Love for the Librarian

DYLAN’S P. O. V.

When I find out that Riley is gone I feel crushed. I wanted her to stay. Or at least talk to me before she went. I knew she would be leaving some day, but I didn’t want her to before I had a chance to talk to her. I love this woman and she is making it incredibly difficult to know if she is there with me.

I tried calling like a million times, when she finally picks it up it is a brush off. I am not sure if she knew it was me when she answered. At least it wasn’t hostile. It was the first time I had heard her voice in days. I need to hear it again. I keep calling. She keeps not answering.

Finally in the morning I got a call. I swear I hadn’t slept a wink all night trying to find a way to get her to talk to me. When she finally calls I am overcome. Then she makes the most ridiculous request of me in the entire world. How can I date someone else when I am in love with her? How can she make a request like that? I am starting to wonder if she even knows how much I love her.

After talking to her though I decided it was time to talk to my dad about all this crap with Brittney. I head into his study after I am done talking with Riley. I wish I could have gotten to talk to her longer, but at least it was a conversation. I knock on my dad’s door and enter only after hearing a “come in.” When I enter he is sitting behind his big mahogany desk that he is so proud of. Taking a seat in the leather seat that sits in front of the desk I begin, “Dad I have a problem that I need your help with.”

He looks up from his papers. He gives me a look over like the problem is on my face or something. Then he leans back to listen, obviously he did not find the answer on my face. “Alright what is it? Whatever it is, I am sure that we can find a solution.” He folds his hands over his chest ready to take in whatever I have to say.

“Ok, this isn’t easy for me. So you remember my ex-girlfriend, Brittney.” I wait for him to acknowledge the question.

“Yeah, the slut.” Thanks dad I needed that right now.

“Yeah, so anyway. She came to me last week saying that she was pregnant and it was mine. She said that it was before she cheated on me so it had to be mine.”

“Did you sleep with her?” He is point blank not judging.

“Yes, but I used protection. I was very careful.” I assure him.

“You know those things are not one hundred percent right?” He gives me a pointed look.

“Yes, I know that is why I am coming to you. She is trying to say if I don’t get back with her then she wont let me see the baby. She is trying to blackmail me with it. I am not even sure if it is mine. I mean she did cheat on me.” I lay it all out to him. He has to know what to do.

“Do you still have feelings for this girl?”

“No, I moved on. Unfortunately I screwed that up.”

“Ok, one drama at a time. If you don’t have feelings for her then you are not getting back together with her. Last thing you need to decide is if you are ready to take on a kid. There is adoption.”

“Dad, I know if I screwed up then I need to own up. I will take on the kid. I just don’t know if it is indeed mine. I don’t really think Brittney would be a good mother, I mean she is already using it as some leverage option.”

“My next question is going to sound weird, but I need to know. Are you willing to take on this baby, even if it isn’t yours?”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

I am silent for a moment. I never really thought about this. I mean I wasn’t really ready to be a father and to take on a child that isn’t even mine. I am not so sure. After a minute I think about the guy that Brittney cheated on me with. There is no way that either of them will be good parents. I can’t save every child, but I can save this one. “Yes, I am.” I say it with more conviction than I feel.

He looks over to judge me and then he grins. “Alright then we have a case. I will file the papers, we are going to get custody of that child before it is even born. Then after the birth we will have a paternity test. If it is yours then we are covered. If not then we will final for formal adoption so that some asshole can’t come along and claim it out from under you. This is going to be a battle. Are you ready for that son? She might have character witnesses that say you are a bad guy. We need to debunk them. You will need as many witnesses as possible on your side and as many against her as possible. You and I are going to work together on this son.”

“Thank you dad. I will work hard on this. It is not something that I am taking lightly. I tried to work out another option, it is just no reasoning with Brittney.”

“I can imagine. Now about this other girl. What did you do?” He gives me a stern pointed look.

“I hid the whole Brittney thing from her. Then I told her that when I first was seeing her it was to piss off Brittney. I mean it was but I care about this girl, dad. I love her. Right now she has left town to find a job before college, in California. I can barely get her to talk to me.”

“How do you know that she is coming back? I mean this might mean that she is just moving on.”

“Her family owns the library in town, she is the only one to take it over when her mom and aunt retire. She plans to return after college.”

“You mean Peggy’s girl?” He gives me a quizzical look.

“Yeah, do you know her?”

“Yeah, I have worked with her at the library a few times. A good girl. How the hell did you land that one?”

“I don’t even know. All I know is I screwed it up.”

“Oh, I am sure with time you can fix it. I am working with her mother on the divorce so that will be interesting.”

“I don’t think Peggy knows about everything that happened. I don’t think Riley told her. She still seems ok with me. I don’t think you will have a problem. I mean she invited me to breakfast tomorrow.”

“Well, that’s good at least. If you want this girl back you are going to have to jump through a lot of hoops. She doesn’t seem to like a lot of hohum. She seems like a straightforward girl. If you really love her then work at it. If she loves you then she will return to you.”

“Thanks dad. I am going to be on the lookout for those witnesses. Let me know what else I will need to do.”

“I want you to have a summer job too. I suggest you start looking. It will show the court that you are responsible. I can only do so much for you. I will be your support system as well as your mother. Speaking of which, you are going to need to discuss this with her. I am not a relay between that. You need to tell her about being a grandmother.”

“God, I didn’t think of that. She is going to lose it isn’t she?” As if the world wasn’t done swallowing me whole my mother is behind me.

“What will make me lose it?” She gives a stern look.

I take a big breath, because I know that she is not going to like this. “Brittney says she is pregnant and it is mine. I just talked to dad about winning custody of the baby.”

The silence that follows is enough to kill me. My mother turns about five different colors and then finally when she has composed herself enough she begins. “So, you are saying that you are a father.” She is speaking slowly and steadily.

“Yes, although I am not totally sure that the kid is mine. I just don’t want it to have Brittney as a parent.”

She sneers, “that slut could care less about a child. What if you find out that it isn’t yours?”

“I have made up my mind that I am taking it no matter what.”

She contemplates for a moment. Then my father adds. “I think it is very admirable of him. Besides, he seems to have learned his lesson: he is courting Peggy’s daughter.”

All of the sudden my mother’s face lights up. “Oh, Riley. I like her. You really have upgraded. Best of luck to you on that.”

She gives me a big smile. “Wait, how do you know Riley?”

“When I do my book club I go down to the library and discuss next month’s book with her. She has great suggestions. She is a great girl. You should have found her sooner.” My mother looks at me smuggly. I am starting to think that she likes Riley more than me.

“It is still in the works. I have a lot of work to do. Making sure I have my life in order as well as wooing a girl that is three thousand miles away is going to be a lot of work.”

My mother looks at me like I am a disappointment. “I did not raise you to settle for the basics. You better put your best foot forward.”

“Yes mom. I have to go. I have to get a resume together, so if you two will excuse me.” I step out of the office and I can hear my parents talking before I even leave the room.

“Are you sure about this Howard? He is just a boy himself.”

“He can handle it. He came to me like a man, he is ready to be one. He understands that it is going to be work.”

I am so glad to be out of that room. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. At least I know my father is on my side.