AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, you think this breakup has to do with Charlotte?”
“Yeah, she was acting a little off yesterday and this morning and I think maybe she’s sick or something. At first, we just thought that she was tired from her sleepover, but I don’t know. The only thing that can freak out Caroline is something happening to Charlotte.”
“Yeah, she and a few other parents have been bringing their kids in to see me this afternoon. Some kind of bug is going around.”
“Is Charlotte okay?” I ask, alarmed.
What if it’s serious and I haven’t been there for them?
“I can’t tell you any specific details, but it’s nothing serious, and I’m sure all of the kids will be back to normal soon.”
“Good,” I say, relieved that Charlotte will be back to feeling better soon.
“Is this the first time Charlotte has been sick while Caroline was caring for her?”
“I think it might be. She’s only been her guardian for a little while.”
“That has to be pretty overwhelming. I’m sure that being a single mom is hard and stressful. Maybe she just overreacted or panicked. Maybe she just needs to see that you’re not going to abandon her when the going gets tough.”
I mull over his words. Could he have a point? Maybe Caroline was just upset that she wasn’t there for Charlotte, or maybe she thought I would distract her from taking care of her.
“So, what do I do?”
“Talk to her and find out what upset her. If it is about Charlotte, then try to show her that you’re not going anywhere. That you don’t want to distract her from being the best mom to Charlotte. That you just want to help and be a part of their lives.”
He’s right. I told Caroline that I loved her, but maybe’s it time I show her that I do. I need to show her I’m not going anywhere and I won’t give up or stop fighting for us.
I’m going to fix this.
“Thanks, Ken.”
“Anytime.”
I throw some cash onto the bar, nodding to the bartender as I head out to my truck. Part of me, a really big part, wants to head over to Caroline’s place right now, but I don’t want to wake up Charlotte or Caroline if they’re resting.
Starting tomorrow, though, I’m winning back my girls.
ChapterFifteen
Caroline
I’m just cleaning up and trying to disinfect every square inch of our house when there’s a knock on the door. Gracie is supposed to be dropping off a few things for Charlotte so I don’t think anything of it when I open the door.
My stomach drops when I see Heath standing there, two brown paper bags clutched in his hands.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes drinking me in greedily.
I’m sure that I look like a mess. I’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours with Charlotte. She keeps throwing up and I was so worried about her that I didn’t sleep last night. I just sat next to her bed to make sure she was alright.
I’m still in my pajamas, my hair tangled and twisted on top of my head in a messy ponytail. My hands are full of Clorox wipes and Lysol spray and I shift them to one hand.
“Hey,” I say, self-consciously reaching up to try to fix my messy ponytail.
“How’s Charlotte doing?”
“Um, about the same. She’s sleeping right now,” I tell him.
“I uh, I ran into Gracie and she said she was bringing this stuff over to you, so I volunteered. She was busy with some order at the flower shop.”
