But instead of looking upset or grossed out, Tucker starts to laugh, head thrown back as his shoulders shake. He laughs so hard his eyes start to water.
Or maybe that’s the smell.
I go for his windows, opening them in an effort to help the noxious cloud dissipate. “I don’t know why she likes to do that in here so much.” Normally, Birdie just goes wherever the urge strikes her. But here, she works hard to get into Tucker’s room to do her business.
Tucker swipes at one eye, shaking his head as he continues tochuckle. “Maybe she’s just marking her territory.” He goes to where Birdie is straightening, seemingly finished with the task at hand. Tucker scoops her up, hands under her pits as he holds my toddler out in front of him. “Don’t worry, Little Bird.” He brings her in, kissing her on the nose before holding her back out again. “I belong solely to you and your momma.”
“I feel sick.”It would be bad enough if I was just seeing Deidre for the first time since coming back from Maryland two days ago.
Instead, I’m seeing Deidre for the first time since coming back from Maryland two days agoandmeeting the three women who are brave enough to take on William with me. Probably should have tried to throw up before we left our house. Just so I wouldn’t risk having to throw up all over Deidre’s beautiful home.
The only reason I make it inside is due to Tucker’s warm hand pressing against my back. Otherwise, there’s a good chance I would have turned tail and run.
I am not a coward. This is just… A lot.
Feminine voices carry from the kitchen to echo through the entryway as Tucker, Birdie, and I make our way inside. When I reach the kitchen, I feel a little faint. It’s surreal seeing three little kids who resemble my daughter in ways I never wanted to see. Admitting William had anything to do with her creation was painful. Sometimes disgusting. Humiliating. So I did my best to ignore any evidence of it.
But now it’s staring right back at me in the form of curly heads and dimpled cheeks. Every one of the kids is adorable. So freaking cute I almost can’t stand it. It makes it easier to admit that while the man might be a complete and total piece of shit, he does make cute babies.
But the kids aren’t the only attractive humans occupying Deidre’s kitchen. The three women circling the island are gorgeous. We’re different enough to say William doesn’t have a type, but each woman is stunningly pretty.
Everyone goes quiet when we walk in, turning our way. Deidre immediately smiles, clapping her hands together the way she does before she starts speaking to a group.
“There’s my girls.” She comes straight for us, scooping Birdie away from Tucker and giving her a tight squeeze, before asking, “Did you miss Gram Gram? Because Gram Gram missed you.” Her eyes move over my daughter’s face, like she’s soaking it up.
Guilt has me feeling almost as sick as my nervousness does, making me grateful I know where the closest bathroom is. But I don’t have time to run away, because Birdie starts to wiggle, clearly more interested in going to investigate the other kids than getting loved on by Deidre.
After setting her down, Tucker’s mom turns to me. I brace, not knowing what’s coming.
Deidre takes my hands in hers. “My darling girl.” She gives my fingers a squeeze. “I am so happy you’re home.”
Tears prick my eyes as she reaches up to pat my cheek. No one has looked at me the way she is now. Called me their darling girl or lovingly cradled my face. Not since my mom died. And like so much else lately, I’m having a hard time dealing with it.
After years of being the only person I could count on—having to keep it all together because no one was there to reassemble me if I fell apart—I break, crumbling straight into Deidre’s waiting arms.
She holds me so tight, one hand rubbing up and down my back as she makes the kind of soothing sounds only a mother can. I hate that these women are seeing me like this—I don’t want them to back out because they think I’m weak—but for just aminute, I just want a mom to hold me and tell me it’s all going to be okay.
After what feels like way too long for me to be able to categorize this as a quick little mental breakdown, I finally straighten, sucking in a breath to dry out my running nose.
Deidre gives me a second to compose myself then hooks an arm around my shoulders. “You ready to talk about giving William Sheppard a taste of his own medicine?”
I nod. “I’m ready.”
She introduces me to the group. Not just names either. She knows what each woman does for a living. Where they live. How they met William and what he’s done to make their life a living hell.
Seems like Senator Sheppard has been busy.
Not long after introductions are made, the attorney Tucker hired arrives and begins explaining the process of what we’re doing. Nothing’s going to be officially filed—and hopefully won’t ever be—but it will be coming from his office, on his letterhead, with his signature beneath ours. Hopefully it’s enough to scare William into walking away.
And I think it will be. It’s time for him to see who holds the power here. The four of us can take everything from him. His marriage. His reputation. His political career. We could ruin his life in the blink of an eye.
But none of us want to do that. We simply want him to go away and forget we—and our children—exist. So we can move on. So we can be happy. So our kids can feel safe.
So Birdie can officially have the dad she deserves.
34
Ruth
