My Last Wish novel · Chapter 7 of 24

Chapter 7: A Public Table

I called Chad on Saturday morning, and I put it on speaker so Dane could hear.

"I want to see my son," I said. "In a public place, today. We can talk about the rest."

"That's very reasonable of you," Chad said, in his client voice. "The Mill Street diner, at ten."

Dane shut his laptop.

"He's not going to say anything he can't take back," he said.

"No. But I'm going to make him say it where there are witnesses."

I turned on the recording app on my phone and put the phone in my cardigan pocket.

The diner on Mill Street had red booths and a pie case by the register.

I had eaten there with Chad on our third date.

He was already in the back booth with Teddy beside him, a coloring book open in front of them.

Teddy saw me and slid out under the table to reach me.

"Mama! I got pancakes!"

I held him as long as I could stand it.

"You can sit with Mama," Chad said, pleasantly, "so long as you remember that we're all friends here."

I sat across from him.

Teddy climbed into my lap and went back to his crayons.

Chad had ordered coffee for me, with the right amount of cream.

He had always known the right amount.

"You look better than I expected," he said.

"I've been better for a long time. You've been there for most of it."

"I have."

He smiled, and his eyes crinkled.

If I hadn't been looking for it, I would never have seen the thing behind them.

"Chad, I want to talk about the wishes."

"Of course you do. A thousand wishes, Cal. It's quite a thing."

"You said you'd make every one come true."

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