Little Bit Yours 💜

Eight

Andy knocks on the door just before six and Braeden runs to open the door before Audrey can get there, opening the door with a giant grin on his face. "Braeden! What is the rule?!"

Braeden sighs, hanging his head down. "Don't open the door. I'm sorry, mama."

Andy stifles a laugh as he enters with a pizza in his hands, kicking the door shut behind him. "It's okay, bud. But your mom is right, you have to be careful. Always wait for an adult to open the door."

Audrey smiles, offering him a thankful look as she accepts the pizza, setting it on the coffee table. "I'll get some plates and stuff. Do you want a beer?"

"Sure, thanks." He smiles back at her, both hesitating a moment as their eyes lock before she clears her throat to turn toward the kitchen. He plops on the couch with Braeden with his feet up on the coffee table and laughs when Braeden copies him. He stares up at Andy with a smile on his face, making his heart clench in his chest.

"One movie and then a bath and bed." Audrey sits on the other side of Andy as Braeden rolls his eyes, but nods as Andy chuckles.

"I know..." He huffs, smiling at Andy. "Can we watch Toy Story?"

"Of course! I love Toy Story. It was my son's favorite movie when he was a kid too." Audrey stares at Andy, handing him a beer as he frowns, mouthing an apology to her.

"Your son?"

Andy nods, smiling at Braeden. "Yeah. I have another son. He's your older brother. He's twenty-one and lives in another state."

Braeden nods, processing what Andy has said before he smiles up at him. "Can I meet him?"

"Yeah, bud. Of course you can." Andy nods, patting his leg. "I told him about you and he's going to come home soon. Maybe for your birthday, would you like that?"

"Yes!'

Andy laughs at his excitement. "Good. I'll ask him then."

Audrey leans back, listening to them chatting through the movie as everyone eats. Every once in a while Andy would look at her with a small smile, and it almost felt normal, the three of them. They almost felt like a family. When the movie ends, Braeden whines about wanting to stay up, but Audrey shakes her head, standing her ground. "I'm sorry, honey but you need a bath and need to go to bed."

"Can I take him?" Andy stands up with her as Braeden grins and Andy lifts him into his arms. "I have done this before you know."

"I know. I know. Of course, go ahead." She sighs, letting Braeden show Andy the bathroom as she cleans up the living room. She grabs them both more beers and sits back on the couch when Braeden runs into the living room in his Iron Man pajamas.

"Night, mama!"

She giggles, scooping him into her lap to kiss him before Andy takes him. "Goodnight honey." She sits nervously on the couch until Andy comes back to plop beside her, accepting the beer. He rests it on the coffee table, bringing his arm up on the back of the couch as he turns slightly to face her.

"How is your mom?"

She sighs, shrugging slightly as she fidgets with her hands in her lap. "We went to check on her earlier. She's upset, obviously. But I think she had already come to terms with it. He had been sick for so long. The funeral will be later this week..." She watches him nod, looking away from her, both of them silent for a while. "You're taking this better than I had expected."

"I can't exactly yell at you because I don't want to scare Braeden. But I can't lie, Addie, and say I'm not upset. I'm fucking pissed. How could you keep him from me?"

She hangs her head, raking her lip nervously through her lip, not being able to hold eye contact any longer. "I'm sorry. I didn't know until after I had left. I was under the impression you were living here happily with your wife. You chose her, not me, Andy."

"Don't." He scoffs, shaking his head, grabbing her chin to force her to face him. "You know I wasn't happy. I did what I thought was right. Even if it was the wrong decision. Even if I regretted it every fucking day." He sighs, standing up to pace with his hands on his hips. "What did Laurie tell you?"

"That she was pregnant and forced you to choose her, but she ended up losing the baby. And here I thought you were only sleeping with your mistress. But I guess one woman isn't enough for you, huh Andy? I guess that's why you strung me along for as long as you did, only for you to walk away from me." She leaps to her feet as he stops pacing to turn and face her. "You walked away from me first, Andy!"

"I know I made a lot of mistakes, and I didn't treat you as well as I should have..."

She scoffs, shaking her head angrily. "As well as you should have?! I was just a hole for you to fill when your wife didn't put out! Let's not exaggerate our relationship."

"You can't really think that!" He clenches his jaw tightly, trying to not yell even though he was getting worked up.

She grabs his hand, dragging him into the garage and shutting the door. "Please don't wake Braeden..."

"Please don't undervalue our relationship or what you meant to me!"

She stares at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as she tries to swallow the lump in her throat. "It's hard to believe any of it was real, Andy. But that's not why you're here." She takes a deep breath before raising her head to look up at him. "You're here to get to know your son. I'm sorry that I kept you from him."

"If your dad didn't get sick and you didn't move back here, would I have ever known?" He asks the one question that had been bothering him since he found out about Braeden.

"I don't know," she answers softly, breaking eye contact as silent tears streak her cheeks, her stomach flipping as she stares at the wall.

"I've missed so much, Addie. I missed everything. Late night cravings, ultrasounds, false alarms. The birth! Walking, talking. I won't get any of that back." She starts to cry when he yells, making her jump slightly. "Look at me, Audrey!"

She looks up at him to find him crying as he nods and looks away from her. "I'm sorry, Andy..."

"I want to see him on a regular basis. I want him next weekend and we can work out a schedule. What's his full name? When is his birthday?"

She swallows hard, wiping her cheeks with her palms. "Braeden Andrew Parker. June 27th."

He shakes his head with a scoff. "You didn't even give him my name?" He glares at her, not letting her respond as she looks away from him. "I want him to have my name."

"Fine. Do you want a paternity test first?"

"No, I know he's mine." He sighs, watching her as she stares down at the ground. "I should go. I'll see you tomorrow and we can work out a schedule."

"Fine." She nods, brushing past him as he grabbed her hand, catching her off guard as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm really sorry, Andy."

"I know, baby. I know..." He sighs, resting his head on hers as she melts into him. "I know I pushed you away, so this isn't all your fault. But I'm still upset and angry. I really do have to go."

"Okay," she whispers, pulling away to lead him back into the living room and watches him put on his shoes.

He opens the front door, hanging his head down as he pauses, not looking at her, but at the ground. "Please don't minimize our relationship. I loved you. I still do."

She doesn't respond as he leaves, shutting the door softly behind him as she just continued to stand in the middle of the living room crying silently.