“Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean this is something you have to do. I just think that you’re the only one that might convince him to do it. It’s your call, Callie, and whatever you decide, you have my support.”
“Well, I might have your support, but I know I won’t have his. Wes already doesn’t want to speak to me again, so I can only imagine what he’ll do when he finds out I’ve spoken to her.”
She blows out a breath. “You know why he doesn’t want anything to do with you, right?”
“Yeah. He’s running again.”
“Exactly. Just think about that. I need to go referee, so let me know what you decide, okay, sweetheart?”
Whatever I decide to do, I have a strong feeling that, either way, there will be consequences that I may not want to deal with. The lesser of the two evils—ignoring her—isn’t going to be beneficial to Wes, but trying to push them together could be hazardous to my own health. Wes is going to strangle me.
But who am I kidding? As much as I’d like to question it, I already know exactly what I’m going to do.
MONDAYS. I HATE them.
So it’s only fitting that I agree to meet with Wesley’s biological mother on a Monday, just to make it completely horrible. I’m drowning my reluctance in coffee, but unfortunately, the overdose of caffeine has put me more on edge than normal. I keep telling myself that I’m doing this for Wes. I’m doing this so that he has a chance at happiness. I know I’m sacrificing the chance for us to be together, simply because he’s going to be infuriated with me, but a true friend has to be the martyr sometimes.
The bell hanging over the coffee shop door jingles, and I inwardly cringe, looking up from my mug. Chesley looks pretty today in her floral print dress and sandals. Her short hair is curled neatly and swept back from her face with a lavender headband. As soon as her eyes meet mine, I can see that I’m not the only nervous one.
She smiles sweetly and approaches my table at the back corner of the shop. “Nice to see you again, Callie. Thank you for meeting with me.”
“You, too. I won’t lie, though . . . it wasn’t an easy decision to make. And I’m still worried that it might come back to bite me. Hard.”
“The fact that you’re here tells me that you care about Wesley.” She drops into the seat across from me, declining the waitress’ offer to take her order. “I’m glad to know that there’s someone in his life that cares enough to want to protect him. I know this can’t be easy for you, Callie, and I hate to drag you into my mess. I just don’t know who else to turn to.”
“I know.” I look down at her wringing hands, her skin a deep shade of pink from constantly twisting and squeezing. “Before I agree to help you any more after today, I have to know for sure that talking to you will be beneficial to him, that it won’t hurt him worse than he’s already hurt. I’m sure you can understand that.”
“Sure, I absolutely do. But what do you mean by hurt?”
“Forgive me for being blunt, but I don’t know any other way to say it. Do you honestly think that knowing his mother didn’t want him makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside? That’s a wound so deep and infected that it’s altered his entire course through life. Twice in his life, two of the most important people to him walked away, so now he doesn’t believe that anyone could ever love him enough to stay with him. He believes that he isn’t worthy and that he’s unlovable. And because of that, he comes across that way to people. He pushes people away before he can ever get attached.”
Her eyes are brimmed with unshed tears, and a frown mars her thin lips. “I—I made him that way? Oh, God. There wasn’t ever a time that I didn’t want him. Not even one second. Eve is a much better person than I could ever be, so I’ve told myself all along that he’s been better off. I never thought for a minute that I even crossed his mind. I have to make it right. Even if he won’t ever talk to me, Callie, you have to tell him that he’s wrong.”
“It’s much more complicated than that. I don’t understand how you wanted him but didn’t stay with him. I’m sure he’s going to question that, too.”
A long exhale escapes her lips, her body slumping slightly as the air leaves her slight frame. “I know I told you that I’d answer any questions you have, but no one knows the answer to that question except for me and my parents. Not even Robert and Eve have known all these years why I’ve never been a part of Wesley’s life. There are a couple of reasons why, but it all started with my parents. They were very strictly religious and prominent members of their church, and they were opposed to Robert at the first mention of him. When we met, I was only sixteen, and even though they promised I could date at that age, they had major issues with me dating a seventeen year old. In fact, they were so opposed that we had to sneak around to see each other for an entire year. I was seventeen when I found out I was pregnant with Wesley.”