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Lies!
“Want to take them to the truck while I checkout?” Elijah asked softly as he placed Eli in my arms. I nodded quietly as Lucy tugged on my hand and followed behind Elijah who took the shopping cart from me.
Of course Lilly followed. “I’ll be taking this to court,” she told me.
I was so mortified. What if we ended up on the internet in one of those crazy-people-of-Walmart videos simply because Lilly saw us shopping with Elijah. That’d be my luck. And what was worse was the fact that I was beginning to suspect that Scott was lying to his parents about what really happened. He chose not to show up each time he said he’d come for Lucy. And every time he failed, Lucy would sit in front of the window frowning. Eventually, she stopped waiting to see her dad. Her sad faces turned into disinterested ones. Thanks to Scott, Lucy didn’t want to see her dad since she spent so little time with him.
Elijah stopped in front of me and sighed before he looked at Lilly. “Don’t you follow them outside. You’re a grown-ass woman. Act like one.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s no way to talk to a woman. You want that around Lucy?” She pointed at him.
“Elijah, please,” I mumbled quickly, just wanting the scene to be over.
“I only see one mature woman, and it sure the fuck ain’t you,” he told her. “Have you stopped to wonder that maybe your actions are the blame for losing touch with your grandkids? No wonder Lucy cries when she’s with you. Look at the way you’re acting.”
“Elijah,” I said more sternly. When he glanced at me, I gave him a frustrated frown as I gestured to Lucy who was listening to every word he said.
“I’m calling Scott right now and telling him about this nonsense. First thing in the morning, I’m taking him to the courthouse.”
Elijah chuckled dryly. “Take him? See what I mean? Raise your own damn kid before worrying about someone else’s.”
Although I agreed with everything Elijah said, I didn’t appreciate how he’d done it. Maybe if Lucy and Eli weren’t listening it would be better, but I wasn’t okay with anyone bad-mouthing their father in front of them even though he deserved it. I didn’t want to raise them to think it was all right. And the fact that Elijah continuedly ignored my plea to ignore her only made it worse.
So, yes, I was hurt and angry at him and this entire situation.
“Tell your meme bye, Lucy. We’re heading to the truck,” I blurted. Lucy never said it though.
“You need the keys.” Elijah handed them over. When I walked away, he grabbed my shoulder. “Hey…”
I shirked away from him and steered Lucy out of Walmart.
“Lucy!” We turned around to see Lilly running out after us. “Don’t you want to see your mommy and daddy get back together?”
“Lilly,” I breathed out slowly. “You’re going too far. You’ve caused a scene in a public place.”
“You know this is ridiculous, Hadley. How can you guys raise your babies apart?” So she was being docile and trying to be nice. Her tone was fine, but her words were all wrong.
“I’ve been raising them just fine. In fact, single parenting happens all over the world, and those kids are doing fine.”
“Lucy…” She dropped down to Lucy’s height. “What do you want?”
“My mommy.” She clutched my leg.
“No, I mean don’t you want to see Daddy and Mommy get together again as a family?” Lucy pressed her face into my leg and ignored her.
“Don’t be this way to her,” I practically begged as I bent down and scooped up my four-year-old in my other arm. It was hard to hold them both but I was determined. “I know you mean well, but what you’re doing is wrong.”
And with that, I turned away and hurried to Elijah’s truck. I buckled Eli in quietly as Lucy climbed into her car seat and waited for me. “Are you okay, Mommy?” she asked as I buckled her in.
“I should be asking you that,” I mumbled.
“I’m okay. I hope Elijah doesn’t get lost in there alone.”
“He’ll be okay.”
“Will he get my chips?”
“He will.”
