"Go ahead, Eric. I'd love to tell a judge just how great a father you are." Damn it, she cursed herself. This was going into meanness that she didn't want to be a part of. She swore she'd keep civil with Eric, which granted, was made easier by his lack of involvement in both hers and Colton's lives. She took a deep breath and was going to try again to be civil.
"Just wanted to let you know I know about your the rich hockey player. And to warn you that you won't take my son from me."
Mandy closed her eyes. When had she tried to keep Colton from Eric? It was Eric himself who had divorced himself from Colton. "I never planned on doing anything like that. Anytime you want to visit Colton he's here. If you want Colton to visit you we'll have to discuss that." With her lawyer present. "Just know that Colton really likes Kip. And Kip has been a good influence on Colton. Try not to get jealous. Remember you've been the one staying away from us. You chose to move to Edson."
She heard Eric's intake of breath, but sprang forward to nip any disparaging remarks in the bud. "Don't," she warned, "say anything you'll regret. I already have. I apologize for getting snippy. But, Eric, I will fight for what I think is right for Colton. Do you want to talk to him?"
That had taken the wind of out Eric's sails. He backed down from whatever he had planned to call her about. "No. I'll call him on Friday."
"I won't tell him you called tonight. It'll just disappoint him." Mandy felt her heart break as Eric hung up the phone. She couldn't understand his lack of a relationship with Colton at all. Her son certainly didn't deserve it.
In her fantasies where she was married to Kip, and living together with him. In those moments, which she didn't allow very often, he was Colton's father. Eric had totally given up and Kip had taken over happily. Right down to the "daddy" nametag and helping out at school. Of course in that fantasy, she was also pregnant with a little baby, maybe a girl. A boy would be just fine too.
That was the old "perfect" imagined life. She was going to get with reality, which was Colton was going to be visiting his father once in a while. It was a good reality.
Jeez, she had no idea if Kip wanted children. In their first relationship, they'd been too young to really consider such things. Sometimes Kip would jokingly talk about their little girl or about teaching "his" little boy to play hockey. But, he may have changed his mind in twelve years.