Unexpected Joy
highlight_author
Aimee Ginger
highlight_reads
1,9M
highlight_chapters
81
Chapter 1
“Hannah, I need you. This is a big-deal group, and I need someone who can handle them with grace,” Todd pleaded.
“But Todd, it’s a long weekend! I was planning on taking it easy!” Hannah sighed in response.
“I get it. Julie’s already giving me hell for even asking. But this could be a big payday for your rainy day fund. Plus, it’s only Friday night. You’ll still have the rest of the weekend.”
He knew he’d struck a chord when he mentioned her rainy day fund. She’d been saving for years, and was planning to use a good chunk of it for the girls’ weekend coming up.
The three best friends had planned a Vegas trip for Julie’s 40th birthday in November. Todd heard the woman he loved like a sister sigh again, and he knew he had her.
“Todd, I had plans! Max is off on a college tour this weekend!”
“What plans? Lounging on the couch, re-watching some show you’ve seen a million times, and sipping wine?”
“You know me too well…” She sighed for the third time. “Alright, spill the details.”
He pumped his fist in the air from his office. “It’s a big party, about twenty people. You’ll be in the Lancaster Room. You’ll have a busser with you—”
“I want Christopher.”
“Hold on, Hannah, it’s Friday night and I need him in the main dining room! He’s the best and—”
“And if I’m coming in on a Friday as a favor to you AND it’s a big-deal group, I want the best with me.
“Plus, I know he could use the extra cash since his wife is due in a few months and he’s wrapping up his Master’s thesis.”
He gritted his teeth. “Alright. You can have Christopher. Anything else?”
“What’s my cut from the bill?”
“You get the whole tip, splitting the usual percentage with Christopher. Plus, you get 15 percent of the fee for the private room.”
“I want 20 percent.”
“WHAT?!”
“You heard me. I want 20 percent. I’ll give some to Christopher, but I need some incentive for giving up my three-day weekend!”
Todd knew she had him cornered and grunted back at her, “Fine! 20 percent! You’re killing me, Hannah!”
She laughed. “I know! But this could give me what I need for the trip and a new dress!”
“Glad I could help,” Todd replied sarcastically.
“Bye, Todd!” Hannah hung up and tossed her phone on the couch, muttering, “Shit! There goes my quiet weekend!”
She got up and went to shower before settling in bed with her book. It was a dull Thursday night while she waited for Max to come home from his gym workout with his coach.
She was a dozen pages in when she heard the door handle jiggle. She smiled and waited for him to come in and see her.
“Hey, Mom! How was your day?” Max asked with a smile, sitting on the side of the bed.
“Hi, sweetheart. My day was fine. How was yours? How’d the Calc test go?”
“I think I did okay, I’ll find out on Tuesday. Tonight’s workout was brutal! Coach really pushed us on arms and backs,” he said, rubbing his left arm.
She chuckled. “Well, just think how much stronger you’ll be for the season.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Coach said the same thing. Oh, and Coach said we’ll leave school about 2:00 p.m., right after physics. He said I could leave my suitcase in his office.”
“You’ll call me when you get there?”
“I promise, Mom. I’ll text when we land and when we get to the hotel.”
“Just listen to what Coach Morgan says and see what the program can offer you. You sure you want to maybe go as far as Florida, Max?”
“I’m okay with Florida. You’ll come and visit, and I know it’s not close to Adam, but…”
“That’s true, you know I’ll be there as much as I can. Plus, your Dad will come and visit, too,” Hannah said, patting his leg.
“You know as well as I do that Dad won’t be coming down, and I really don’t care!” Max said with a fierceness she didn’t usually see except on the ball field.
“I’m over him and his bull shi—crap with Veronica. I think the farther away I am, the better off I’ll be!
“He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about me or Adam. That was clear from the time we found out about them and you moved us out.”
“I’m sorry about all that, Max. I know he loves you, you are his son,” Hannah tried to reassure her youngest child.
“He just has a strange way of showing it. Listen, I’m gonna shower and go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” Max got up and brushed off the nasty feeling from the conversation.
“Ok, sweetheart. I love you, sleep well,” she said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.
“I love you too, Mom…” he said as he started walking away, then stopped at the doorway.
“Mom, promise me that when I go to college, you’ll find someone who makes you happy and treats you better than Dad ever did.”
Hannah smiled softly at her son. “You are a sweet young man, Max. I’m happy, and if I don’t find someone, then it was just meant to be that way.
“It will happen if and when it’s meant to. Most of the time it happens when you least expect it!”
He nodded, smiled, and then saluted to make her laugh as he went to his bedroom.
She leaned back on the pillows and said a silent prayer for each of her sons and for herself that everything would work out the way it needed to so they all were happy.
All a mom could ever wish for is her kids' happiness and health. But for herself? The idea of someone falling in love with her was appealing, but she wasn’t sure if that was in the cards for her.
She set her book aside, flicked off her bedside lamp, and snuggled under her blankets. With her eyes closed, she held onto the hope that the upcoming weekend wouldn’t be a complete letdown.
