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“No. Charlotte won’t be there for Christmas.”
Andi leans forward and runs her free hand along my stubbly cheek. She rests her fingers under my chin, holding my face as she stares at me. “We swapped holidays.”
“Matt was okay with that?”
“He didn’t have a choice. His grandfather took my side. It’s a long story, one we can talk about when you’re feeling better. Right now, you need to rest.” Andi lets go of my hand, then arranges my blanket to help me get comfortable.
“Mom didn’t let you know what was going on, did she?” I ask as she fluffs my pillow.
She pauses and swallows hard, then whispers. “No.” She goes back to tucking me in, fidgeting. “I was so worried. I didn’t want to break any rules, but she had me kind of stuck. Haley promised me you were, okay.”
Grabbing her wrist, I pull it to my lips and kiss her tenderly. “I’ll fix that. She’ll understand what you mean to me.”
“It’s okay. We’ll worry about it when you’re out of here.”
“What did I do to deserve you?” I rasp.
She giggles and shakes her head in disbelief. “If you figure it out, let me know.”
“Baby?” My eyes feel heavy again.
She responds with a hum, and her fingers squeeze around mine.
“Don’t leave me.”
She kisses my cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.” I clutch her hand as I drift off to sleep.
My head is splitting when I wake up again. I take a moment to adjust to the bright lights. Andi is across the room, typing on her laptop at a dining table, and my mom is sitting next to me, her face scowling in disgust.
I was never a momma’s boy. I always favored my father as a child, so I’m not sure where this disgust for the woman in my life has come from. Maybe it’s because I haven’t shared Andi with her yet, and we’ve been together for a year.
“I’m going to say it again. If you don’t leave, I will have security remove you. My son doesn’t need the stress your drama brings while he is trying to heal.”
Andi slams her laptop closed and faces my mother. Her eyebrow raises when she notices I’m awake. “I respected your wishes while Dominic wasn’t able to verbally communicate what he wanted. Now that I’ve spoken to him, I’ll be staying in the room when I don’t have my daughter. If I make you so uncomfortable, we can arrange a schedule, so you know when you can avoid being here.”
“Yes, actually. I would like to know when I can visit my son without you here.”
“Perfect. I’ll be here every day.”
“But you just said-”
“Anyway,” Andi cuts her off, and stands up from the table. She walks over to me, and when Mom realizes I’m awake, she blushes. Andi leans over and kisses me. “Charlotte was asking if she could FaceTime you.”
Fuck, I’ve missed that girl. “Definitely. Is she with Matt?”
“She is,” Andi says. “She has been driving him crazy. Keeps asking him when she’ll see her Dommy.”
My heart quickens when Andi tells me how excited Charlotte is to talk to me. She may not be mine, but it sure feels like she is. In any way that matters, I love Charlotte like she’s my own daughter and hearing she wants me, and is asking for me, brings a tear to my eye, and it drips down my cheek.
Andi looks concerned. “Are you in pain? I’ll get the nurse.”
I grab her wrist to stop her. “I’m fine. It’s just nice to hear Lettie misses me.”
“Of course she does.” Andi plays with my hair and her nose nuzzles against my cheek. “She loves you, Dominic.”
Andi takes her phone from her pocket and calls her ex. She turns her chair so that I’m in the picture, and after a few rings, Charlotte’s face pops onto the screen.
“Dommy!” she giggles when she sees me. “Look! Daddy got me a puppy!” She points the camera to her lap, where a small dog is sleeping, then back to her face. “What do you think I should name her?”
