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Overprotective, paranoid me wants to say no, but how am I going to trust him to take her to a convention if I can’t even let him walk her to school? I want to pick her up and shove her in my pocket, shield her from everything for as long as I’m alive, but I can’t do that, because the truth is, she’s not just mine.
“Yeah, okay, fine,” I say, those words earning a squeal of excitement from Maddie. I smile down at her. “Love you more than lunch breaks and paychecks.”
“Love you more than recess.”
“That’s a lot of love, little girl.”
“All of it in the whole world.”
Leaning down, I kiss her forehead. “Go on, you don’t want to be late for school.”
She pauses, eyes widening. “Wait! I forgot!”
“Forgot what?” I call out as she sprints for her bedroom.
“Show & Tell!” she yells.
Sighing, I shake my head. “Can’t forget about bringing something for Show & Tell.”
“That would be a travesty,” Jonathan says.
I look at him, frowning as I slip past, out of the apartment. “Can you lock the door for me? Please? I have to get going.”
“Of course,” he says. “Whatever you need.”
I leave, not wanting to dwell, because if I do I’m liable to go back on all of it, and that wouldn’t be fair. I get to work a quarter after eight, fifteen minutes late, and rush to clock in, flustered.
“You sure you’re okay?” Marcus asks, eyeing me.
“Fine,” I mumble. “Couldn’t find my keys.”
It’s not a lie—not completely. It’s more than that, of course, but I don’t want to get into it. I spend the next few minutes in the back stockroom, watching the time.
At eight-thirty, I start to get nervous. Nearing nine o’clock, my anxiety skyrockets. Pulling out my phone, I text Jonathan. Did you get her there okay?
No response.
When nine-thirty comes, I can’t take it anymore. I dial the number for the school, checking with the receptionist to make sure she made it, feeling like a fool when she confirms Maddie is in class and arrived on time this morning. I hang up, grumbling to myself when a message pops up on the screen. Jonathan. Forgot to charge my phone. She made it safe and sound. No limbs lost.
I stare at it, considering how to respond, but everything I truly want to say feels ridiculously sappy this morning. So she still has all her fingers and toes?
Ten of each, I’m assuming, but I didn’t have a chance to count. Would’ve made us late.
I laugh at that as I type out a response. Learn to multi-task, man.
“What’s so funny?”
Hitting send, I glance up and see Bethany in the doorway. “Nothing, just… you know.”
I shake my phone at her as if that’ll explain it.
“Boyfriend?” she guesses, raising her eyebrows. “Is it the guy that was here?”
My expression falls. “What guy?”
“You know, the one that came to see you.”
Oh god. “How do you know about that?”
“Because I was here,” she says. “Don’t think I didn’t see him lurking around.”
“You saw him?”
“Of course.” She laughs. “You seriously think I wouldn’t spot that hottie? Hello, do you even know me?”
“Well, I mean, it’s not what you think,” I say. “He’s not… we’re not… you know… so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Really?”
“Of course!” She laughs. “I know you’re, like, old or whatever, but I like to think we’re friends. I’m not going to tell everyone your business.”
Ignoring the fact that she just called me old, because screw that, I feel an intense sense of relief. She’s taking this so much cooler than I expected. “Thank you. And I know you’ve met him, I guess, but if you want to meet him again, I can probably make that happen.”
“Oh, no thanks.” She waves me off. “He’s a hottie, but he’s not my type. I’m not really into that whole uptight authoritarian kink, if you know what I mean.”
“What?”
“That guy of yours. What’s his name? Andrew?”
“Oh, you’re talking about Drew!”
“Who else would I be—oh my god, is there somebody else?” She lets out a shriek. “No way, you have two boyfriends?”
“Of course not.” I scoff as my phone goes off. I glance at it, seeing a message from Jonathan. “I don’t have a boyfriend at all.”
You’re the queen. I’m just a commoner.
Those words nearly take my breath away. It’s been a long time since he’s said them to me, so long that my heart skips a beat at the memories.
“Your face disagrees,” Bethany says, motioning to me as I shove my phone in my pocket. “You’re all blushy.”
I roll my eyes. “Am not.”
“Whatever you say.” She turns to leave. “You look how I probably looked when I met Johnny Cunning.”
“I heard a certain someone walked her to school this morning.”
I stare at my father sitting on his front porch, casually rocking in his chair, wasting time before he heads off to lead a meeting later. It’s nearing sunset. I ended up working over to make up for being late this morning.
