WHO: Rachel McKenzie and Geoff O’Connell WHEN: Saturday, June 10 WHERE: 4F SUMMARY: Rachel and Geoff tell Aidan that they’re dating again. WARNINGS: None. STATUS: Complete!
Despite the far more supernatural happenings of Woodsbridge, along with the uptick in crime for the small town, Geoff found himself with a fair amount of free time now on the weekends. Which had been the point of moving them across the country, out of Philadelphia where everything Aidan knew was. Today had them at the park, basketball in hand as Geoff put in a good show of not being completely trounced by his son. For now he was still taller which gave a little bit of an advantage, though not much over Aidan’s practice.
“We’re meeting up with your mother for lunch.” Geoff reminded as Aidan scored his winning point, which really was expected though Geoff liked to think he at least put up a marginal challenge for his son.
“Mom’s been spending a lot of time at your place.” Aidan answered instead as he gathered up his basketball, raising an eyebrow and looking back at Geoff.
Which was exactly the sort of conversation that they should be having, but with Rachel present. “She has.” Geoff answered as they fell in step to head to the car. “And right now we’re meeting her for lunch.”
“Which means you’re not going to talk to me about it.” Aidan’s eyeroll could be felt in his tone and right now Geoff had to admit that it was warranted.
“You catch on quickly!” Geoff teased, greeted by another eyeroll. It was not exactly fair to keep Aidan in the dark but it was not fair of Geoff to talk to him about it without Rachel here. It was a tricky sort of situation that was going to be readily fixed as they piled into the car and made their way to lunch.
As she waited for Geoff and Aidan to arrive at lunch, Rachel toyed absently with the fidget spinner she’d picked up at the dollar store the other week. It gave her something to do while her thoughts raced around, miles an hour. Today was the day; they were going to tell Aidan what he likely already knew: that his parents were dating. Among other things. But their eleven-year-old didn’t need to know about those.
Soon, her boys walked through 4F’s doors, and she could feel herself smile widely and rise from the chair to greet them before she was conscious of the fact that she was doing so. “Hi, baby,” she kissed the top of Aidan’s head and hugged him close - just for a second; they were in public, after all, and she didn’t want to embarrass him. Never mind the fact that she didn’t want Aidan to pick up on how fast her heart was beating, the way it fluttered, just because Geoff was near, but also because of her nerves over what they were about to discuss. “Who won?” She directed her question to Geoff, offering him a grin in greeting, even though she would’ve preferred to kiss him, too.
“I ordered some mozzarella sticks. I figured you two would be hungry after your game,” Rachel said as they took their seats. Also because she loved mozzarella sticks, which was reason enough in itself.
“I apparently need to get more practice.” Geoff chuckled easily, his own fond smile answering Rachel’s. That was likely enough to ping Aidan’s radar after apparently Rachel’s distaste for Geoff over these years that he had been too obtuse to fully notice. Not that they had been exceptionally good at hiding to begin with and Aidan was an observant kid.
“You almost didn’t lose.” Aidan answered as he took his seat in the booth Rachel had scouted out.
“If only almost counted.” Geoff bemoaned playfully before holding his hand out for Rachel to take her seat as well. “Mozzarella sticks sound amazing.”
Rachel slid into the booth on Aidan’s side, and attempted a sympathetic expression, but that was ruined by the smirk that quickly appeared on her face after. “Way to go, Aid,” she held her hand up for a high five. “So,” she said, opening her menu, spreading it out on the table, glancing at the both of them. “What else are we getting?”
Geoff took his seat across from them both, his stomach fluttering as he did. The truth was something that Geoff put a great deal of faith and importance in, though he understood the logic of him and Rachel seeing how this would play out between them first before bringing Aidan back into it. The truth, either saying it or finding it, usually had a soothing effect on him even if it was not always pleasant.
That was until the circumstances meant dealing with a preteen.
“I’m easy to please.” he smiled as he looked at the menu. “What’s everyone thinking of?”
“Plain with extra cheese,” Aidan replied promptly, his eyes darting back between his parents, eyebrows shooting high on his forehead. His observant nature had absolutely caught onto the weird way his parents were acting, like they were definitely hiding something. And not like a surprise birthday present, but like something they were guilty of. And Geoff didn’t do guilty well. At least Rachel was able to play it a little cooler.
“Fine by me,” Rachel agreed easily, and reached for her water.
The subsequent pause in the conversation was quickly filled by Aidan, who saw his chance to ask what was going on between his parents, and didn’t waste the opportunity to do so. “So. Mom, Dad. Let’s talk.”
“Plain with cheese it is.” Geoff agreed as the menu was quickly set aside. The server would come around eventually, they could place the order when the mozzarella sticks arrived. And it looked like Aidan was getting right to the heart of this little meeting anyway. It was a good trait to have, one that he could have easily gotten from Rachel or himself.
“Yes, let’s.” Geoff folded his hands on the table and looking over at Rachel before focusing back on his son. “As it seems you’ve already guessed your mother and I have something to discuss with you.”
Rachel gave an imperceptive nod to Geoff in response, and then turned to Aidan, who waited expectantly for an answer. “Honey, your father and I are...dating again. And we didn’t want to tell you until we were sure about it because we didn’t want to get your hopes up,” she explained carefully, sincerely.
Aidan sipped on his coke while digesting this piece of information, nodding along. His face was pensive, though Rachel was fairly sure she detected the beginnings of a smile pricking at the corners of his mouth. “I figured.” He said finally, and reached for a mozzarella stick once their server brought out the plate.
With an amused shake of her head, Rachel turned to the waiter and placed their order, then focusing back on the topic at hand. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. You guys aren’t sneaky.”
“Here I thought we were being very sneaky.” Geoff chuckled softly as he could see the smile starting to turn on Aidan’s face. It was better than an angry or sullen reaction, which was what Geoff had usually gotten on the rare occasions he had attempted to date over the past few years. Not that any of those had ever gotten far enough to introduce to his son.
“So, the jig is up.” he reached across the table to take Rachel’s hand for a moment, his smile honest and fawning as he did. It was a quick grasp of her hand, letting go and letting them return to their food as Aidan’s amused smile followed them. “I’m dating your mother.”
“Good, your last girlfriend was terrible.” Aidan pointed out which threw Geoff for a bit of a loop.
“You’ve never met.” He started before being interrupted.
“Grandma O’Connell said Aunt Alex didn’t like her.” Aidan shrugged easily. “Besides, you broke up with her anyway.”
Rachel’s own smile was relieved with a healthy dose of sappy, which gave way into a laugh when Aidan revealed that truth bomb. “I’m a hard act to follow,” she shrugged, teasing, and looped an arm around her son’s shoulders to pull him into another hug. “We love you so much,” Rachel reminded him. “More than anything.”
The annoyance at his family was quickly removed with Rachel’s smile because, well, they weren’t wrong. Those relationships had not lasted for a reason, a reason that at least seemed a bit more obvious now than it had at the time.
“It’s true.” he agreed with Rachel, smiling at his son. “I care about your mother and we want to make sure that we’re doing this the right way for all of us.”
Aidan nodded from where his head rested against his mother’s shoulder. “I know.”
“You’re not mad, then?” Rachel asked hesitantly, looking down at his dark head of hair.
“No,” he said thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’m mad.”
“But?” She prompted.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, sitting up to take another mozzarella stick. “Maybe kind of annoyed that you didn’t tell me earlier, but mostly happy.” He shrugged again.
Rachel sighed lightly, and kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry we didn’t. We both are. We don’t like keeping you in the dark, but it would’ve been worse if we told you and then started fighting again, wouldn’t it?” She pointed out, and stole a mozzarella stick for herself.
“Both of us are committed to trying to make this family work.” Geoff nodded along to Rachel’s explanation. Maybe they could have told Aidan sooner but the risks had to be weighed on the benefits. Now though they were sure, sure that this was something that they needed to try and put their full effort into.
“And now it’s out in the open, no more hiding.” he reached out to take a mozzarella stick for himself before the two most important people in his life decided to each all of them first.
“No more hiding.” Rachel agreed.
“Okay.” Aidan seemed placated by this. “How long have you two been...dating, anyway?” He asked with a raised eyebrow that suggested he had no delusions whatsoever, now, about why Rachel had been staying over so much.
“A few weeks.” Geoff admitted, though with the history it felt like far longer than it had truly been. Even so once Geoff made a decision it was difficult to deter him from his conclusion and Geoff had certainly made a decision when it came to Rachel.
“And we’ve been here a few months.” Aidan pointed out with a cocked eyebrow that Geoff was almost certain he got from Rachel. The resemblance was uncanny.
“That’s true.” Geoff breathed. “Though it hadn’t been the initial intent.”
Rachel chose take another sip of her water and smirk at Geoff without comment.
Geoff shot Rachel back a withering look to thank her for her helpful input on that particular accusation. But it was quickly replaced with one of genuine amusement. “Well, how about these mozzarella sticks?” he commented instead. “I won’t say the pizza is anywhere near as good as the places back home, but it could all be worse.”