Perfect Doesn't Last Forever

Chapter Eighteen

            “Thank you Maya,” I say gratefully.  “Thank you so much for helping Damien raise Hayley into the wonderful woman that she is today.  Thank you for saving her and Damien when I’d left them.  Thank you for letting Hayley and me get to know each other again and thank you for dinner.  All you’ve done really means a lot to me.”

            “Honestly Brittany,” Maya says, walking over and taking my hand in hers.  “I don’t know what I would have done if Damien hadn’t saved Addie and me.  But hearing you say all of that makes me feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me.  Ever since you came back, I’ve secretly been hoping that you approved of the life that Damien and I have built with our own daughters and our own two babies.”

            “You don’t need my approval Maya,” I tell her, pulling her into a hug, surprised by her desire for my approval.  I never though anyone from my old life would want my approval, I basically burned ever bridge I had in my old life when I left.  “You have done wonderfully without it.”

            Maya looks at me gratefully before turning back to cooking dinner.  Damien gives me a sort of look, sort of expectant, and I can feel Preston’s eyes on me as well.  Both of them expecting me to start the conversation, but I don’t know what to say.  I look at both men and then look to Lucas, who still, much to my chagrin, is sitting alone, only this time he is playing a game on his phone.  I take a deep breath and slide my glass onto the counter beside Preston. 

            I don’t want Lucas to spend the whole night alone as the adults talk.  I don’t want Hayley and her siblings to think that Lucas doesn’t want to be there because I know he isn’t completely against the idea; it was only mildly difficult to convince Lucas to come to this dinner.  So, I step away from Preston and Damien and make my way over to sit next to Lucas.

            “Hey buddy,” I greet, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.  “What are you playing?”

            “Thanks a lot mom,” Lucas groans, dropping his phone into his lap and shrugging my arms off.  “You made me lose.”

            “Sorry Luke,” I laugh, ruffling his hair.  “I thought we had a deal though.”

            “I came tonight didn’t I?”

            “Yes, but could you please just try and make an effort to connect with Hayley’s siblings?” I ask, looking over at Adeline, who, like Lucas, is sitting alone on her phone.  “Maybe go talk to Addie?”

            “She doesn’t seem like she wants to be here, so why should I make the both of us suffer?” Lucas asks annoyingly.  He picks his cellphone up again when it buzzes, but before he can check the message, I lower the phone back down into his lap. 

            “Will you tell me why you aren’t making an effort?  You promised you would.” I rested my arm over his shoulder and waited for Lucas to answer.  Preston doesn’t know, but Lucas had been lashing out against me since the whole Hayley situation was introduced to him.  Lucas keeps his role of obedient son when Preston is around, but when it is just the two of us; Lucas refuses to follow my rules or requests when it comes to Hayley.  I haven’t told Preston yet, because after dinner with my siblings and their families and after dozens of outings with Hayley, I thought Lucas was over it.  However, last night when Preston was showering, Lucas approached me and told me that he refused to participate in tonight’s dinner. 

            “I told you already,” Lucas starts, rolling his eyes at me.  “I just don’t like the fact that this entire vacation has been centered around Hayley and we only just met her.  It has been three weeks and we’ve basically spent everyday doing things with her.  I want to go to my mom’s.”