Promises Forgotten
Chapter 9

“I’m sorry…what?” The voice on the other end stammered.

Wiping my eyes, I shook my head at Mike who sent me a worried glare. Turning, I leaned against the wall, away from the eyes of customers.

“I said, what took you people so damn long? I put in requests for the divorce as soon as I heard about his f*****g engagement to that cunt. I didn’t hear a single reply back. Not one. Honestly, three f*****g months till their wedding and you’re just calling me now?”

I could hear laughter on the other end. I knew other people were listening and I wondered if he was as well. I hoped he was. I hope he could hear the spite in my voice.

“I’m sorry ma’am, there are some circumstances that prevented us previously coming forward. However, we would like to invite you out to the office to settle everything.”

“Oh yeah?” I rolled my eyes. Of course, out to them. Why am I not surprised? “You realize I run my own business and I have other things that I need to do, correct? I can’t just drop everything for your whims because you took so damn long.”

Lord, let me make it through this call. Please let me make it through this call without breaking down. Hold the anger. Hold onto it like a life f*****g boat on the damn Titanic. They didn’t need to hear my weakness. Not now, not ever.

“We will pay your expenses to fly here as well as your accommodations while you stay.”

Fury rippled through me. “I don’t want you or your employers money. Do you hear me? If I come, I will pay for my damn self. I want nothing from either or you.” I nearly hung up the phone there at the insult. Like I couldn’t f*****g make it myself.

“We would like to have you out within the week Mrs. Evelyn, if you can.”

I looked at Mike and caught his eye. I motioned him over. Putting a hand on the mouthpiece of the wall phone, I shook my head. “Can you call Anne right now? See if her and Jacob can take Elliot for a few days? Tell him he can keep his hundred bucks if he does this for me.”

Mike nodded and took out his cell, making a quick call. He spoke quickly before coming back over to me. “Anne and him are leaving for vacation in six days.”

Nodding, I sighed. “If they can pick him up from school tomorrow, I’ll take flight out and be back in four days. Elliot will be pissed but I’ll bring him something back.”

Mike nodded and went back to his phone call, filling in Jacob. I rolled my eyes and brought the phone back up.

“You still there Derek Johns?”

“Yes ma’am.”

I growled. “I’m not that old, a*****e. I’m three years younger than your f*****g asshat of an employer so you can quit trying to suck up to me. You have me for four days. I will land tomorrow and be in your office. I will text you the time I land and you can adjust your meetings around that. If you don’t have your ducks in a row by the time I leave, next time, you’re flying out to LA to get shit done, is that understand?”

“Yes ma’am…er…I mean…yes Mrs. Evelyn.”

“Good. Your number?”

The lawyer gave me his number where I can text.

“Mine will be the LA number. I doubt you have many texting you. As soon as I know my landing time, I will update you. Have a wonderful day.”

Slamming the phone down on the receiver, I slid down the wall into a ball. Burying my face into my knees, I tried to hold back the tears but they weren’t having it. I was too upset and too frustrated. How was I supposed to face him? He was going to be there, right? I mean he had to sign off on the paperwork as well right? How could I face him after everything? I did not think this plan through. I should have just had them send it over email and never touched it in person.

“You okay?”

I looked up to see Mike’s worried face and his hand on my shoulder. Smiling, I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I brought my hands up and slapped my cheeks. Wincing, I chuckled.

“Why do you always do that when you know your damn right side is going to get hit with a metal object?”

“I forget it’s there?” I smiled, asking for forgiveness.

He shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. You going to be okay going on your own though? Do you want me to go with you?”

I shook my head this time. “No no. I need someone to watch over the cafe. If you can, when Jacob drops off Elliot at school, try to rope him into work. I know he misses culinary school. He needs to get his a*s back in that kitchen. I love Anne but she needs to let him do what he loves.”

“Yeah, I’m not starting that fight. No thanks. But he did thank you for wipping this debt. I owe you a hundred though.”

“Yeah yeah. Back to work. I need to pick up Elliot at two-thirty and tonight it poetry night. That hundred better be in my hands tonight.”

Mike wrinkled his nose. “Great. The weirdo’s come out at night.”

I jabbed him with my metal elbow and he growled. “Shit that hurts!”

“Don’t make fun of them just because they are able to express themselves, O’ man of loose morals.”

I called back as I pulled the muffin mix and began to fill the tins with the mixture. We worked and sang the rest of the day until I had to pick up Elliot from school. Sprinting because I needed to pull a batch of the sandwich rolls out of the over before I left, I was going to get there a couple minutes late. Elliot was standing with Jan, holding her hand and I could tell he had been crying. Jan’s mom was looking at me, a smile trying not to make it on her face. This did not bode well.

Smiling, I went down on my knees and held my arms out. Elliot ran to me and started to cry, burying his head in my shoulder. I rubbed his back as Jan and her mom came towards me.

“What’s up, little man? What happened?”

He sniffled and shook his head.

“Elliot met a frog today.” Jan said plainly. Her mom was still having a hard time fighting the smile on her face. “He realized just how slimy they were.”

“Elliot, you knew frogs were slimy. You’ve given me multiple facts as to why they are slimy.”

He shook his head and pulled back, looking at me very seriously. “Mom, you don’t understand. It was gross. They felt gross. It wasn’t just wet but it was sticky too.”

“Little man, that’s what slime is. If they meant wet, they would say wet. Slime implies both wet and sticky.” I brushed his hair back with my hand.

Damn if he wasn’t the spitting image of his father. If anyone actually gave a crap about the Anderson family or their company they would be able to point to him and say that Elliot was his son hands down. The boy came from me and sometimes I questioned if he was my son, if I even contributed anything. I smiled at him and kissed his forehead.

“Do you hate frogs now?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want one as a pet. I think they are cool but I don’t want to touch them.”

“That’s good. Cause a good percentage of them, that slime is poisonous right?”

He nodded and smiled. “Like the tree frogs.” Sniffling, I pulled him into a hug and covered him in k****s until he started to laugh.

I stood up, holding him in my left arm. “Thanks for hanging out with him and supporting him Jan through this trial of his love of frogs.”

The little girl nodded her head, proud of herself. Her mom, however has lost her composure and was smiling brightly. “Have a wonderful day you two!”

“You as well!”

We took off in our different directions and I carried Elliot as we walked back to the cafe.

“Mom, you can set me down if I’m too heavy.”

I chuckled. “You don’t weigh more than the sack of flour I cart around all day.”

“Yeah but you use your robot arm for that. You don’t use your robot arm when you carry me.”

“Are you saying I can’t carry a flour bag with my left arm! I am offended!” I faked hurt but my son just laughed.

He patted my shoulder. “No mom. You are the strongest.”

“That’s right! Don’t you forget it!”

Elliot laughed and hugged me. “You’re the best mom.”

“I know.” I sighed and kissed his head. “Sweetheart, mom has to go away for a couple days though. You’ll stay with Uncle Jacob and Aunt Anne.”

“What! Mom! No! I don’t want to!” Elliot squirmed out of my arm and dropped to the ground. His little frame putting his arms across his chest and a pout on his face almost made me laugh.

Squatting down, I took his hands. “Mom needs to do this. If I didn’t haven’t to I wouldn’t. This is to secure your college fund though. Making sure you are taken care of in the future or if something something happens to me, alright?”

“Are you going to see dad?”His voice is so small and it broke my heart.

“I am. We need to work on some paperwork before your Dad is able to work towards his goals.”

Elliot walked toward me and buried his head in my chest. “Does Dad not want to meet me?”

I ran my hands through his hair. “It’s not that sweetheart, I promise. One day, you will be able to meet him. Maybe then you will be old enough to play him the song you listen to. I bet you he would like that.” I kissed his head. “Don’t you worry, sweetheart. It has nothing to do with you or how he feels about you. Dad is just working really hard on his dreams. When he has reached them, then you can tell him congratulations yourself and play him a song.”

I felt his little head nod against me and I smiled. “Come on sweetheart. I made a new batch of rolls just before I left. So I can make up some yummy meatball subs.”

“Will Uncle Jason pick me up from school tomorrow.”

“Yup, and you make sure he makes you something yummy for dinner.”

Elliot huffed. “Auntie Anne never puts salt on anything.”

I chuckled. “You be sure to tell her that next time you taste something that doesn’t have enough salt.”

“No mom. She doesn’t put any salt. Not under salting.”

This time I laughed wholeheartedly and took his hand as we walked back to cafe.

He grumbled. “You only laugh ‘cause you don’t have to eat it.”