Toddler in Tow (Single Wide Female & Family #3) Page 3

  “I can’t believe it, Max! Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I am. I wasn’t sure at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I was missing. And for what?”

  “I’m so excited, Max. You have no idea.”

  “Me too.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips. “Thank you for waking me up and reminding me that we can decide how we want to live our lives. I got so caught up in the mindset that I had to work to make this firm successful that I forgot what really matters to me—my family. I don’t want Abby around people who don’t understand her. I don’t want her thinking she has to be a certain way in order to be accepted. She should be with us.”

  “This is amazing, Max. I can’t wait. We’re going to have so much fun together!”

  “I remember the last book tour.” He grinned. “It’s going to be great.”

  “Before you get any ideas, Abby is not getting a sibling any time soon.”

  “Never say never.” He winked.

  “Max!”

  “I’m just kidding.” He shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll still have a great time.”

  “What do you think, Abby?” I smiled at her. “Do you want to go on a trip with me and Daddy?”

  “Trip!” She pumped her hands in the air. “Let’s go!”

  “We’re not leaving just yet, but soon.”

  “Let’s go!” she whined.

  “Uh oh, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it just yet.”

  “You want to go, Abby?” Max smiled at her.

  “Yes! Let’s go!” She waved her hands in the air.

  Max picked her up out of her chair and flew her through the living room.

  First, she pretended to be a plane, then a helicopter, then a bird.

  By the time they both collapsed on the couch, my stomach hurt from laughing so hard.

  This was a moment we hadn’t shared in a very long time. It was a moment that I treasured immensely.

  And I knew, as our lives shifted back together, there would be a lot more of these moments.

  Chapter 7

  When I woke up the next morning, I reached for Max only to find the bed beside me was empty. My heart sunk. Had he changed his mind? Did he leave early to avoid admitting it?

  Two minutes later Abby bounced into my bed.

  “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” She jumped up and down. “I’m a bird!” She launched herself off the bed.

  I barely caught her before she hit the floor.

  “Okay, sweetie, you may be a bird, but you need to make sure that you land somewhere soft so you don’t get hurt. Can I be a bird with you?”

  “Yes!” She flapped her wings.

  I flapped mine.

  “I’m a bird that needs to brush my teeth.” I flapped my way to the bathroom.

  Abby followed after me.

  Once we were all brushed, we flapped to the kitchen to have some breakfast.

  There I found a note from Max.

  I went in early to have a meeting with the owner of the firm. I’ll call you later.

  I stared at the note, then reread it. Was he quitting? Was it just a normal meeting? The note wasn’t clear. I hoped that he would follow through with what he’d said the night before, but I knew how scary it was to make a change. It had taken a lot for me to turn my life around and follow my passion. Would Max be able to do it?

  After breakfast I turned on the pink rhino. I wanted to send out a few e-mails about the book tour and needed to be sure that Abby would be in one place for a little while—insert mommy guilt here. But I told myself that this was going to benefit us all in the long run.

  As I skimmed through my e-mails, I read a few in reaction to my blog post. Several people were interested in a book tour, but I didn’t just want to do a book tour. I wanted to have more control than I had the last time. I wanted the book signings to be accessible to everyone and focused on those just beginning their careers.

  That’s when it struck me that college would be the perfect time to make an impact in someone’s life. I sent back my idea to the woman who’d offered to organize a tour in the U.S. Then I began e-mailing a few colleges to see if they’d be interested in participating in a book tour.

  I got some responses back right away that liked the idea.

  Heather, the woman who’d offered to organize the tour, e-mailed me back, thrilled with the idea of a campus book tour.

  As I exchanged e-mails back and forth, I noticed that Abby wasn’t singing or dancing. She was standing quietly in front of the television. Far too quietly.

  “Abby?”

  She didn’t turn around. I could see her shoulder moving.

  “Abby, what are you doing?”

  Suddenly a pink marker dropped to the floor and Abby bolted.

  I stared in horror at the television screen. Instead of seeing a pink rhino, I saw a completely pink screen. Abby had colored all over it!

  “Abby!” I wailed and jumped to my feet.

  Maybe a campus tour was a great idea, but I also needed to remind myself that going on the tour as a family was going to be a bit more challenging than what Max and I had experienced the first time around together.

  Chapter 8

  After I searched online for how to get marker off a television screen, I found myself comparing prices for a new television.

  Then it hit me. I didn’t want her sitting in front of that TV anyway. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Sure, an expensive blessing, but it refocused my attention on my original goals for her childhood.

  “Alright, Abby, you have a lot of energy, let’s go outside and play.”

  We played ball, tag, and then sprawled out on the ground to look up at the clouds. My heart warmed as I shared such a priceless moment with my daughter. Maybe one day she too would find solace in the wide-open sky above her.

  By the time we went back inside, we were both dirty and sweaty. I ran a bath for her and piled in all of her bath toys.

  As she giggled and splashed I thought about what the tour might be like for her. Was it selfish of me to take a toddler on the road? Would there really be enough time for her to have fun and learn? As doubts filled my mind, I heard the front door open.

  “Max?” I glanced at my watch. It was far too early for him to be home.

  “Yeah, it’s me.” He closed the door.

  “We’re in the bathroom.”

  “Hey, gorgeous girls.” He smiled as he rested his shoulder on the doorframe.

  “What are you doing home so early?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, I met with my boss this morning to give him my two week’s notice and he fired me on the spot. He wasn’t happy. He told me that I was abandoning him at the worst time.” He cringed and looked down at his feet. “I actually felt really awful about it, so I went for a walk to sort things out. I almost called him to tell him that I would stay, but when I unlocked my phone to call him a picture of all of us at the park last month popped up on my phone and I knew. That company isn’t my ship, and it was sinking long before I was hired. This is my ship. Our ship. And that’s where my focus needs to be.”

  “Max, you have no idea how happy this makes me.”

  “I know how happy it makes me. Why don’t you let me get her dried off so you can take a nice hot bath?”

  “That sounds wonderful.” I sighed at the thought.

  “Ready to get out, Abby?”

  “Yup!” She jumped out of the tub and streaked off naked through the house.

  I couldn’t help but laugh as Max chased after her. This was exactly what our family needed.

  By that evening, most of the details had been worked out. We would hit six states: Maine, Florida, Texas, California, and Washington. Each state had a college that was more than happy to have me, and it would give me the best opportunity to reach all my readers. It would be a lot of travel, but I looked forward to it.

  While the dates were being worked out, Max and I had a lot to get ready. We needed to arrange a house-sitt
er, free up some money for travel, and of course inform our family and friends.

  I cringed at the thought of the family and friends part. I doubted that my mother was going to be very supportive of my taking her granddaughter on the road—not to mention the fact that most of Max’s friends would think he was nuts for giving up his high-paying job.

  There would be a lot of naysayers, and we would have to be strong enough to handle it. It wouldn’t help if I had doubts to add to their opinions. If we were going to do this, I needed to be ready to leap in feet and heart first. No hesitation, no regrets.

  Early the next morning, I woke up and prepared a special breakfast.

  Once we’d eaten, we went for a walk together as a family. The park was nearly empty, as it was a weekday and most people were at work. It was like we had our own little world to share.

  As I watched Max push Abby on the swing, my cell phone rang. It was Heather, the woman who’d offered to organize the tour.

  “Hello, Heather.” I smiled as I answered the phone.

  “Hi, Samantha, I know this is going to sound crazy, but one of the campuses in Maine has asked if you would be available next Monday. They’re having a special orientation that day and would like to include your book signing as an incentive for attendance.”

  “Next Monday?” I looked over at Max. His eyes widened. “That’s a little fast.”

  “I know it is. I told them that you might not be able to do it, but I promised I would ask. What do you think?”

  “Honestly, I think it’s great. I’m ready to get this tour kicked off as soon as possible, so why not?”

  “Why not?” Max’s voice dropped. He caught the swing and pulled Abby out of it. “What about a house-sitter?”

  I put my hand over the mouthpiece of the phone while I spoke to Max. “I can arrange for one on the road if we can’t find one by then. I’m sure we can find someone who is up for doing it. I say we go for it.”

  “Are you sure?” Heather’s voice reminded me that I was still on the phone.

  “Max?” I met his eyes.

  “I’m game if you are.” He shrugged. “Want to go to Maine and catch some lobsters, Abby?” He made a pinching motion with his fingers.

  “I do hope we can do a bit more than that.” I laughed at Max and then turned my attention back to Heather. “Go ahead and send me the information for the first location so I can find us a place to stay.”

  “Actually, they offered for you to stay in one of their on-campus houses if you’d like that.”

  “Did you mention the three-year-old?”

  “I did and it wasn’t an issue, but it’s up to you.”

  “Sure, that sounds good. We’ll just need directions.”

  “I’ve arranged for a driver.”

  “A driver?” I shook my head as I looked over at Max. “That I have to say no to. We’re looking forward to road-tripping as a family. But thank you for the thought.”

  “You’re welcome. If you change your mind at any time just let me know. I’ll send you the information now. Call me with any questions, okay?”

  “Thanks so much, Heather, this is going to be great!”

  When I hung up the phone Max walked over to me. “Wow, this is really taking off, huh?”

  “Yes, it is. We’re doing it, Max. I’m really excited about it.”

  “Me too.” Max kissed me, then tickled Abby. “We’re going on tour, Abby. Lobsters for everyone!”

  She reached out and pinched my nose.

  “Ouch!” I gasped and laughed at the same time.

  Chapter 9

  The next few days were filled with ironing out details and making preparations for our travels. Max had the car checked out and I began to empty out the fridge. I settled things with Abby’s preschool and notified everyone who needed to know that we would be away. At the last minute a friend agreed to house-sit for us so that we wouldn’t have to worry about the house.

  The last hurdle was the phone call to my mother. I could ignore Max’s friends’ comments about the mistake he’d made and the strange looks I’d gotten from the preschool staff, but my mother’s opinion mattered a little bit more to me. I placed the call with the certainty that it would be a very difficult conversation.

  “Samantha, I was wondering if I would ever hear from you again.”

  “I’m sorry, we’ve been a little busy.”

  “I imagine so, with all that you’re juggling.”

  “There’s something I need to tell you, Mom.”

  “Okay, what is it? Another adorable grandchild?”

  “No!” I grimaced. “We are nowhere near ready for that.”

  “Okay. So?”

  “Max and I have decided to go on a book tour around the U.S.”

  “What? Does that mean I get to spend some time with Abby?”

  “No, she’ll be going with us.”

  “Samantha. That’s no life for a child. What are you thinking?”

  “I think she’ll get to see a lot of different places, meet a lot of different people, and have some amazing experiences.”

  “Maybe, but what about when it’s time to get her in the routine for going back to school? What about all the educational time she’ll lose?”

  “She won’t lose it. I’ll teach her. Or Max will. We both will.”

  “I know your heart is in the right place, Sammy, but I can’t help but wonder if you’re taking on too much. You might find that it’s much more difficult than you expect to balance all of this.”

  “I might. You’re right. But I’m willing to find out. I’m up for the challenge.”

  “Is your marriage?”

  “Mom!”

  “I’m just concerned. You and Max have had a rough time of it lately and this might put extra strain on your marriage.”

  “The only reason we’ve had a hard time is because we haven’t been getting enough time with each other. Doing this together can only help make our family stronger.”

  “Well, it sounds like you already have things all figured out. Heaven forbid you ask me for advice.”

  “Mom, I’m doing this differently with Abby. I know that seems strange to you, but it feels right to me.”

  “I trust you. You’re a great mother, and I’m sure you know what you’re doing. If you run into any problems just let me know.”

  “Thanks, Mom, I appreciate your support.”

  “You always have it, sweetheart—always.”

  I hung the phone up with a smile on my face. It was clear that she didn’t agree, but it warmed my heart to know that she still supported me.

  With that wind to fill my sails, the rest of the tasks seemed simple—until it came down to what to pack. It had been much easier for me on the first book tour. Now I had Abby’s things to think about. If I let her choose what to bring there wouldn’t be room in the car for us. But if I forgot something that was important to her, I’d face a very unhappy little girl.

  As I sorted through her toys and clothes to find some of her favorites, I couldn’t help but smile at the memories the items brought up. From a distance, it was easy to believe that Abby’s collection of things was all for her, but when I really got my elbows into it, half of the items I’d purchased for Abby were things that I’d wished for as a little girl.

  Once I thought I had everything packed up, I found Max and Abby in the living room ready to go.

  “She’s sleepy. I’m betting if I put her in the car she’ll fall asleep. I’ve already got the rest of the stuff packed in the trunk. Why don’t you take one last look around to make sure that we didn’t forget anything and meet us in the car?”

  “Good idea.” I kissed Abby, then Max. My heart raced with excitement. This was really it. We were getting ready to leave for our first adventure as a family.

  As I walked through the kitchen to check that all of the appliances were unplugged, I thought about the unique local cuisine we would soon be dining on. I walked through the living room to check for any forgotten
sippy cups or plates. I realized we’d be confined to a very small space for quite some time. At the last minute, I grabbed a few more of Abby’s electronic toys to take in the car. They might make driving hard, but it was better than a screaming child.

  I was on my way out the door when I reviewed in my mind what I’d put in her suitcase.

  “Oh no! Her pajamas!” I gulped and ran for Abby’s bedroom.

  When I ducked inside, it struck me that I wouldn’t be in her room for quite some time. A pang of sadness hit me. Was I going to regret making this choice? Would Abby miss her bed and her toys?

  I swallowed hard and walked over to her dresser. I tucked her favorite pajamas into her blue suitcase and zipped it shut. Now I was sure I had thought of everything. I took one more look around her room and bit into my bottom lip. Maybe this would be a good reminder to me that things were just things. Abby might miss her room and her toys for a little while, but she would find new ways to entertain herself and that was a valuable lesson for her to learn.

  Me, on the other hand—I needed to remember how to be a free spirit and go with the flow. Some time on the road should remind me of just that.

  I returned to the car with Abby’s suitcase in tow and found Max against the driver’s side of the car.

  “Got everything?”

  “I think so.”

  “We can always pick up anything we need along the way.”

  “I know.” I looked into his eyes. “Max, we’re doing this together, right?”

  “Unless you’re planning on leaving me on the side of the road somewhere. You’re not, are you?” He locked eyes with me and grinned.

  “No, not unless you snore while I’m driving.”

  “Me snore?” He laughed. “You’re the one that rattles the windows.”

  “I do not!”

  “If you say so.” He smiled. “I love your snores.”

  “Liar.”

  “I love you.” He winked.

  “I mean, are you sure you’re on board with this? I don’t want to feel like I forced you into anything.”