Rumor Has It

Part 38

They were cooking together when Bradley brought up the school event again and Lea was already more informed on it than he was himself.

"You can bring your own grownups to school." She explained and added another careful layer of banana slices to what she was going to call a salad.

"That's what the email said." He confirmed, nodding.

"How do you know who your grownup is?"

"Could be your mom or dad. Or you know, whoever changes your toothpaste for you when it's empty."

His daughter sat back and stared at him. She was waiting to see if he was going to laugh, but his mind was a mile away. "So grandma is my grownup too."

"She is. Do you remember last year? When she came to go with you? This year I won't be traveling, so I'll have time to come." He explained and checked his phone again for a timer to set.

"Mommy said she's going."

Bradley froze in his step and turned around slowly to face his daughter. "Did she tell you that?"

"Yes. She asked if I want her to come. She said we could all go together."

That was just what he had been afraid of. That one day Lea could assume there was any chance of "together". And he couldn't let Stefani walk into this blindly now.

*

They hadn't mentioned the school breakfast since that day he'd fallen into her hands after his relapse. It wasn't for a lack of interest, but Stefani hadn't brought it up and he was trying his best to put that entire weekend behind him. Although it was branded into his brain as another warning, nobody else had even noticed it, not Irina when she had brought her back and most importantly, not Lea.

But Stefani had understood what it meant, how it had turned him inwards and forced him back into reflection. He was even more reminded of the character he was developing for their film and explaining to her where he wanted to take Jackson, they had both realized how deeply invested they were and the script wasn't even finished.

One of them would call almost every night, after the kids had gone to bed, since that was all there was time for some days.

"What are you up to?" He asked when he heard her greeting in a half-yawn this time.

"Nothing much, we went to visit a friend. Did some work. Spent half an hour getting mud out of hair. Got made fun of by a 6-year-old while doing yoga." she said with a smile in her voice. "And she has this doll...she's called it Brad at least once and I'll have you know it's been a very fulfilling evening. What about you?"

"I'm going to need to see that doll next time. Are you coming to the school breakfast thing tomorrow?"

"Actually...my mother said it was silly to consider it. So I'm not sure anymore. She's offered to take her and make it a special day with grandma with a sleepover at their house and you said grandparents are pretty common, so maybe that would be better?"

"Stef, breathe. It's going to be fine. Just bring your mom? It said two adults are fine. And she can take over if you think you have to go. But fair warning...I called to let you know that Irina is going, too."

"Oh."

"I know."

"So you'll go together?"

Not together-together, he wanted to avoid that word and that impression it could give completely. "Separately. But Lea will be at Irina's afterwards, too, so...I should be thankful she's been more involved, I know." He sighed and rubbed this finger over his temple. The rational thing was rarely the emotionally easy one.