'' I hear what you are saying dad; I guess I am afraid of opening up my heart again for a second time because I thought Hazel and I had a connection, and we saw how that went; she left me a note before she headed on her way back to New York''says Liam.
''Does she know how you feel about her? I mean, truly know how you feel about her. I mean, I know that you kissed her ?'' asks Holly curiously.
''I think so she ran off before I got to chance to tell her ''tells Liam wanting to open up his heart; however, the more he thinks about it. The thought of it made him hesitate to continue to develop feelings for her, making it feel real and scary. If I pursued my feelings for her and she rejected me, it makes me wonder if I tell her how I felt? What is she says no?'' states Liam.
''How do you know unless you tell her how you feel and ask her out for yourself?'' says Avery wanting her son to jump in his truck and drive off to New York to find Hazel?
''What happens if I get there, and she wants nothing to do with me, plus I don't even know where. I would find her in the first place ''questions, Liam. Not wanting to get his hopes up if he goes down there to see her. Of herself, she is not feeling the same way, back when she was in Vermont? Who knows, being back in the big city could have changed her aspect of things, might have found someone from her work. Making her forget all about the small-town guy on her pit stop back home?' says Liam doubting himself that he isn't who Hazel is supposed to be with?
''Don't talk about yourself like that; I mean, you know where she works, right?'' asks Jeremy.
''Yeah, she is working as a fashion magazine editor at Top Magazine, right ?'' asks Avery.
''What am I supposed to do, drive there and go to the front desk and ask for Hazel? I never even got her last name. You know how many Hazel's there could be working in that place ''questions, Liam. Thinking how many days she stayed in town, how did he not once ask her last name?
''How did you never catch her last name?'' asks Holly curiously, seeing that he knew Zoey's right away yet again; they grew up with one another but still, how did they spend days on end with another and not even know the other person's last name?
''I don't. I guess I just forgot to ask for it,'' shrugs Liam.
''Go after her already; we will watch Thomas for you that way, you can spend some alone time with her after you make amends and finish things between you two, ''says Avery.
''Alright, I think I will if you all are you sure, I would hate to be a burden and dump Tom on you all ''states Liam, glad that he can count on his family whenever he needs them. However, he never wants to take advantage of it; it's the way he and Zoey always felt. They never asked their families to watch their boy unless they absolutely needed to; being at home as a family was much more their style than going out and needing a sitter. Now even with her gone, Liam still sticks to that; she's always in his head every day. Although honestly, it's more his self-conscious keeping her in his head, which almost stops the pain & heartache that he has been facing the last year and a half.
''You're not a burden; we would do anything for you and that boy, now if you leave within the next hour, you can probably get to Brooklyn before it gets dark,'' says Avery checking her watch at the time.
''You're leaving?'' says Thomas walking in the door from the backyard with a shocked face, also stunned that his dad is leaving Peppermint?
''Come here, buddy, that way we can talk,'' says Liam giving his son a come here signal with his right hand.
'''No, if you loved me then, you wouldn't be leaving me, ''says Thomas, upset, running upstairs and trying to understand why his daddy is going without him?
''Thomas buddy, that's not it''says Liam yelling it, as his little boy is already halfway up the stairs, unable to hear what his dad just said. Why is his daddy leaving him? Doesn't make sense to a little boy who has already lost his mom, and now it seems as he might lose the only parent he has left as well?
It seems that the world is punishing him for what he has already lost and is trying to take away. The only parent he has left?
Why is the world so cruel?
Does it make any sense at all?
He is nine years old, for crying out loud, those significant milestones that will be approaching, she will never get to see. Reaching double digits, first crush, becoming a teenager, learning how to drive, the first job, graduating high school. These are cherishable moments as a mom that Zoey will never be able to see & experience with her own eyes. I mean, yes, she can look down and see from above, but it's not the same thing as being there?
Liam heads up the stairs into his old room that was converted into Tom's room, when he stays here to have a place of his own, away from home. Once he makes his way to the top of the stairs, and heads down the hall to his old room, and does his first *knock, second * knock * before the final knock to let his little boy know that it's him.''Buddy, you misheard me, I'm not moving to New York, I was going to see Hazel and fix things between her and I, what blows. My mind is you thinking that I would pack up and leave our home without you tagging along, why don't you and I take a walk to the stables?'' suggests Liam.
''i don't think so daddy that was mommy favorite spot to take me when we would visit grandma & grandpa ''tells Thomas since the last time, he went there was when his mommy was still alive.''Oh come on bud, if mom were here you would already out the door, down the stairs, and at the stables by now ''states Liam knowing that what his son is saying isn't honestly true?
''No it's not the same thing without mommy there, I will never ride again ''states Thomas as he goes back underneath the bed, glad that he is able to hide in small places. Whenever he is upset or angry and needing his own private alone spot in peace.
''Your horse buttercup is going to be wondering where you are ''tells Liam not wanting Thomas to give up riding his horse ever again. Knowing that he will come to his senses and be back on his horse very shortly.