Chapter 24 THE STORM PART 2
Noah jumps into the backseat full of energy, his backpack falls to the floor as he buckles himself in. He starts talking nonstop before Vivienne could even ask how his day was.
"Mom! Mr. Peterson said we'd get the results of our math test tomorrow, but I think I did really well because I remembered everything we practiced with fractions!" He talked fast, like he's in a hurry. "And Tyler brought everyone chocolate chip cookies, it was his birthday! Can you believe it? They were still so warm. His mom must have made them right before school!"
Vivienne turns around in her seat to get a better look at him. His cheeks were red with excitement, and dark curls fall across his forehead. Her heart was filled with love. He's so full of life and so blissfully unaware of the storm that's about to hit.
"That sounds like a great day," she says, while she looks at him. "What else happened?"
"We played soccer at break, and our team won! I almost scored a goal, but Jacob stopped me. That's fine because we still won three to one." He only stops for a second to catch his breath. "Can we go home now? I want to finish the drawing of the spaceship I started yesterday."
Vivienne taps her fingers on the steering wheel. "How about doing something fun this afternoon instead?" Noah raised his eyebrows. "Like what?"
"Maybe the park?"
"The park in the city? With the ducks?" His eyes got bigger as he starts to understand. "The one with the truck that sells ice cream?"
"That's the one."
"Really?" Noah leans forward against the seatbelt. "On a Monday? We never go to the park on Mondays!"
Vivienne nods, enjoying how happy he is. "Really."
"But why? Is it a special day? Did something happen?" His face goes through different theories. "Did you win the lottery?"
She laughs, feeling much better hearing her son's excitement. "No, nothing like that. I just thought we could spend some time together as mother and son. Also," she paused, "we need to talk about some things, and I thought it would be nice to do it in a fun place."
Noah accepts this explanation right away, since the idea of getting ice cream out of the blue is more important than any other questions. "Can I have cookie dough with more sprinkles?"
"Is there another type?"
He screams with joy as Vivienne drives away from the school and heads toward the park, which was fifteen minutes away.
The drive goes by in a blur of stories about Noah's day. He tells her about the class hamster that got away during science, how Sharon got in trouble for passing notes, and a joke his friend told at lunch that makes no sense but makes him laugh so hard he can't stop.
Vivienne listens and laughs occasionally, but part of her mind was still stuck in Alexander's office, going over the conversation she's about to have with Noah and weighing the risks.
The park greets them with golden afternoon sunshine that shines through a canopy of leaves and onto the walkways. Families sit on benches and blankets on the grass. The kids are all over the playground, and the warm breeze carries their laughter.
Joggers run along the path around the edge. Dogs pull on their leashes, interested in the ducks gliding across the pond's surface.
Vivienne leads Noah away from the busy playground and to a quiet bench by the water. A turtle is sunbathing on a rock in the middle of the pond.
"Look, Mom!" Noah points with excitement. "He's the pond's king. That's his throne!"
They sit on the bench. Vivienne takes a moment to think about what she wants to say as she watches two mallards slowly paddle across the pond's surface.
"Remember how I told you about my new job?" she says, choosing her words carefully.
He nods and keeps looking at the turtle. "The one that's going to save CrossLight and let us eat pizza whenever we want."
"That's the one." She can't help but smile. "It's going to start next week, and it's going to be a little different from what I used to do."
"How different?"
Vivienne wraps her arm around his thin shoulders. "I'll be working more hours than I used to. I might have to stay late sometimes, and I might not always be able to pick you up from school."
Noah stops looking at the pond and looks at her face instead. He suddenly realizes how serious she is.
"Mrs. Chen will probably pick you up on those days, or maybe... maybe we'll find another babysitter to help out," she goes on. "I wanted to know what you thought about that."
Noah goes into thinking mode, his face scrunched up in thought. "Are you going to be gone a lot?" His voice becomes quieter. "How often will I see you, Mom?"
The question makes her heart ache. Vivienne pulls him closer to her and breathes in. "Baby, you'll see me every day. I'll be home for dinner, and I'll always be there to put you to bed at night." The words seem both true and false. "My schedule will change, but nothing, nothing, will ever change how much I love you or how important you are to me."
She places her hands on his face and makes him look at her. "This job is important for our future. It means that everything will be fine. We won't have to worry about money anymore because CrossLight will be safe. So, I need you to be patient and understanding for a little while."
Noah's eyes are serious and unnerving. He nods after a long time. "I get it," he says in a calm voice. "You have to work. It's a big deal." He looks down at his hands, which were twisted together in his lap.
"Don't worry, Mom. I promise. I won't cause any trouble. I'll do all my homework without complaining and be nice to the babysitter." His eyes rise to meet hers again. "I want to help make things easier."
Something breaks inside Vivienne. How has she raised this incredibly kind boy, this child who thinks about her needs even when his own life changes? She swallows to ease the pain in her throat. "You are already the best boy in the whole world," she whispers as she hugs him tightly. "I am so very lucky to be your mom."
She blinks quickly, then pulls back with a big smile. "Now, what about we get that ice cream?" Noah's face lights up right away, forgetting they just had a difficult conversation.
"Yes, Mom. It's ice cream time."
They hold hands as they walk to the ice cream truck parked at the edge of the playground. On Monday afternoons, the line isn't very long. Noah bounces on his toes as they wait, already looking at the menu board even though he knows what he wants.
When they get to the window, Vivienne orders, "One double scoop of cookie dough in a waffle cone with extra sprinkles. And a small cup of vanilla for me."
With their snacks in hand, they look for another bench where they can see both the playground and the pond. Noah was so focused on his cone that ice cream already started dripping down his fingers in sticky streams.
"Mom, I really get it, okay. So don't worry," he says with a mouthful of food and chocolate smeared across his chin. "It's okay that you have to work. I'm going to be fine."
Vivienne wipes his face with a napkin. "I know you will," she whispers, kissing his hair.
They sit quietly and comfortably for a few minutes. Noah is focused on his shrinking cone, and Vivienne watches kids climb on the playground equipment. She feels bad about putting this weight on Noah's small shoulders but is relieved that he understands.
Then her heart stops when she sees him.
Alexander Hunt.
Walking down the path toward them. Not by himself; he's holding the hand of a little girl who looks to be six or seven years old. The girl had long, dark hair neatly tied back in pigtails. She skips next to him in a pink dress that swishes around her knees. She was talking, and Alexander is listening patiently, nodding along with whatever story she's telling.
The girl pulls him along with excited urgency as they walk toward the playground area.
Vivienne's leg failed her. She didn't know what the next course of action should be. Should she hide or run away? And worse, she was with Noah.
But how could their two worlds collide again just after she barely survived a meeting at his office?
He looks up and sees her. Surprised. He changes course and heads toward their bench with the little girl in tow.
Noah had stopped eating and is following her gaze, forgetting about the ice cream. "Mom? Who's that?"
Vivienne stays mute.
Noah openly stares at the strangers coming toward them, his curiosity clear, while Vivienne's mind races with a thousand scared thoughts.
Who is this kid? Alexander has a daughter? Of course he does. He's married.
But why, after all these years and all the pain and all the reasons she shouldn't care about him, does seeing Alexander with this little girl make her heart swell with emotions?
What is this feeling?