Lonely Boy

What Tracey and her young son wanted turned out not to be so different…

Coffee Break Tale

Tracey looked up from her desk and saw Ethan standing there with two cups of coffee. He really was one of the most thoughtful men she had ever met.

“Thank you.” As much as she could stare into his lovely eyes all afternoon, she turned back to the computer. Not because the report on the screen was important, but because of the stirring in her heart, and she couldn’t have that. “Hurry up, five o’clock,” Tracey sighed. “Plans?” Ethan perched himself on the edge of her desk and her senses were keenly aware of how close he was.

“I’m taking my son to the museum on Saturday, and maybe the park afterwards. What about you – any plans?”

“I have two tickets to a matinee of that new play showing in town… I hoped you might be free – you said Josh sometimes goes to his gran’s at weekends.”

“Sorry.” Tracey really was, but keeping Ethan at arm’s length was for the best. “I know someone who might be interested though – Jennie from IT.”

She had been friends with Jennie since she started working here three years ago. If anyone deserved to be with someone as wonderful as Ethan, Jennie did.

“Right, OK.” The light in Ethan’s eyes dimmed a little and Tracey’s heart tugged, but she had to be strong.

“I’d better keep working, thanks again for the coffee, I needed that.” Truth was whenever she looked at Ethan she felt she needed him too, but it had been just her and Josh for five years, and she vowed to always put her son’s needs first. She didn’t want to put him through the emotional roller-coaster of seeing his mum dating. She didn’t think he’d cope, not when he still talked about his dad nearly every day.

When Tracey got home Josh was lying on his bed with his school art book and pencils in front of him. “What are you up to, champ?” “Working on a school project.” “On a Friday? Shouldn’t you be playing?” “I want to do this now, but…” “It’s hard?” “Sort of. We have to create a Wanted poster and put something we really want. Carly’s going to do Wanted:Petdog. And Tylah, Wanted:Disneylandholiday.” “And you don’t know what you want?” “Well, I do know, but…” “But what?” He shrugged but stayed silent. “I’m your mum, whatever you put on that poster is OK with me.” She kissed the top of his head. “Hotdogs for dinner?”

His smile was instant. “Yeah.”

When she checked on Josh later that night he had fallen asleep with the light on. As she pulled up his blanket she spotted his Wanted poster on the bed. The words he’d written squeezed her heart. Wanted:ADad.Someonenicetokick afootballwith,playvideogames,and makeMumhappyagain. Tears blurred her vision. It had been the two of them for so long, she thought she was doing the right thing keeping it that way. It seemed she was wrong.

Then her heart lightened. Maybe she could introduce him to Ethan? But then she remembered… the play, Jennie… it was too late.

The next day Tracey tried not to think about Jennie and Ethan together. She focused on Josh and the ancient armour displays in front of them.

Then a voice she recognised said, “Small world.”

Tracey spun around. “Ethan, I thought you’d be at the play with Jennie.”

He gave an endearing lop-sided smile. “I decided to give her both tickets. A day at the museum sounded much better.” “Josh, this is Ethan from work.” “Hi,” said Josh. “This old armour’s cool, isn’t it?”

“Very cool. Be sure to check out the Pompeii collection.” “Can you show us where?” said Josh. “Sure – that is, if your mum doesn’t mind if I join your family day out?”

Here was a man that could not only fill Josh’s wanted poster, but could also fill her heart, too.

“You’re more than welcome,” Tracey smiled. Today and always.