The Wright One

DEX

I got her address from Braden, it wasn’t easy but he finally gave it up. I have to report for duty in two hours, that is plenty of time to talk. I knock on the door of her apartment door. She opens the door with her toothbrush in her mouth. She waves me in as she heads to the kitchen.

She spits in the sink. “I figured you would show up at some point.”

I wait for her to rinse her mouth as I stand in her living room feeling like an idiot. “I think we should talk about all this.”

“Well, Mom is on a warpath. You should probably steer clear of Dad.” She hustles around me, picking up things and packing things at the same time. I see Hugh in a play pin off to the corner.

He actually points to me. “Daddy.”

She pauses. “Huh, I guess he did get it.”

I hurry to him and pick him up. “You told him?”

“I’m not a complete bitch. I wanted him to know who his father was. I just didn’t want to deal with everyone else knowing. Now they all will. I’m sorry, this probably isn’t the homecoming you were expecting.”

“I didn’t know what to expect. I figured you would hate me, but this is just a lot.” Hugh starts playing with my badge. I let him, at least he can’t get hurt with it. “But all that really doesn’t matter. I am the one that is sorry. I shouldn’t have left.”

She sighs, “Well, it’s in the past. All we can do is move on.” She starts looking around and patting her pockets. I am pretty sure she is doing her mental checklists. It was always so cute to watch her do this. “So, I am assuming that you want to talk about visitation or custody, right?”

“Well, yeah. Plus maybe a chance to talk to you. Find a way to work past this.”

“There is nothing left to work through. What happened, happened. We just need to focus on him.” She points to Hugh.

“I think it would be best for him if he saw his parents together as a unit.”

“I think that ship sailed.” She spins around and heads back to the kitchen.

I follow her. “Mia. I love you. I always have. I was stupid, please let me fix this.”

She reaches in the cupboard for a cup. “Dex, it’s a little late for that. I have a date on Saturday.”

“Who the hell is this guy?”

She laughs. “No one you know. He moved into town last year. His name is Nathon Phelps. He’s the CEO of Dynamic Tech.”

“That new big ass building on the south end of town?”

“Yep.” She puts water and ice in the cup and hands it to Hugh after adding a lid. He drinks it greedily.

“Since when are you into rich assholes?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

She glares at me. “He is not an asshole. He is actually really sweet.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah right. He’s playing you to get what he wants.”

Her glare deepens. “Oh, you mean like you did?”

I groan. “That is not what I meant.”

She waves me off. “It doesn’t matter, I have to get him to daycare and I have to get to work. You can come over later and we can talk about Hugh, you don’t need to ask about my personal life.”

I set Hugh down and he toddles off to the living room. “Mia, I don’t want to lose this.”

She looks sad. “You already did. The day you left without a word. You had a lot of time to pick up the phone, but never once did I get a call from you.”

I put my hands on her shoulders. “Actually you did. I just never said anything.”

She laughs. “All those calls that hung up, that was you. I thought it was just people harassing me.”

I nod. “I didn’t know what to say. I liked hearing your voice though. I missed you so much Mia.”

“I have to go, Dex.”

“Don’t count me out. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I already moved on. I have a date.” She pulls away from me and I catch her again.

“Then cancel it.”

She glares at me. “You can’t come in here after three years and start making demands of me. I deserved a lot more than what you gave me the last three years. I will date who I want, when I want. There isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

I let her go, because she is right. I don’t deserve to ask her to do that. I am the one that fucked up. I’m just going to have to prove to her that I am here to stay. “What time are you home?”

“Six.”

“I’ll be here for dinner, then we can talk about Hugh.”

She waves me off. “Sounds fine.” She is gathering up all her things to leave.

She stands to check around to make sure she got everything. I take the chance to do something that I have wanted to do since I saw her again. I grab her arms and press my lips to hers. I don’t want to let her go. She has been a part of my life for so long. I’m the one that screwed it up. Her hands grip the sides of my uniform shirt. My mouth explores the lips that I have missed so damn much.

She pulls back from me. “I have to go.”

“I will bring dinner.”

“No need.” She picks up Hugh. “I can make dinner. It would be best if you don’t do that again. That isn’t our relationship. We are Hugh’s parents. Nothing more.”

“I am being Hugh’s parent. I am loving his mother.”

She rolls her eyes. “I really need to go.”

I kiss Hugh and leave while she locks up. I hear a neighbor grumble as I leave. “Slut.” I turn on the old man.

“What did you call her?”

He looks a little ashamed, but still he repeats himself. “I called her a slut. She is a single mother with some guy leaving her house first thing in the morning.”

“That happens to be my son, I’ll be leaving here at all hours. Do you have a problem with that?” I am glaring at this old dude. I don’t usually treat my elders like that, but it is my first look at what she has gone through the last three years.

Mia puts her hand on my shoulder. “Just drop it, it’s not anything new.”

“What’s new is that I am here now. I am not going to let people keep talking to you like this when I am the one that fucked up. I left. You did nothing wrong.”

She shrugs. “I don’t think they care.” She moves around me.

She had to be so strong to go through this alone. I turn back to the old man. “I hear you call her that again, I will bring you in. I don’t care if I have to make up a charge, you will spend time in jail and have charges brought against you. Talk all the crap you want about me, but leave her alone.”

He shrugs. “Well, you are a prick.”

I pat him on the shoulder. He flinched a little. “There you go.”