Promises (TP 6)

69 - Summah

Tessa second guessed going to Patrick's on the last day of school. It wasn't inconvenient because it was a tradition for everyone to go to the beach after school let out at noon. Tessa knew she could park at Patrick's house, but drove to the town lot instead. She had purchased a parking pass that morning at town hall. Street parking wasn't allowed on The Point in the summer. Patrick had to get permission for the party guests to park. The town generated income from parking fees and street parking cut into it. Point residents didn't mind because the town maintained the beach. One sunny day resulted in overflowing trash cans.

Megan explained how it worked while Tessa sat next to her on the sand. She probably could have parked at Megan's, but she hadn't offered, and Tessa didn't ask.

"I assumed you would park at Patrick's."

"No. He's not there and I'm not well liked at that house."

"Seriously?" Megan frowned. "Kevin is a great kid and Gabby is amazing. Is it Hannah? She's a tougher nut." Megan lowered her voice. "She's her mother's daughter."

Diplomacy was difficult. "She misses her mother and sees me as a threat."

"A threat to what?"

Tessa sighed. "Her mother's memory, I guess. I don't know. Patrick's in the middle."

"The good news is she'll be gone in two months."

Tessa lowered her voice. "She's not gone now. She's right there with her friends."

Megan looked in direction of the group of four. "I don't know her boyfriend, but the other two are good kids. The other boy lost his mother. I work with his brother. She could have worse friends."

"I'm sure Patrick will find that comforting. She's seen me."

Hannah glared at her. Tessa smiled and waved, feeling sick inside. Why was she afraid of a teenage girl? The stakes were too high. Hannah had to like Tessa, or at least her child. How could Patrick be involved with their child if its sister hated it?

Megan put her hand on Tessa's arm. "Teens are emotional. She'll come around."

Tessa didn't think so. Others from their children's school joined them. Soon there was a group of kids and mothers taking up a large section of the beach. More than once, someone asked if she was really dating the popular doctor. She smiled and nodded, because denying it wouldn't help when she revealed her pregnancy.

Her first prenatal visit went fine. She was healthy. Her nervousness about being unmarried disappeared. Her doctor didn't comment when she asked who she lived with. Then she asked if Tessa felt safe at home. She answered, yes, but thought because she didn't live with her baby's teen half-sister, who hated her.

As afternoon on the beach passed, Tessa felt a shadow and looked to see Megan's big kids behind her with their friends, including Kevin.

"Mom. Do you have water?" Nick asked.

"Not enough for all of you. Go to the house and get drinks."

Just before they walked away. Kevin waved. "Hi Tessa."

She smiled. "Hi Kevin. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Later." He waved again.

"See, that was friendly for a teen. Believe me." Megan paused. "Maybe someday you'll be his stepmother."

Tessa shook her head. "I think it would take a miracle."

Maybe not a miracle, but Hannah was a problem, even if she and Patrick discovered they loved each other.

As the afternoon went on, clouds moved in to block the sun. Mothers packed up their kids. Maya sat on Tessa's lap, wrapped in a towel and shivering. Tessa hadn't planned to go home before dinner but couldn't go to Patrick's when he wasn't there.

When Chloe and Abbie complained about the cold, Megan packed up. "Are you planning to stay?"

"I guess not. I had planned to stay on the beach until Patrick came home from work."

"Come back to my house. The girls can shower off and change."

Tessa stood. "I don't want to intrude."

"Seriously, you've been to my house enough. It's like Grand Central Station."

Tessa offered Megan a ride, so they loaded the beach paraphernalia in the back of her car. At Megan's, the girls loved the outside shower. They giggled until they were back in their school clothes and ran upstairs to Abbie's room.

Tessa asked, "Are you completely done for the summer?"

Megan nodded. "High school is not like the younger grades. Becka won't be done with her room yet. She's coming for dinner tonight to celebrate."

"I shouldn't be here if you're having company."

Megan waved her hand. "She's family. Plus, they're bringing the food."

"What about parking?"

"The street's fine once the town lot stops charging for the day."

Their conversation was interrupted by singing. "School's out for summah. School's out foreva..."

Peter sang as he walked into the house. He dropped his bag and grabbed Megan and kissed her. Tessa had to look away. They had been married for more than a decade and were kissing like teenagers. She blushed as she thought of kissing Patrick.

Smiling, Megan swatted him. "Tessa's here."

Peter turned and smiled. "Sorry. Where are the kids?"

Megan shrugged. "Abbie's upstairs. Your sister is coming soon."

He disappeared up the stairs. Megan looked sheepish. "Sorry about that. He knows how much I love summer vacation."

"It's nice to see you're still in love."

Megan smiled. "You will be too."

Tessa refused to think about love and Patrick. Call it preservation of her already wounded heart, but she wouldn't fall for Patrick first. She would let herself feel, only if he loved her.

Megan's house felt overcrowded when Becka arrived with her husband. He was a large, muscular man, and she was petite next to him. A beautiful young woman with red hair held hands with a large guy with tattoos and hair which looked overdue for a cut.

"Victoria, this is my friend Tessa. This is John's daughter and her boyfriend Garrett."

"Where did Becka go?" Victoria asked.

Megan said, "Upstairs. Tessa's oldest was one of hers."

Victoria smiled. "She treats them all like her own children. She shouldn't have married an old man then she could have her own kids."

"I'm not that old. I'm only forty-six. Our childless status is none of your business."

Tessa noted he was only two years older than Patrick, who was having another baby.

Just before six, she hoped Patrick was home. "I'm going to round up my two and go. Thanks for giving us a place to hang out."

"Anytime. Abbie loves Chloe. I'll get the girls."

The girls came running down the stairs. Maya said, "Mom, did you see Mrs. Thorpe."

"I did, honey. Come on. We're going to dinner at Doc's house."

"And we're having ice cream!" Chloe bounced out the door.

She parked in front of Patrick's house and picked up her phone to text him to make sure he was there. Before she sent the text, he pulled into his driveway. Dressed just like he had the night she first saw him, he walked down the driveway to meet her. When he gave her a quick hug, she could smell the faint scent of starch, but mostly his familiar scent. She blushed as she remembered the greeting Megan had from her husband.

A/N the irony is school is out, but it is my official last day off for summer. Monday morning I go back to work 🥺 I had days at the beach and in Lana's pool. I had my favorite ice cream and a lobster roll. I wrote a lot and edited. I finished The Unexpected Story edits. I apologize to anyone who read that it was awful. I had tried an editing software which made it worse.