A Million Dreams (Wish 3)

9 - Champ

When Ted arrived at the Brookline condo which had been his home during his marriage, he felt tired. He had no regrets about staying up half the night. In fact, it was one of the best nights he had in a long time. Despite their rocky start Mia wasn't nearly as annoying as he thought. It annoyed him she was a better mother than Elaine, and Mia wasn't even a mother. The most puzzling thing about his neighbor was she didn't seem to know how pretty she was. Ted chose pretty, because any other adjective could lead to something he'd regret.

He found Mrs. Rodriguez with Edward. Elaine had refused to call their son, Teddy and preferred Edward, like his grandfather. Even Ted's father went by Ed. Ted knew his own mother favored Teddy for him. Just as his son's mother did not.

"Daddy!" Edward jumped into his arms and he squeezed him.

He had seen him just a few days before, but he always looked like he had grown. He was still in the twenty-fifth percentile for height and weight. Grace Calhoun kept reminding Ted that he started small, but had grown to six feet.

"Mrs. Calhoun has gone to brunch but is expected shortly."

The nanny sounded very professional, but Ted knew she had opinions about his wife. He couldn't begrudge her because he shared them as well.

"I'll be here all day. You may go enjoy your Sunday,"

"Mrs. Calhoun?" She questioned apprehensively.

"Have you forgotten you work for me?"

She nodded as the small boy dragged him to the playroom. He listened to Edward explain exactly what he was building with his Legos — houses just like Daddy.

"Mommy says she lets you build houses instead of big buildings like grandfather."

Why couldn't he just play without having to have a business plan?

"Someday you'll build houses with me." What he didn't say was assuming there was any land left to build on.

Elaine didn't agree with the new direction he was taking Homestead, but the decision was his. She would get exactly what the prenup allowed, regardless of how he conducted business. His soon to be ex-father-in-law was impressed with Ted's business plans.

At lunchtime, they went into the kitchen to make lunch together. They were laughing over grilled cheese sandwiches when Elaine returned.

She took one look at them. "Where's Mrs. Rodriguez?"

"I told her to leave. Sunday is her day off."

"I had an engagement."

"Yes, and you should have told me." The chill in Ted's voice reflected his lack of patience.

"I assumed you were otherwise engaged. You were too busy to go to Iris' last night. Even your father thought you would have made an appearance."

He had planned to attend the event late. In fact, he was just about to dress, but the crying had become more persistent. Instead of spending the evening forced to smile and make small talk, he held a baby in his arms.

"I figured you would be lingering this morning with whoever kept you away last night." She sounded jealous.

Ted shook his head and thought if only she knew, but she wouldn't believe him. "How's your personal trainer? You may think I'm a lot of things, but I never once strayed when I lived under this roof."

He hadn't since, but his lack of sex life was none of her business. The last time he so much as kissed a woman he shouldn't was when they were engaged. He never understood why he acted so spontaneously by the fountain. He had a reputation of being cold and calculated but not spontaneous.

He had no intention of arguing with her, especially in front of their son. Their marriage was based on a lot of things but a deep, passionate love was not one of them. They were friends with a strong mutual attraction. While he had fooled himself at the time of his marriage proposal to think it was love, it was a business deal which successfully resulted in an heir to take over the future merged entity of Calhoun and Homestead. His father wanted to buy Homestead for years, but Paul Harding, her father refused to sell his company outright. He sold it to Ted in exchange for marrying his only daughter. The agreement provided his share of the business would be left to the children who came from the union.

Their son was born the heir apparent to Homestead whether he wanted it. Ted wondered if it was too much pressure for the young child. He thought of Monty Whitby who favored parties and alcohol over hard work. Could Ted have told his father he didn't want to be part of Calhoun? Five out of seven days he wanted the reigns to the family business. Some days he wanted to just be Ted, the carpenter who didn't get chewed out by his soon to be ex-wife for skipping a party.

Who besides Elaine had even missed him? Perhaps Trey, but even he was limiting himself to the more important invitations. It was as if Ted was straddling himself between his parents' world and the real world. He lived how the other half lived. The time he spent with little Edward, he was not the powerful up-and-coming businessman as written in the Boston Globe. He was daddy, plain and simple. Remembering the previous night, Ted was the part of him who walked the floor with a colicky baby and played with Legos.

Ted didn't know if anyone expected the marriage to last. He might have if she had attempted to be an involved mother. He thought she would embrace motherhood, because she loved pregnancy, although he suspected it was only the attention she received. She insisted on an elective cesarean, so she wouldn't have to go through labor and delivery. She would rather have a scar than deliver his child. His plan to make the marriage work evaporated when they became parents. She loved Edward, but she was happy to let the nanny raise him. She was irate when Ted announced they would not have live-in help. Elaine thought he would change his mind, but he took every night time feeding and walked the floor night after night. When he compared his wife to his tenant, it became clear money and breeding didn't make a good mother.

"Hey champ, go play and I'll join you in a minute."

He watched as his son ran off. She sighed. "What?"

"I have his room ready. I want to take him every weekend."

He saw her starting to object. Custody was the last thing she had control over with him, but she wouldn't miss her son and would make the most of her time without him.

"He'll be confused."

"My moving out hasn't confused him. All this is temporary, because what I really want is full custody. Trey's certain I'll get it."

"My attorney isn't. I'm his mother. Judges always rule in favor of the mother."

"Your attorney isn't Trey Hayes."

She scoffed. "The man can't even get his own divorce."

It was true his friend's marriage appeared to be less than happy, but he kept assuring Ted he wasn't leaving his wife. Ted would be happy with fifty percent custody which was the reason Trey asked for it all. Apparently, negotiating for children was like business negotiations.

"I trust his ability. I'll get my son."

She stared at him. "So you'll have an excuse to ignore invitations. You never wanted to go out. I always had to drag you. Half the time you would disappear."

"Perhaps because you ignored me to gossip with your friends. I intend to inform Mrs. Rodriguez she has every weekend off. If you want Edward here, you can stay home or ask me to take him or arrange a babysitter and use your allowance to pay for her."

"You can't dictate what hours the nanny works!"

"I believe she works for me." His voice was calm, but lacked any of the affection they once shared.

"Fine. If you're here all afternoon, then I'm going shopping. I'll be back when I get back."

"Fine with me. If you stop being so stubborn then we can finalize the divorce and you can be free of me." It was not true because they would always be linked through their son.

He looked forward to having her become his ex-wife. She would agree to what he said about the nanny, because she would never use her allowance for anything extra. She received a generous sum, but she wanted to keep it for herself.

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