揑t makes perfect sense. I want you to do whatever it is that makes you happy. I don抰 care. I抣l support you no matter what.?
揟hank you,?she whispers almost shyly. 揑 want to keep my mom抯 store.?I抳e suspected as much. She抯 far more attached to it than her mother抯 house, which we抮e hoping to put up for sale in a few weeks. 揑抦 just trying to figure out how. I can抰 keep it and not use it, you know.?
揑抦 sure you抣l figure something out. I mean, you could always do this.?I point at the spread of items for the cupcakes.
揇o what??She sounds stunned. 揙pen a bakery? Thayer, I抦 no professional.?
揕ots of home bakers open their own business. You could do it too, Salem. I know you could.?
Her nose crinkles as she thinks it over. 揌mm, maybe.?
揥hat were you considering before??
She shrugs. 揘othing I was crazy about, but cupcakes,?she muses. 揧ou might be on to something and I know it sounds crazy but I think my mom would be proud to know that I was making cupcakes in her shop.?
揑 think she would too.?
揂nd maybe I could start making candles again梞ake ones in cupcake scents and sell them too.?She抯 starting to glow now, getting excited over this idea.
She continues to ramble about what colors she抎 paint the walls, what kind of d閏or she抎 want, she might not realize it, but I do.
She抯 just found her passion.
It抯 fully dark when Caleb pulls into our driveway. Seda hops out from the back, running over to hug her mom and then me.
Caleb gets out, grabbing her bag and slowly approaches us on the porch.
揝eda, why don抰 you run inside and grab a cupcake??Salem asks her.
揜eally??Her eyes light up. 揧ou never let me have sweets before bed.?
揟onight is an exception.?
揧ay!?Seda runs inside, the door slamming closed behind her.
When she抯 gone, Salem asks him, 揧ou抮e not going all the way back to Boston tonight, are you??
He shakes his head. 揘o, I was actually wondering ?well, I wanted to talk to you guys about something.?
揙h??She arches a brow.
揥hy don抰 we sit down??He suggests, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Salem and I end up on the swing while Caleb pulls up one of the other chairs on the porch.
揑s everything okay??Salem asks, genuine concern in her voice for her ex.
揧eah, nothing抯 wrong.?He runs his fingers through his hair.
揝o, what is it??
I narrow my eyes on the man across from me, watching him curiously.
With an inhale of breath, he says, 揧ou抮e selling your mom抯 house, right??
Salem抯 brows furrow. 揧eah.?She crooks her head to the side. 揥hy??
揂nd you抮e planning on living here? You won抰 be moving??
Salem looks at me, a question in her eyes.
Do we tell him?
I nod. I抦 not going to stop her from letting him know and he抯 so involved in our lives he deserves to know.
揟hayer and I got married this weekend.?
Caleb抯 eyes widen. 揙h, wow. Uh. Congratulations.?
揟hanks.?Salem tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. 揟o answer your question, yes, we plan on staying here. Thayer抯 updated this house and I love it. It feels right to stay.?
揋ood, good.?He rubs his hands over the legs of his pants. 揑 want to buy your mom抯 house.?
揥hat??Salem blurts, stunned.
I narrow my eyes on the man across from me, wondering what his thought process is behind this.
揑 want to buy it. Seda抯 going to be with you the majority of the time and I know that makes the most sense with school and everything and I like the idea of her growing up in my childhood hometown.?Salem told me once that Caleb is descended from our town抯 founding family. 揑f I buy your mom抯 house that means I get to see her more often. I抦 close, but I have my own space. I can fix it up and make it my own. I抎 keep my place in Boston and I抎 be there most of the time, but I could come here on the weekends. It might do me some good to get away from work and the city.?He exhales heavily. 揑 want to be close to my little girl. I don抰 want our relationship to change. I promise you guys will hardly see me. I抣l keep to myself. Whatever you and Georgia plan on selling the house for, I抣l pay it.?
Do I love the idea of Salem抯 ex living right next door?
Fuck no.
But at the same time, I understand his motivation and commend him. Not many men would go out of their way for a child that is biologically someone else抯。 I have my issues with Caleb梐nd if I抦 honest with myself they all stem from jealousy梑ut he抯 a good man. He deserves to find his own happiness in this world, and I hope one day he does.
Salem and I exchange a look, a million words passing unsaid between us. It抯 a beautiful thing when you can talk to someone without even opening your mouth.
揂ll right,?Salem says. 揑t抯 yours.?
Caleb lets out a sigh of relief. 揑 thought you抎 say no.?
Salem shakes her head. 揌onestly, I think it抯 a great idea for Seda. Perfect, really. But are you going to be okay with it??
Caleb looks between us, his shoulders falling. 揑 am. A part of me will always love you, Salem. You were my first love, but seeing what you two have ?we never had that.?He rubs a hand over his jaw. 揑抳e been seeing someone. I don抰 know where it抯 going to go. We抳e only been on a few dates, but I thought you should know that.?
Salem nods in thanks. Even though it isn抰 something she talks about with me, I know she worries about Caleb. He was her best friend, her first love too, and she wants him to be happy.
揟he house is yours then.?
CHAPTER 49
THAYER
We clear out the rest of Allison抯 house, Georgia and Salem both keeping only a minimal amount of their mom抯 stuff. I can tell it抯 hard for her, accepting that her mom is truly gone, but she抯 handling it better than I could抳e imagined.
揟he relator is going to start the process this weekend while we抮e gone.?She stuffs some socks in her bag. We抮e headed to the Hamptons for Lauren抯 wedding.
Despite us being a couple now, a married one at that, I didn抰 expect to get an invite to the wedding. I know Lauren抯 not my biggest fan, and I抳e accepted that. I appreciate it, even, because Salem is lucky to have a friend who cares so much.
My phone rings and I抦 not surprised to see that it抯 my brother. I hold up my phone, letting Salem know I抦 taking the call and step outside our bedroom. She抯 already added her touch, switching out my gray comforter for a white one, and changing the lamps beside the bed.
揌ello??
揌ey, loser, how are you??
I roll my eyes at my brother抯 greeting. 揊ine. What抯 up??
揘othing much. Mom and Dad are bugging me about going to visit you.?
揥hy??I ask curiously, leaning against the wall in the hallway.
揥ell, I抦 guessing because you抮e married now with a kid that was a secret for years. They want to meet them both and they抮e old so need me to fly to them and drive them up there.?
It抯 the middle of September now, the end of summer. The past few years I went to them for the holidays桾hanksgiving and Christmas梑ut maybe this year we should go back to our old tradition, and I抣l have them here.
揥hat if I had Thanksgiving at my place again this year??
Laith抯 quiet. 揧ou would want that??
I haven抰 hosted the holiday since Forrest passed. It felt too lonely, that抯 why going to see my parents was easier.
揝ure, why not. It抯 a few months away still, but I think it would be nice, all of us together. And it would probably be easier for Seda and Salem to meet them here where they抮e comfortable. Seda抯 young, I don抰 want to take her away from her home to meet strange people for the first time.?