”
This was a good day, and me speaking my thoughts out loud made me more accountable to sticking with them.
I felt confident in myself that changes were going to be made, no not overnight, but they were going to happen. I was ashamed of what I had become, but not anymore.
EMMA
“Come sit in my pool with me, Ant Emma. Pweasssss.”
I was sitting at the table with my laptop open, going over a few things I had to get done. Today, I got to sit with Olivia while Wyatt and Breigh had a day date. I always loved my time with Olivia, although admittedly I had the pain in my heart, and the pit of my stomach, from wanting a baby so badly. First husband then baby. I reminded myself of that fact, but nevertheless the heart wanted what the heart wanted. I was one of those people who loved to take the hard route, or the hard route liked me, one way or the other.
“Okay, sweetie. Give me five minutes and I will be done.”
“Pomisssseee?” she said sweetly. Her little one-piece swimming suit showed her little belly with a cutout around the front and the back. She had a little summer hat, and her little heart sunglasses.
“Why don't you gather all your Barbies and get them ready to go in?”
“Wokay.”
She had suffered a little bit with her sweet little words, trying to get them out but she knew what she was trying to say. I did too. Just like her parents did.
Five minutes later I shut my laptop and got situated in her little pool. I couldn't help but laugh when the pool water overflowed when I got in and Olivia laughed.
“Ah ou,” she muttered.
“Aunt Emma made us lose water,” I said with a laugh and she followed suit.
She came and sat beside me, trying to sit exactly like me with water covering my legs and toes.
“I wuv you.” Olivia took my hand with her small chubby one.
“Oh, princess, I love you.” I leaned in and kissed her forehead.
I began kicking my feet in the water, splashing water around in the pool. She did too and we had a contest seeing who made the biggest splashes.
She was grinning from ear to ear.
“We are home.” I heard Wyatt’s voice and pointed to him as Olivia tried to sit up, falling back. I helped pull her up and out of the pool, so she could go see her daddy.
He hugged her, getting all wet, and took her into the house but not before hollering that Breigh would be out in a few minutes. I waved my hand and shook my head, telling him I heard him.
Breigh brought me a hard seltzer and plopped down beside me.
“Whew, what a day. I need this badly.”
“I had a great time with Olivia. She is such a blessing.”
“Isn’t she? I got really lucky.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it. God gave you that sweet baby because you and Wyatt were meant to be parents.”
“Who would have thought, huh?”
I smiled.
She must have sensed my quietness.
“It will happen, I know it will.”
“I know.”
Breigh reminded me of that constantly, being my cheerleader and not wanting me to give up hope.
“Today, when I was trying to finish up a little work before getting the pool with Olivia, it really made me realize how much time I have wasted worrying about my career. You know my mom used to always lecture me about getting married and finding the one, but instead I was so picky and working my ass off.”
“Yes, but things are different for everybody, Emma. It just hasn’t been the right time yet.”
“Maybe, but what if I had missed that one?”
“What if all day… it doesn’t get us anywhere.”
“You know, Caleb really wants to settle down. Maybe y’all are meeting for a reason? Right now, at this time.”
“Maybe he is just a season in my life though too.”
“Like Cash? He was a season that has been running for how long now?”
“Too long, I guess… or not long enough one could argue.”
“Everything happens for a reason…Maybe it was for him, maybe it was for you. Either way it could be a turning point or wake-up call for either of you.”
“Cash or Caleb?”
“Both. God is the only one who sees the cards, my friend. You should know that by now.”
11
CASH
The smell of this place instantly hit my senses and I fought the urge to hold my nose, just like swimming as a kid. This was the first time I had visited my father and I hated I had been so weak before, not wanting to face him.
Travison County Jail was where he was being held until further processing.
Wyatt, of course, the strong son, had already been up here to see how he was. My mother let me know if Wyatt had gone up, I was perfectly capable of it. After all, he had put
