“I do. I had to eat all my vegetables, though, to make sure I was strong enough to stay on the bike.” The lie came out of my mouth without thought. I just had an inexplicable urge to help Sophie.
Lou reluctantly shoved a piece of broccoli into her mouth, grimacing as she chewed it. I laughed at her face. And just as she finished, she looked at me, those big innocent eyes sucking me in as she asked, “Can you teach me how to ride?”
Sophie looked flustered at the question, and I was equally as unsure of what to say.
“I’m sure that’s something your mom and dad want to do with you,” I said, trying to gently deflect.
“Daddy doesn’t live with us. He and Nat only ride exercise bikes, anyway, and I’m not allowed to go on them,” she replied matter-of-factly. Sophie seemed to bristle at the mention of Nat, and a million questions came to mind.
“Nat?” I asked, my voice lower as I looked at her.
“Mommy and Daddy got unmarried when I was a baby so Daddy could marry Nat. Now, I live with Mommy, and we see Daddy and Nat at parties,” Lou replied, and Sophie’s face turned crimson.
“All done! Can I go back to playing with Harper?” Lou announced as she started to crawl off the bench.
“For a little bit. Then we have to go home and get ready to see Pops, remember?”
“Okay! Just a little more. I’ll be quick. Promise!” Lou shouted, running back over to the cluster of kids chasing each other on the grassy field behind the barbeques.
“I’m sorry about Lou…She can be a bit of a chatterbox,” Sophie supplied, her ears still pink from the mention of her ex.
“It’s fine. It’s good that she feels comfortable sharing what’s on her mind. She mentioned her Pops the first time we met. Is that your grandfather?” I asked, trying to get that shy look off Sophie’s face. At the mention of him, she instantly warmed. A smile appeared, transforming her expression.
“He’s actually my ex’s grandfather. My parents are back in Nebraska. We only see them a few times a year. I’m lucky that Walt is such a good man. He loves Lou to death, and we have dinner with him almost every weekend. I don’t know what we would do without him,” she admitted. I grabbed her hand, surprised at how small it felt under mine.
“I’m sure you would be doing just fine. I know you don’t know me, but it’s obvious how much you care about Lou, and she clearly adores you. Give yourself some grace. Being a single parent is hard,” I told her, watching as she flushed again, clearly uncomfortable with compliments.
As the day wound down and we said our goodbyes, I couldn’t help replaying our conversation over and over.
That night, in bed, I went over every word, trying to translate what Lou had said.How could you leave your wife and baby for another woman?It wasn’t my place to judge, but I was. I wanted more for Sophie and Lou. And maybe I wanted tobethat something more for them.
Chapter 8
Natalia
“What are you going to do about this baby situation? You and Max have been trying for what, four years now? What’s the issue?” Helen’s smooth voice, calm and steady, cut through me like a chainsaw. I looked around the packed restaurant, hoping no one was listening. Before we had even looked at the menu, she was digging her claws in, ripping me open, and baring all my flaws to the world.
“There’s no time to be sensitive about the issue. He needs a male heir. You know this. Do you want to keep living in Sophie’s shadow?” I flinched at the sound of her name. Sweet Sophie. The perfect mother. The wronged party. Somehow, everyone seemed to like her more than me, no matter that I fit so much better in their world than she ever could. The way all of the employees, and especially Walter, looked and spoke about her ate at me.
Growing up, my looks were always the focus. My biggest accomplishment. Maintaining my figure and my skin and hair routines were my top priorities. I had dreams of being a model, of traveling the world with beautiful people, wearing designer clothes no one else had.
While my family was wealthy, it paled in comparison to what the Townsends had. Not to mention the way people spoke about the family, the reverence with which the names Walter and Eloise Townsend were mentioned. They seemed perfect, untouchable. The respect, the adoration, and all the luxury thatcame with such prestige.
His house was beyond anything I could imagine. The gated mansion was massive, fully staffed, and equipped with only top-of-the-line amenities. I knew it was what I wanted for my future…eventually. I truly loved Max and wanted to be with him, but not at the cost of my youth. I just needed a little time.
I had broached the subject with my parents only once, and it did not go over well. Remembering that conversation and the decisions I made after it haunted me. Max and I had just started living together, and he was working at his grandfather’s company while I finished my last year of college. Dinner at my parents’ wasn’t often, but they were diligent in keeping tabs on me, especially when it came to my relationship with Max.
“Don’t fuck this up. This is our biggest account. Get married and give Max a son. Then, you can do whatever you want,” my father told me, my mother nodding along.
“But…what if I don’t want to get married right away? What if I want to take some time and work on my career first?” I asked. My father rolled his eyes.
“Traveling the world to try to become an influencer, or whatever you call it, is not exactly the priority here,” he snapped before my mother gave him a look.
“As a graduation present, we’ll pay for you to go to Ibiza for the summer. When you return, you’ll settle down and get married. You have the one summer to get this out of your system,” My mother replied, as if that made everything better.
Anxiety pooled in my stomach, and there was an itch under my skin.
Give him a son.
