Page 69 of Ruin

“Good. Because I love your pretty face just the way it is.”

I kiss the tip of her nose, and she giggles.

“Come on, Mommy, guess! Zweus guessed way qwicker than you!”

“Oh.” I lift a playful brow, giving Zeus a teasing look. “Is that so? Well, we can’t have that.” I scan my eyes over her and then say, “You wouldn’t be Ballerina of the Week by any chance, would you?”

“You guessed wight! I’m the best dancer this week. Miss Hannah said my fwirst position was perfect. And I said that’s because I been pwacticing at home. And she said that I’m going to make a gweat ballerina. And I said just wike my mommy.”

The wave of love I feel for her almost takes my breath away. I press my lips to her warm cheek and breathe in her scent. “I’m really proud of you, Gigi girl.” I hug her to me before putting her to her feet. “So, Zeus and I need to talk to you about something, if that’s okay.”

She looks up at me. “Okay, Mommy.”

I take her hand and lead her over to the sofa. She sits down on the sofa, and I sit beside her. Zeus sits on her other side.

“So, Gigi…there’s something that Zeus and I need to tell you.”

“Are you and Zweus getting mwarried?”

“What? No!” I splutter.

My eyes flash to Zeus. He doesn’t look upset by that. If anything, he’s smiling.

“Why would you think that, baby?”

“Because Tommy Preston told me that his mommy gots a new friend wike we gots Zweus, and nows, they mwarried.”

“No, Gigi girl. Zeus and I aren’t getting married.” I gently shake my head.

“Okay. But I wouldn’t mind if you dids. I wike Zeus a wot.”

She gives me a toothy grin, and I can’t help but smile at her.

I lift my eyes to Zeus, and the sheer level of emotion on his face almost breaks me.

I swallow down, composing myself before attempting speech again.

“So…Gigi girl, you know how Tommy’s mom got married to her friend, and that meant he got a new daddy?”

“Tommy has two daddies. I don’t has a daddy,” she tells Zeus. There’s no hurt in her voice. Just a matter of fact. But it’s still like a blade in the heart.

Zeus clears his throat. “Well, what would you say if I told you that I was your daddy?” His voice is like gravel.

Gigi’s just staring at him. And my heart is practically beating out of my chest.

“So, you wants to be my daddy?”

“Well, Gigi, I am your daddy.”

She turns her eyes to me, looking confused.

“Do you understand what we’re telling you, baby?”

“Zweus is my daddy.”

“Yes, Gigi girl, Zeus is your daddy.” I reach out and take hold of her hand.

She looks back to Zeus, who looks absolutely terrified. “I’s known my mommy forever,” she says to him. “Why hasn’t I’s known you forever if you’s my daddy?”