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“Get out of your head, Chloe. It’s not good for you.”
“I can’t help it,” I admit, unable to process a lie quick enough.
“You can. You will. This is the beginning of something new. Things are unpredictable, and I know you hate that you can’t control it. You’re just going to have to be flexible.”
“It’s not that,” I say, gripping my keys for dear life.
“What is it, then?” she asks, a skeptical look on her face.
“Grab a bottle of wine,” I reply, the elevator announcing the arrival to our floor. “It’s going to be a long conversation.”
Carmen greets me at the door, taking my bags before looking into the hallway for Lola. Once I explain to her that she’s going to be gone for a few weeks, with her father, Carmen immediately begins packing her bags. She’s going to be with Lola, to help her.
She loves that little girl like she would love her own child. She’s been with us since she was born. She’s nursed her through every sickness and bandaged up many cuts and scrapes. I’m not surprised she wants to go to her. Wyatt will just have to deal with the intrusion.
When Carmen rushes out the door, I send Wyatt a warning text and wait for his reply.
ME: Lola’s nanny is on her way to your house. Her name is Carmen. She’s a sweet lady and is only there to help.
WYATT: Um, okay.
ME: She’s not going to take no for an answer, I already tried.
WYATT: So what do I do?
ME: Unlock the door or she’ll break it down to get to her. Set her up in your guest room and let her cook for you. She’s a great cook.
WYATT: Seriously?
ME: Yes. Think of her as a housekeeper, cook and nanny. She likes to keep busy. If there’s anything you don’t want her to see, hide it now. Your house will be organized and clean by the time you get home from work tomorrow.
WYATT: I was planning on taking Lola to my mom’s while I was at work. Is that going to be a problem?
ME: No, just let Carmen know when you’ll be back. She’ll want to have dinner ready. Trust me, she’s there to help, not get in the way. You’ll like her. She’ll make life easier on you.
WYATT: You’re taking her back when you pick Lola up, right?
Laughing, I promise Carmen will leave when Lola does. Wyatt doesn’t seem happy to be sharing his time with Lola, but he’s going to have to get used to it. After a few days, he won’t even notice she’s there. Hopefully.
Addy arrives just as I put my phone on the charger, a bottle of wine in each hand.
“Red or white?” she asks, kicking the door closed.
“I said one bottle.”
“And I couldn’t decide if I wanted red or white.”
“Fine. Red, but take the other one home so we don’t drink it,” I say, eyeing her.
“No can do. I have a taste for both tonight so we’re drinking both.”
Handing her a corkscrew, Addy pops the cork on the bottle of red and pours us each a glass. Sitting at opposite ends of the couch, I mimic Addy, crossing my legs Indian style and facing her.
“Start talking. I want to know everything,” she says with more enthusiasm than needed.
“There’s not much to tell, Addy. I just… I don’t know what to do. I want him to have a relationship with Lola, but I’m not sure I’m ready to cross that line with him again. Not because I don’t love him, because I do. Our history isn’t perfect, remember. There’s a lot we need to work past and jumping back in without dealing with it first isn’t a good idea.”
“What does he think?”
