Page 25 of Last Call (Open Tab #5)

“I know I’m not you, but I can stay to watch him play.”

“You have a business to run.”

Ida laughed. “Do you see my daughter running ?”

Andi sighed.

“Andi?” Fallon asked.

“I don’t want to impose.”

“How would you do that?” Fallon wondered. “I offered. You can repay me with those scallops you make if it’ll make you feel better. Or that honey chicken thing.”

Andi chuckled. “Is food the only thing you think about?”

Fallon grinned. “Not the only thing.”

“Mm. That’s a little spicier than what’s in my recipe box,” Andi offered.

“Don’t encourage her,” Ida said, looking at Fallon. “She could use a little less spice and something with a little more age .”

“Very funny, Mom,” Fallon said. She turned back to Andi. “Come on, Andi. Let me help. It’s only for a few weeks. You won’t have to cook for me that much.”

Andi pursed her lips and shook her head. “Are you sure you want to spend that much time with my boys?”

Fallon shrugged. “Tearing myself from Pete and Dale whining about the Red Sox while they drain the Budweiser keg will be painful.”

“I’ll owe you more than a few dinners.”

“You don’t owe me anything. It’s what best friends do,” Fallon said.

Time imparted endless lessons. Andi realized that what appeared to be a faint ripple could signal a tsunami of transformation. That singular moment—Fallon's gentle act of kindness changed the course of their relationship for the next fourteen years.

“I know you love the boys. They love you,” Andi said.

“I didn’t want anything to come between us,” Fallon confessed.

“I knew Jake would come home. And I knew my place. I didn’t intend for anything to change his place in your life.

It hurt, Andi, for a lot longer than I want to admit.

It hurt when he came home. I missed being with you—all of you. I missed you. ”

“I missed you, too,” Andi said. “It was safe, Fallon—for both of us. Liv did break your heart. More than that, she undermined your trust. It was safe with me and the boys. And you were safe for me. Until it wasn’t.”

Fallon nodded.

“When I think about it, you slept at my house a few nights a week when the kids were in school. How many times did we fall asleep together on the sofa?” Andi asked.

“How many times did you wake up and start the coffee or take the kids to school so I could sleep a little longer? You were more like my spouse than Jake. Only one thing was missing between us. And when we did cross that threshold? We played it safe again. We stuck to what we knew,” Andi said.

“I woke up in your arms that morning, and I knew, Fallon—I knew if I woke up to you again, I wouldn’t be able to let you go.

We both felt it. So we made a rule. We played it safe .

Maybe we thought it would preserve what we had. And we did—until you met Riley.”

“Andi.”

“It’s true.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me? Did you think I wanted something different?” Fallon wondered.

“By the time we became lovers, the boys were off on their own,” Andi replied. “When you met Riley, I could see the handwriting on the wall. You fit with her in every way that matters.”

“We do. Sometimes I worry, though.”

“About?”

“She’s hesitant about us having a baby.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Andi said, chuckling. “You played it safe with me for so long, and when you found Riley, you went into warp drive.”

“I…”

“It’s still about safety for you, Fallon. You’re worried that if you can’t make it all come together now, it’ll slip away.”

“I’m not the one afraid to rock the boat, Andi. Riley’s the one who says she doesn’t want to rock our boat when we just got on the water.”

“She wants time,” Andi said. “For you to trust that the boat won’t sink. But you’re not wrong. I’m sure Riley is scared, too. Change is always hard, even the change we invite into our lives. It’s always like a spark. You never know what it will ignite.”

“You remind me of Mom.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Fallon smiled. “I’m considering starting a new venture.”

“Go on,” Andi said.

“The idea is in its infancy. The thing is, I’d like to ask Dave to be my partner.”

Andi nodded.

“I don’t want to betray his trust,” Fallon said. “But somehow, I think he hopes I will—tell you what he said.”

“I’m listening.”

“Andi, he told me he wanted to take a job with ski patrol after high school.”

“He never said anything to me about it.”

“No. He told Jake.”

Andi groaned. “Do I want to know what Jake said?”

“Let’s just say that Dave decided going out of state for school was his best option.”

“He could’ve talked to me.”

“He knows that,” Fallon said.

“He wants to work full-time, doesn’t he?”

“I think so. I also think he’d like to finish school, but that isn’t his priority. He wants to take care of Becky and the baby.”

“No one is trying to stop him from doing that,” Andi reminded Fallon. “We’re trying to help him do that.”

“He gets that. That’s not how it feels to him . I don’t want to overstep here.”

“How would you do that? Stop thinking in the past and tell me what he said.”

“Dave is worried, Andi—he’s worried about hurting you and Billie—about disappointing you.”

“He needs to let go of that.”

“Yeah, well, that isn’t easy when you love someone,” Fallon offered. “I don’t want to cause any friction, either.”

“Tell me about this venture .”

"I'm still working on a framework. It would be a tour company, but not your typical brand. Ski lessons, ice fishing, snowmobiling. It would be mainly a winter business. I’d like to keep my time open during the summer. There’s a property for sale in Jeffersonville that has a main building and six cottages.

I could rent the cottages year-round. The main building would be perfect as a gathering place before and after excursions.

It has a two-bedroom apartment above. It's just an idea at the moment. "

"One that you'd like to share with Dave," Andi said.

"I wasn't seriously considering it until our drive to Vermont.

I can't do it alone, Andi. And I don't want to.

Dave would be perfect for something like this.

He loves all those activities, and he's knowledgeable about them.

Plus, he knows this area. I won't raise the possibility if you're uncomfortable with it. "

"This isn't my decision."

"Your opinion matters to me. I want to help him, too. That isn't the reason I'd like to see if he's interested. It's a bonus."

"What does Riley think about this idea?"

"I think she'll be grateful if I find something to occupy my time."

Andi laughed. "Talk to Dave."

"What about Billie?"

"Billie will support Dave's choice."

"It isn't the safest choice," Fallon admitted.

"Well, I think we've both learned that safety is an illusion."

"It’s a bit strange. Don’t you think? Us? The way everything turned out?"

"Is it? I don’t think so,” Andi replied. “We started as best friends, then fell in love. We didn’t take the chance to become partners when we could have, but we’ve always been like family. Every family I know is messy."

Fallon laughed. "That's an understatement."

Andi moved to Fallon's side and kissed her cheek. "I will always love you, Fallon. Nothing will change that. I know you're worried about Billie. Billie is the love of my life. She's the solid ground beneath my feet. Jacob and Dave love her."

"I know. That's why…"

Andi pressed two fingers to Fallon's lips. "Listen. That doesn't change who you are to the boys or what they mean to you. Billie knows that. It’s hard for her sometimes. And if you ask Riley, as much as she loves us both, it isn’t always easy for her. We have a long, complicated history, Fallon. You need to trust the solid ground beneath your feet. That’s what Riley is waiting to feel—that you’re not afraid something will rip everything away from you.

Things will change, and none of us can stop life from unfolding as it will.

Sometimes, we’ll disagree, and our relationships will experience strain—all of us.

You need to trust that we’ll get through it together. "

"Do you?"

"Yes," Andi replied. "I do. Accept Jacob's offer.

He made it because he loves both you and Riley.

Talk to Dave. Our kids are lucky, Fallon.

My children had a small, devoted army to help raise them.

You were a significant part of their lives for most of that time.

You were there for them—and for me. Billie's presence doesn't diminish that at all.

Just as my role in Owen's life doesn't take anything away from Ida or Brenda.

Our family is growing, and it's another change we need to embrace.

We all need to carve out our places in each other's lives and make room for the new people who come along. "

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Mm. You would be stuck with Carol's and Ida's advice."

Fallon laughed. "What do you say we head down to Murphy's?"

"Now?"

"Sure. When was the last time you and I sat at the bar together?"

"It has been a while."

"So? Come on. I'll make you a margarita."

Andi stood and grabbed her jacket from a hook by the door. "I'll go to Murphy's with you. You let Carol handle my cocktail," she said, stepping through the back door.

"Hers are not better than mine!" Fallon called after Andi.

"Come on, Fallon. You're driving!"

Fallon rolled her eyes and closed the door. "I have a feeling this could be a long night."

Ida watched as Owen concentrated hard on the pencil in his hand. In his four-year-old world, everything revolved around school—unless, of course, he spotted a toad, beetle, squirrel, bird, or, heaven forbid, a snake while playing in the yard.