Soaring (Magdalene #2)(37)

And I told myself that was okay with me.

But I lied.

Chapter Six

Neither Replied

At three-thirty the Friday my children were to come back to me, I was ready.

Mickey’s words about how his ex-wife let their kids get away with anything because she was making up for her weaknesses had not been lost on me.

They’d had their first visit to settle in. Whether they did or didn’t, that was their choice (though, since they were hardly there, I knew they didn’t).

Now it was time to share that this was their home, I was their mother, we were a family and things were going to be a certain way.

So when I stood in the open front door watching the red Civic roll up, I was prepared to face my children and forge ahead with the healing.

The approach to the house went exactly the same way as the first one did. The kids grabbing their bags. Me greeting them. Pippa not looking at me. Auden barely paying me mind.

I let them in and closed the door behind us.

Although both of them stared with surprise into the very changed great room, they did this as they headed straight to their rooms.

I drew in courage on a deep breath and crossed my arms on the exhale.

“Hang on a second, kiddos,” I called.

They stopped and turned to me almost at the mouth to the hall.

I looked between them and laid it out as I’d practiced.

“Okay, just to say, if you have plans this evening with your friends, I don’t want to make you change those plans at the last minute. So I’ll allow you to go out if that’s what you intend to do.”

Auden’s lip curled. Olympia’s face grew hard and she looked to the floor.

“Tomorrow,” I forged on, “we’re having a family dinner. If you have plans through that, you need to change them. You may do what you wish during the day and after dinner, but we’re eating together. Now I’ll say that, but I’ll also say that eventually I’d like to meet your new friends, so I’d like you to think on having them around. And I’ll also say that I don’t get a lot of time with you. I miss you when you’re gone. I think about you all the time. So when I do have you, I’d like to have you. That means after this weekend, I’ll ask you to plan to be with me when you’re with me and not make arrangements to be out doing something else.”

That got me Pippa’s eyes, which were slits, and Auden glared at me.

“If it’s something special or something you don’t want to miss,” I said softy. “Obviously, I’ll want you to do it. But if it’s not, I want you to be with me.”

Pippa hitched a hip, threw out a foot slightly and crossed her arms on her chest, looking to the sectional.

Auden continued glaring at me.

“On Sunday,” I kept going, “I’m going to an estate auction.” I threw an arm out toward the living room. “As I texted you and now you can see, I sold most of our old stuff to raise money for the town’s junior boxing league. Fresh town for me, fresh start in a lot of ways, including, I hope, with you two.”

I paused, watching them closely, but neither of them gave me anything, though Pippa did aim her eyes to the sea.

So I had no choice but to keep at it.

“I’m going with a new friend of mine, Josie. She’s very sweet. I’d like you to meet her. I’ve never been to an auction but it might be fun. And there’s a lot to do to make this house a home and I’d be very, very happy if you’d participate in that with me.”

Neither of them said anything.

I drew in another breath and powered ahead.

“I’ve unpacked your rooms. I’ve also gone through your things. This weekend, I’d like you to go through the piles I’ve made of stuff you might no longer be able to use or want. If you can’t use it or don’t want it, it can be put to good use elsewhere. But if you want it, I want you to have it. So just sort that for me, putting away what you want to keep, putting what you don’t in one of the extra rooms, and I’ll deal with it for you. And Pippa,” I called. Her eyes came to me and I smiled at my baby girl. “I have a surprise for you in your room. I hope you like it.”

She said nothing.

I had nothing more to say.

My children and I stood, fifteen feet between us, thousands of miles separating us, and we did this silently.

Finally, Auden spoke, “Are you done?”

His words and tone cut deep and I felt the bleed.

“Yes,” I replied. “Except to say, I made cinnamon oatmeal cookies. They’re in the tin on the counter. You can help yourself.”

Auden ignored that, even though those were particular favorites of his, and instead told me, “We both got plans.”

I licked my lips and pressed them together as I nodded.

“So, if you’re done with this, can we do that?” he asked nastily.

“As I said, honey, you can. But I want you home for dinner tomorrow night,” I told him.

“Whatever,” he muttered, starting to turn, Pippa moving with him.

“Not whatever,” I called and did it firmly, getting their attention again. “I mean that, kids. I want you home tomorrow night for dinner.”

“We gotta, we’ll be here,” Auden snapped.

It wasn’t much, but I’d take it.