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Renee'
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2024-10-29 19:42:56I'd heard the strain in John's voice when he called after talking to Amora, and as much as I wanted to rush over there and be a comfort to them both, I knew it would probably have the opposite effect, so instead, I stayed home with an aching heart.
Luckily, we'd all exchanged numbers with Wy, Ty, Rebecca and Jan, so I'd been able to get a hold of Wy to find out wen would be the best time, if any, to drop in and bring a surprise for John.
I'd made a pineapple upside down cake, which Wy and Tyson had agreed was John's favorite, and was going to bring it by his classroom, along with a hug and maybe a quick kiss, to let him know I was thinking about him and was there if he needed anything.
Wy had assured me that there weren't any rules against visitors, and John wouldn't get in trouble with the principal, or anyone else, if I stopped in.
I felt a little weird dropping in while he was at work, but oure schedules were so busy, and I didn't feel right
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Catering with Love John
It had been a rough week.Dealing with Kayla's complete lack of desire to be a mom, and Amora's reaction to it, along with a packed work schedule and the normal everyday issues that never failed to pop up, I was exhausted.Of course, being a single dad meant I couldn't give in to that exhaustion. Instead, it was Fridday night and I was catching up on laundry, cleaning the floors and putting away the dishes I'd been neglecting in the dishwasher.To make matters worse, Amora had gotten in trouble at school that day, and was currently sitting on her bed "thinking about what she did wrong."My phone rang just as I opened the dishwasher, and I thanked whoever was calling for the distraction. Seeing it was my mother-in-law, I leaned against the counter and pressed answer, then greeted, "Hey, Ruth.""John, she called," Ruth said breathlessly, not even bothering to say hello.I'd told her about finding Kayla and what went down when I net with er, an
Catering with Love Renee'
He said we'll be there soon, and I doubted he meant Tyson or Wyatt, or even Tanner, although I would have been less nervous with any of them...yes, even Tanner...than I was about his 9 year old daughter that obviously hated me."It'll be fine, Renee'," I assured myself out loud as I worked on the flowers for the various cakes that would be served at the anniversary party. Not 50 of them, thank goodness, although that would be cool, but each table would have their own cake centerpiece that would be a miniature version of the actual anniversary cake.that meant I had a lot of flowers to make. Calla Lilies, which were the flowers she'd had in her wedding bouquet.Still, when John had offered to bring food, I'd jumped at the chance to see him."Talking to yourself again?" Suzanne asked as she walked in, her trustyclipboard in hand."Of course," I replied with a smile, then gave my sister a once over and whistled. "Wow, you look great.'
Catering with Love John
I parked outside the lawyer's office and walked slowly in, giving myself time to try and calm down. To breathe.Mr. Hurlyey had said it wasn't bad, but the worry that had formed on my drive over was that Kayla was going after Amora. I remembered that she'd said just a few days ago, and I knew my lawyer would categorize such a thing in the bad category, but still, that's where my mind had wandered and stayed for the duration of my trip.No way am I letting that happen, I promised myself as I opened the door and went into th waiting room. I turned my phone to silent, then crossed to the receptionist to let her know who I was and why I was there, then went to sit down. Before my butt could hit the chair though, my lawyer stepped out, and I knew he must have been waiting for me."John," he called, giving me a welcoming smile, which eased my worry a tiny bit.He wouldn't be smiling if my world was about to fall down around me, right?W
Catering with Love Renee'
We'd finished eating in silence after John left, my Beef and Broccoli tasteless, so I barely ate at all.After we cleaned up, I took Amora into the back. I gave her a brief tour, making sure she knew where the bathroom was, showing her our office, the kitchen, and the different walk-ins. I thought breifly about taking her up into my apartment, so she could hang out and watch TV or something, then figured it was too far and maybe for my first time watching her, I should keep her close.So, we were in the kitchen and I was explaining the flowers I was making, the type of cake it would go on, and telling Amora about the party the next day. If thre was ever a person who looked or acted more bored, I'd never met them. Still, I kept trying."You can make flowers with frosting, fondant, gum paste...""He's never going to fall in love with you, or marry you, you know," Amora broke in, her tone full of anger.I looked uo from what I was doing, put my tools
Catering with Love John
There was a war of emotions happening within me. A fight between annoyance and relief.It was annoying that Kayla had re-entered my life only to gather her things, but a total relief that she wasn't contesting the divorce and it was still going through on schedule. I needed that part of my life to be in the past, needed to move forward, needed to be able to focus on the fall with Renee'.So. I was cruising down Main Street, feeling pretty good, even if I did have another meeting with Kayla looming.I pulled up to the curb in front of Three Sisters and was hopping out of the truck, eager to get back inside and see my girls, when Renee' came rushing around from the back of the building, crying and visibly shaking as she called out for Amora.My heart leapt out of my chest as fear coursed through me."Renee'!" I shouted, jogging over to her on the sidewalk.Her head was turning quickly from side to side as she searched the street, and she
Catering with Love Renee’
"What do you mean?" John asked, his face conveying his confusion.I looked pointedly from him and Amora and whispered, "Now is not the time..."John looked down and his daughter, who was watching me with a shocked expression and then brought his gaze back to mine and stated "I’ll be back."I watch numbly as he grasped Amora, and started walking her way from my door and down the hall. I noticed Amora still watching me as I quietly shut the door, crossed to my chaise, and resumed the position I have been in.FetalSobs irrupt again, as decades-old sorrow filled me, compounded by the fresh pain I was feeling now.It felt like only moments before rapid knocking sounds sounded at the door, like gunfire at to my heart, and I rose, my stomach sinking at the thought of what I was about to do.What I had to do...I open the door without looking without waiting to acknowledge who was there and spent on my he
Catering with Love John
ZombieThat was my new persona...a dead man walking.I have never, not when I was a teenager, not when my wife said that she was leaving, felt the way that I did when Renee' said my love wasn’t enough.Suddenly the literatureI taught, the poems I'd read, the songs I heard on the radio, all took all new meanings. Hurtful, heartbreaking, painful meaning.I’m not sure how I drove home, made it through the night and the rest of the week. I know I'd gone to work, because I had papers to grade, and I knew I'd taken care of Amora. Helped her with her homework, made her meals...although I couldn’t eat. I didn’t have the appetite for it. And I knew I hadn’t slept.No, I'd spent the last four nights, staring at the ceiling, fighting the urge to call her and beg her to change her mind, my time with Renee' playing on a loop like some awful romantic comedy.The first time I saw her walk out of the kitchen, the day I
Catering with Love Renee’
I was going through the motions.I’ve been working on auto pilot since John walked out of my apartment. Waking up, shower, shuffle downstairs, cook, bake, clean, sleep, repeat. Luckily, we were full staffed and Claire has become my right hand, so we hadn't missed any deadlines, and when I made chicken and dumplings instead of chicken pot pie, Claire had fixed things in time for the event.Susanne had come to me only second after John left, saying her twin vibes had been tingling and she’s known that I needed her. Soon after, Jennifer had shown up, and the two of them have been my shadows ever since. Even going so far as to sleep in my apartment each night.I felt heartbreak when my dad left, but nothing like what I feeling with the absence of John in my life. Never pain so acute. And the worse part was that I knew I'd caused John the same amount of pain. Even if I felt like I was doing it for the right reasons, I still hated the thought of him hurtin
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Catering with Love Epilogue - Renee
It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.Stone with dark stuttrs, white pillars, bright-green trees and lush, red bushes. Graceland Mansion was eerything I'd imagined, and more. And that wa just the outside.It had taken us longer to get here than we'd initially thought. Trying to plan around John's school schedule, and dealing with the rapid growth of Three Sister's Catering when we added elegant children's parties and landed one of our biggest clients to date, had made it difficult.But now, six months later, we were finally in Memphis, and I wa currently trying to teach Amora about the wonder that is Elvis."He's the King of Rock 'n' Roll for a reason," I was explaining as we walked to the Meditation Garden. "He still holds the record for the most Top 40 hits, he was in 31 movies, made over 150 albums and singles, and has been inducted into 5 halls of fame.""You should totally work here," Amora said in between licks of her hand-dipped ice
Catering with Love John
Another Monday, another workday, another day where I was just passing through life. Not really living it, instead floating from minute to minute, waiting for the day to end.I'd been in such a funk that I was starting to get on my own nerves, and as I walked through my classroom, making sure my students were focused on their own quizzes and not peeking at anyone else's, I vowed to sort my shit out that evening.Maybe I'll ask the guys to go out for a drink.As if I'd conjured him, I saw Wy's face pop up in my window to my door. I held up a finger to indicate I couldn't talk not, but would get back to him later. Raqther than nod in response as usual, he got this big goofy grin, gave me two thumbs up, and pushed my door open.What the ...?I stopped in the middle of my room when Renee' stepped through the door he's just opened, a piece of loose-leaf paper clutched in her hands.I drank in the sight of her and like a man drowning. THe soft bill
Catering with Love Renee’
I was going through the motions.I’ve been working on auto pilot since John walked out of my apartment. Waking up, shower, shuffle downstairs, cook, bake, clean, sleep, repeat. Luckily, we were full staffed and Claire has become my right hand, so we hadn't missed any deadlines, and when I made chicken and dumplings instead of chicken pot pie, Claire had fixed things in time for the event.Susanne had come to me only second after John left, saying her twin vibes had been tingling and she’s known that I needed her. Soon after, Jennifer had shown up, and the two of them have been my shadows ever since. Even going so far as to sleep in my apartment each night.I felt heartbreak when my dad left, but nothing like what I feeling with the absence of John in my life. Never pain so acute. And the worse part was that I knew I'd caused John the same amount of pain. Even if I felt like I was doing it for the right reasons, I still hated the thought of him hurtin
Catering with Love John
ZombieThat was my new persona...a dead man walking.I have never, not when I was a teenager, not when my wife said that she was leaving, felt the way that I did when Renee' said my love wasn’t enough.Suddenly the literatureI taught, the poems I'd read, the songs I heard on the radio, all took all new meanings. Hurtful, heartbreaking, painful meaning.I’m not sure how I drove home, made it through the night and the rest of the week. I know I'd gone to work, because I had papers to grade, and I knew I'd taken care of Amora. Helped her with her homework, made her meals...although I couldn’t eat. I didn’t have the appetite for it. And I knew I hadn’t slept.No, I'd spent the last four nights, staring at the ceiling, fighting the urge to call her and beg her to change her mind, my time with Renee' playing on a loop like some awful romantic comedy.The first time I saw her walk out of the kitchen, the day I
Catering with Love Renee’
"What do you mean?" John asked, his face conveying his confusion.I looked pointedly from him and Amora and whispered, "Now is not the time..."John looked down and his daughter, who was watching me with a shocked expression and then brought his gaze back to mine and stated "I’ll be back."I watch numbly as he grasped Amora, and started walking her way from my door and down the hall. I noticed Amora still watching me as I quietly shut the door, crossed to my chaise, and resumed the position I have been in.FetalSobs irrupt again, as decades-old sorrow filled me, compounded by the fresh pain I was feeling now.It felt like only moments before rapid knocking sounds sounded at the door, like gunfire at to my heart, and I rose, my stomach sinking at the thought of what I was about to do.What I had to do...I open the door without looking without waiting to acknowledge who was there and spent on my he
Catering with Love John
There was a war of emotions happening within me. A fight between annoyance and relief.It was annoying that Kayla had re-entered my life only to gather her things, but a total relief that she wasn't contesting the divorce and it was still going through on schedule. I needed that part of my life to be in the past, needed to move forward, needed to be able to focus on the fall with Renee'.So. I was cruising down Main Street, feeling pretty good, even if I did have another meeting with Kayla looming.I pulled up to the curb in front of Three Sisters and was hopping out of the truck, eager to get back inside and see my girls, when Renee' came rushing around from the back of the building, crying and visibly shaking as she called out for Amora.My heart leapt out of my chest as fear coursed through me."Renee'!" I shouted, jogging over to her on the sidewalk.Her head was turning quickly from side to side as she searched the street, and she
Catering with Love Renee'
We'd finished eating in silence after John left, my Beef and Broccoli tasteless, so I barely ate at all.After we cleaned up, I took Amora into the back. I gave her a brief tour, making sure she knew where the bathroom was, showing her our office, the kitchen, and the different walk-ins. I thought breifly about taking her up into my apartment, so she could hang out and watch TV or something, then figured it was too far and maybe for my first time watching her, I should keep her close.So, we were in the kitchen and I was explaining the flowers I was making, the type of cake it would go on, and telling Amora about the party the next day. If thre was ever a person who looked or acted more bored, I'd never met them. Still, I kept trying."You can make flowers with frosting, fondant, gum paste...""He's never going to fall in love with you, or marry you, you know," Amora broke in, her tone full of anger.I looked uo from what I was doing, put my tools
Catering with Love John
I parked outside the lawyer's office and walked slowly in, giving myself time to try and calm down. To breathe.Mr. Hurlyey had said it wasn't bad, but the worry that had formed on my drive over was that Kayla was going after Amora. I remembered that she'd said just a few days ago, and I knew my lawyer would categorize such a thing in the bad category, but still, that's where my mind had wandered and stayed for the duration of my trip.No way am I letting that happen, I promised myself as I opened the door and went into th waiting room. I turned my phone to silent, then crossed to the receptionist to let her know who I was and why I was there, then went to sit down. Before my butt could hit the chair though, my lawyer stepped out, and I knew he must have been waiting for me."John," he called, giving me a welcoming smile, which eased my worry a tiny bit.He wouldn't be smiling if my world was about to fall down around me, right?W
Catering with Love Renee'
He said we'll be there soon, and I doubted he meant Tyson or Wyatt, or even Tanner, although I would have been less nervous with any of them...yes, even Tanner...than I was about his 9 year old daughter that obviously hated me."It'll be fine, Renee'," I assured myself out loud as I worked on the flowers for the various cakes that would be served at the anniversary party. Not 50 of them, thank goodness, although that would be cool, but each table would have their own cake centerpiece that would be a miniature version of the actual anniversary cake.that meant I had a lot of flowers to make. Calla Lilies, which were the flowers she'd had in her wedding bouquet.Still, when John had offered to bring food, I'd jumped at the chance to see him."Talking to yourself again?" Suzanne asked as she walked in, her trustyclipboard in hand."Of course," I replied with a smile, then gave my sister a once over and whistled. "Wow, you look great.'
