Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
The tire swing I’d put up was a hit, as was the house, especially the girls’ pink bedroom and the fish I hadn’t told them about.
“You got fish, Daddy?” Caroline asked, tapping the barrel, while Fiona tried feeding them the entire bottle of food.
Both of the girls were sitting up on the counter. Once they discovered the fish, they couldn’t get up there fast enough.
I took the bottle of food from Fiona and dumped some flakes into both of their hands. “Yeah. They got names too—Mac and Cheese.”
Caroline started giggling, covering her mouth, while Fiona licked her lips.
“I really love mac and cheese, Daddy,” she told me, expression dead serious.
My chest rattled with a laugh. I knew that. It was practically the only thing Fiona ever ate before. I wondered if that had changed much.
“Which one’s Cheese?” Fiona asked as she carefully dropped her flakes into the water.
“That one,” Caroline answered, pointing at one of the fish. “He’s definitely Cheese. Look at him.”
Fiona bent down and studied the fish. “Yep. That’s him,” she said.
The fish were identical.
I looked back at Val, who was observing us by the refrigerator. Her shoulder leaned against it while she still held Caroline’s bag in front of her. She was smiling. She looked happy.
“I can’t believe you have fish,” she said.
I couldn’t believe it either, but I didn’t tell her that. “Yeah. They were a gift.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. I was pretty sure I had that same expression when Shayla gave them to me.
“All right, girls. We gotta get going,” Val said, looking at her watch.
“No!” Fiona hollered.
“Mommy, we wanna stay!” Caroline punched her thigh. “We still need to take turns again on the swing!”
I grabbed Fiona first and helped her down. Then I put Caroline on her feet.
I didn’t want them leaving yet, but I wouldn’t argue with Val. She was controlling this. It didn’t matter how I felt about it.
Any bitching on my part might lead to pissing her off, which could lead to her keeping the girls from me.
So I said what I could say. I didn’t ask for more time.
“When you come back, you can take turns,” I told Caroline.
She was pouting and kept hold of that pout when she looked up at me and asked, “Okay. When?”
I looked to Val.
She was unzipping the book bag. “Soon. Your daddy and I have to talk about it. Now, here. Do you want to give him this?” Valerie pulled out a piece of paper and held it out for Caroline.
I didn’t like that. Talk about what? Did I not pass her test? She’s been smiling this entire fucking time.
Gritting my teeth to keep my mouth from going, I watched Caroline take the paper and carry it over to me.
“Here, Daddy. I made you this in school.”
I took it, flipping it over to see the drawing she’d done for me.
It was four stick-figure people, the two larger ones on the outside and the kids in the middle. My hair was the length it was now. Our names were written under us—Daddy, Caroline, Fiona, Mommy. We were all holding hands. Caroline was covered in pink.
I bent down and kissed her cheek, saying, “Thank you, baby girl.”
Then I stuck her picture on the fridge, securing it with a magnet.
We walked outside. I helped with putting the girls in their car seats, taking care of Fiona and kissing her feet when she took off her shoes. I tickled Caroline. Then I stood back and waited for Val to walk over to me.
“The house looks great, Sean. It really does,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“I want the girls to be able to see you whenever they want. I don’t mind bringing them over after work or on weekends if we aren’t busy. I just don’t want this to be…complicated. They’ve been through enough.”
I nodded in agreement. I couldn’t speak.
She was letting them see me whenever they wanted. Holy fuck. What the fuck was happening?
“Your job, you’re going to keep it, right?”
“Wanna keep the house, so yeah.”
“I’m serious.”
I stared at her. “I’m keeping it. I got a good thing going there. I won’t fuck it up.”
She nodded tensely. “This is your last chance, Sean. I will not say this to you again. If you mess up, you’re done.” She stepped closer, grabbed my hand, and whispered, “Please. For them, do not mess up.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
Val had tears in her eyes again. She threw her arms around my shoulders and gave me a quick hug, pressing her body so hard to mine, I could feel her heart pounding. Then she turned and walked around the car, climbing in hastily as she wiped at her face.
I waved at the girls as the car backed out of the driveway and pulled off. Then I reached for my phone, wanting to tell Shayla everything about the visit, but I changed my mind.