When I moved in with my partner and his daughter, Mia, my son, Lucas, who was five years old at the time, was drastically different from before.
He stopped playing, clung to me continuously, and flinched anytime Mia came close to him. I was told by everyone that he would eventually become accustomed to it, but I knew the truth.
It had been only myself and my kid, Lucas, in our lives up until the time that Oliver came into our lives.
We were a small team consisting of two people who lived in a compact apartment that had creaky flooring, a kitchen faucet that was leaking, and curtains that did not quite meet in the middle.
It wasn’t much, but we had ownership of it.
Evenings were spent taking bubble baths and engaging in intricate dinosaur battles, while mornings were filled with cereal spills and watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.
The rhythm felt pleasant, despite the fact that I was exhausted the majority of the time. There was no one else that I believed I required.
In the middle of the afternoon, I found myself on my knees scrubbing the floor of the kitchen because of Lucas’s most recent creation.
He referred to it as his “great aquarium adventure,” and it consisted of blue food coloring, a stack of crackers, and a toy shark.
“Mommy, see, I’ve created an ocean!” Lucas made the announcement with a sense of pride, his little hands gesturing in the direction of the blue puddle that was all over the tile.
While I was wringing out the sponge, I groaned and said, “Of course you did.” “However, next time, how about we keep the ocean contained within a bowl, all right?”
I was about to throw the sponge into the sink when I heard the buzzing sound of my phone on the counter. I took a quick look at the screen.
Should we have coffee after six o’clock?
There was a brief moment of pause on my part. It turned out to be Oliver, the individual whom I had briefly encountered at a community benefit the previous month. We had given each other our phone numbers, but we hadn’t communicated since then.
Over a year had passed since I had finalized my divorce. a sufficient amount of time to overlook the unstated laws of dating. Long enough for the walls that surround me to feel like they are irreversible.
It’s nothing more than coffee, I reminded myself. It is not a proposal of marriage.
“Sure,” I typed back before I had the chance to analyze it too much.
In the corner of an ancient brick street, there was a quaint little café where we decided to meet up. As soon as I went in, Oliver stood up and smiled in a way that was both gentle and consistent towards me. His appearance suggested that he was someone who never ran out of dish soap and always had extra batteries on hand.
He greeted me with a friendly “You came,” and then he put a chair out for me.
I responded with a shrug and a shrug, “You asked,” while sitting down.
He exuded a sense of composure, the kind that made you feel as though you were being heard without the need to fill the awkward quiet.
There was a period in time when he remarked, “You have the kindest eyes.” You have earned the right to be cared for.
A sample of my cappuccino was taken by myself. “Right now, I am responsible for my own treatment. As well as Lucas’s. He is five years old, has a fascination with dinosaurs, and on occasion he transforms my kitchen into an aquarium.
Oliver let out a chuckle. “I also have a young one, and her name is Mia. She is six years old. It is a spark plug. Continually moving forward.”
Over the course of a few weeks, coffee became dinners, and dinners became visits that occurred almost every day.
We decided to meet at a park fair when we made the decision to introduce the children. On the other hand, Lucas went with the dragon, while Mia went with the white carousel unicorn. She explained to him that dragons did not exist. He stated that unicorns were superior. They had consumed an excessive amount of cupcakes, and by the time we left, their faces were covered in frosting. For a brief instant, everything appeared to be simple.
After a period of three months, Oliver turned his gaze to me from across the kitchen and stated, “You no longer have to live out of boxes.” In this moment, this might be your home. It is ours.”
I was hesitant. My years of struggling to make ends meet had taught me not to put too much stock in the assistance of other people. Then, however, I noticed that Lucas was dozing off on Oliver’s shoulder, smiling in a manner that I hadn’t seen him smile since before the divorce. Therefore, I responded with a yes.
When we first moved into the new house, it was almost as easy as breathing. Oliver prepared my coffee in the exact manner that I want, which was oat milk with a dash of cinnamon, and he did so while soft jazz music was playing in the background. While she was laughing, Mia scurried around in her glittering pajamas. Lucas constructed pillow forts in the living room, and while he was hiding under the covers, he inquired as to whether or not dragons were permitted inside.
Nevertheless, during the third week, cracks started to appear.
It was discovered that Lucas’s favorite toy car had been broken in half. Then someone else. It turned out that his bedtime book, which he had been using since he was two years old, had a page missing and the cover had been ripped.
He was kneeling near his toy box, staring at the broken car he was holding in his hands when I found him.
While I was crouching next to him, I said, “Lucas, what happened to your toys?”
Without looking directly into my eyes, he shrugged. “Not a thing.”
If you and Mia are getting along, how is it?
‘She has no interest in playing with me,’ I said.
Are you interested in having fun with her?
“That’s not really the case.”
It was the manner in which he expressed it that caused my stomach to tighten. His actions were not careless. It was as if his toys had sentiments of their own, and he handled them with care.
During that evening, after both of the children had gone to bed, I shared my observations with Oliver.
It seems to me that there is something going on between them. The things that Lucas owns continue to sustain harm, and he has become more reserved.
Oliver’s words came as he gently squeezed my hand and murmured, “They’re adjusting.” He said, “I’ll talk to them.”
The following day, he allowed both of them to sit on the couch.
His tone was upbeat as he asked, “Alright, team, is there anything going on that we ought to be aware of?”
“No, Daddy!” she exclaimed. With a wide smile on her face, Mia responded. While he remained close against my side, Lucas remained silent.
Later on that evening, Oliver shared with me, “See? The problem is not with Mia. Perhaps Lucas is simply going through a difficult moment. “In the past, he had you all to himself.”
I spoke in a low voice and stated, “Lucas has never had any problems with other children.”
Oliver responded, “I get it,” with a tone that somewhat veered on defensiveness. “However, it may be difficult for you to recognize that he is not flawless. Mia is a girl, and she would never intentionally cause harm to a boy.
It was painful.
When I woke up the following morning, I did not go to work. I needed to obtain a clearer understanding of the situation.
In the course of the weekend, Mia was incredibly lovely. In the midst of viewing cartoons, Lucas remained silent and did not laugh. During the afternoon of Sunday, she presented him some sweets. The man gave a head shake.
Thank you very much, but I do not want it.
My encouragement to Lucas was, “Lucas, she’s trying to be nice.”
He did not respond and instead simply headed to his room. Between them, there was a peculiar and weighty feeling in the air.
After that, Monday arrived, and the school began calling.
According to the voice that was heard on the phone, “Your son… was involved in an incident.” “I really need you to come in.”
At the time of my arrival, Lucas was sitting rigidly in a chair made of plastic close to a young lady who was crying.
It was reported by the principal that Lucas had tugged Katie’s hair. The person said, “This is not the first time that we have seen a reaction like this.”
There was complete silence throughout the entire trip home.
When we entered, Oliver slammed the door behind us and remarked in a stern tone, “This is evidence.” It is not Mia who is the issue. Consequences are crucial for Lucas. There will be no cartoons. There will be no excursions.”
“Do you believe that retribution is the solution? What, you can’t tell that he’s in pain? I inquired about it.
There is a boy who assaulted a girl, and there is a mother who justifies the boy’s actions! It was Oliver’s voice that broke. I haven’t even been able to recognize him this time.
Neither of us argued. Simply put, I was thinking, One more week.
The next morning, when I woke up to get a glass of water, I heard mutterings coming from the children’s bedroom. A shredding sound followed that.
When I opened the door, I discovered Mia sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and holding the cherished goodnight book that Lucas had given her. Each page was creased, and the spine was torn. Lucas came to a halt, his eyes wide open.
“No, no!” You can have that! He shed tears.
He is not your father; he is mine! Mia lost her temper.
“Mia…” As soon as I entered the room, my voice began to shake. “You’ve been destroying his belongings,” he said.
The tears began to pour out of her eyes as she yelled out, “He took my daddy!” As of right now, I am not the most popular! “I do not want you to be here!”
Sleep had left Oliver’s hair in a tangled mess as he emerged in the doorway. What exactly is going on?
Despite her tears, Mia ran to him. They are the ones you love now, not me.
He lingered close to her. “I may call you my princess. You are or will always be. Don’t worry, honey; love never runs out. It is expanding. There is sufficient for each and every one of us.
After that, he turned his gaze on me. “I am very sorry. You were absolutely correct. I should have paid attention.”
On the next day, we were all gathered in the living room. Although Lucas was leaning against me, Mia was snuggled up under Oliver’s arm.
The words “Sophie and I love each other” were spoken softly by Oliver. It does not imply that somebody loves you less than they do. You are loved by a greater number of individuals presently.
Mia was the subject of his gaze. On top of that, Lucas is now your brother. This place is a family because of love.
Her lip shook slightly. Will you continue to adore me the way you did before?
As promised, Oliver stated, “Always.”
Now she was looking at Lucas. I am truly sorry.
After a little pause, Lucas gave a slight nod of his head. “All right. “Just… please don’t rip my books any more.”
It took some time for us to develop into the ideal family unit. On the other hand, things began to shift gradually. Despite the fact that there were still disagreements, there were also times when they built forts together, raided the kitchen for cookies, and laughed at each other’s whispered secrets.
I realized that we were finally going to be able to function as a unit when I heard them laughing — and I mean genuinely laughing — when they were playing.