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Authors: Melissa Shirley
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Something extraordinary. Skywrite her name or take out a full page ad in the paper to say you’re sorry or whisk her away to somewhere you can be alone to work it out.” Simon had done all these things at one point or another. He might have acted tough and too cool for romance, but he’d been…perfect.
“She doesn’t respond to the grand romantic gesture.”
Boy did he have a lot to learn. “You’re so dumb. Do you know where I got those ideas from?” I didn’t wait for him to look up. “Your best friend did all of those things for me, and do you know who she loves more than anyone in the world…except herself?”
He frowned. “It sure as hell isn’t me.”
“Not today, but you can’t give up. I did not come back here to watch you lose her for the second time.” To be turned down by Simon, yet again .
He closed his eyes, leaned back in the chair. “She won’t talk to me.”
“She will. Just give her some time.” I covered his hand with mine. “Keaton, she would be a fool to let you go again. Trust me.”
Chapter 9
Amid Jocelyn’s hatred and a new bout of my mother’s intense scolding, I made the choice to get the hell out of Storybook Lake again. Leaving Simon hurt the worst, but I had no choice. I couldn’t keep destroying the relationship Keaton desperately needed to be whole. By mere presence alone, I came between him and Joss without ever saying a word. Of course, I said several words, but even without my in-her-face sass, simply being there hurt her and, in typical Jocelyn fashion, she turned it around on him.
My leaving wasn’t altogether altruistic. I couldn’t bear for Kieran to ask every day where Daddy went. How could I explain my mistakes to a kid like Kieran? Absent a good answer, I stole a page from Mom and Dad’s book and decided on a vacation that I intended as a more permanent move than a short-term holiday. I wanted to make up for the things I couldn’t give him--a happy family life--with things I could. So, I loaded him into the car, hyped it as an adventure, then threw myself into his enthusiasm.
Traveling slowly across five states, we visited the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, the Titanic museum in Branson and an Elvis Tribute Contest, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Topeka Air and Combat Museum, and the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. Even with a vocabulary rivaling some adults, he lost interest quickly. We traveled with only the GPS as our guide. When I wasn’t concentrating on driving or when the long stretches of road went on forever, I was willing Simon to call. I spent a lot of time disappointed.
Traveling with an over-intelligent toddler and a broken heart tested my resolve, but we made it work. However, when we arrived at the Grand Canyon, Kieran took fate by the short hairs.
It started with a simple question inspired by a book Keaton purchased when we were out buying baby things before Kieran was born. We’d read it to him cover to cover every night after.
“Do you know about dinosaurs?” If he never asked me another question, I would always have remembered this as the one that started it all.
“Of course!” I played along with the hundred and twelve dinosaur questions he asked in a day. Any time he could find a way to sneak one in, he did. He asked me if I knew about fossils and the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. If I answered wrong, he shared with me all he knew. I’d read him those books since birth. He knew a lot. I answered wrong on purpose.
“Did you know Brachiosaurus eats leaves off trees and he weighs as much as six hundred cows?”
“Wow. I bet he could eat a little boy like you in one bite.” I couldn’t help but smile at how smart my boy had become.
“Mom.” A serious frown darkened his features. “I’m not a leaf on a tree. I’m a Kieran.”
“Well, there’s a museum about four hours from here where we can go see some dinosaur bones.” Mesa had a museum exhibit he would love.
“How long is four hours?”
I
“She doesn’t respond to the grand romantic gesture.”
Boy did he have a lot to learn. “You’re so dumb. Do you know where I got those ideas from?” I didn’t wait for him to look up. “Your best friend did all of those things for me, and do you know who she loves more than anyone in the world…except herself?”
He frowned. “It sure as hell isn’t me.”
“Not today, but you can’t give up. I did not come back here to watch you lose her for the second time.” To be turned down by Simon, yet again .
He closed his eyes, leaned back in the chair. “She won’t talk to me.”
“She will. Just give her some time.” I covered his hand with mine. “Keaton, she would be a fool to let you go again. Trust me.”
Chapter 9
Amid Jocelyn’s hatred and a new bout of my mother’s intense scolding, I made the choice to get the hell out of Storybook Lake again. Leaving Simon hurt the worst, but I had no choice. I couldn’t keep destroying the relationship Keaton desperately needed to be whole. By mere presence alone, I came between him and Joss without ever saying a word. Of course, I said several words, but even without my in-her-face sass, simply being there hurt her and, in typical Jocelyn fashion, she turned it around on him.
My leaving wasn’t altogether altruistic. I couldn’t bear for Kieran to ask every day where Daddy went. How could I explain my mistakes to a kid like Kieran? Absent a good answer, I stole a page from Mom and Dad’s book and decided on a vacation that I intended as a more permanent move than a short-term holiday. I wanted to make up for the things I couldn’t give him--a happy family life--with things I could. So, I loaded him into the car, hyped it as an adventure, then threw myself into his enthusiasm.
Traveling slowly across five states, we visited the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, the Titanic museum in Branson and an Elvis Tribute Contest, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Topeka Air and Combat Museum, and the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. Even with a vocabulary rivaling some adults, he lost interest quickly. We traveled with only the GPS as our guide. When I wasn’t concentrating on driving or when the long stretches of road went on forever, I was willing Simon to call. I spent a lot of time disappointed.
Traveling with an over-intelligent toddler and a broken heart tested my resolve, but we made it work. However, when we arrived at the Grand Canyon, Kieran took fate by the short hairs.
It started with a simple question inspired by a book Keaton purchased when we were out buying baby things before Kieran was born. We’d read it to him cover to cover every night after.
“Do you know about dinosaurs?” If he never asked me another question, I would always have remembered this as the one that started it all.
“Of course!” I played along with the hundred and twelve dinosaur questions he asked in a day. Any time he could find a way to sneak one in, he did. He asked me if I knew about fossils and the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. If I answered wrong, he shared with me all he knew. I’d read him those books since birth. He knew a lot. I answered wrong on purpose.
“Did you know Brachiosaurus eats leaves off trees and he weighs as much as six hundred cows?”
“Wow. I bet he could eat a little boy like you in one bite.” I couldn’t help but smile at how smart my boy had become.
“Mom.” A serious frown darkened his features. “I’m not a leaf on a tree. I’m a Kieran.”
“Well, there’s a museum about four hours from here where we can go see some dinosaur bones.” Mesa had a museum exhibit he would love.
“How long is four hours?”
I
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