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“I expected to be intercepting you at the airport.” I recoil, shocked he would think such a thing.
“Why would I be at an airport?”
“Running with my daughter like you have been for years!” That has my anger spiking. He has no fucking idea what I have been through these past four years raising Mela on my own. What I’ve given up to give her the best life I can.
“I haven’t run anywhere. I’ve been right fucking here!” I hear something smash on the other end that causes me to flinch. I refuse to allow him to bully me into thinking I did something wrong. I did what was best for Amelia and I don’t fucking regret it.
“Yeah, hiding my fucking kid from me!” he roars.
“I didn’t hide her, that was Christine’s choice to make, not mine!” I snap back. I quickly head to my room not wanting to wake Mela up with my raised voice.
“Bullshit. I had every right to know I had a fucking kid. You and your sister decided to keep it from me. I want my daughter, Allison,” I snap. I will not sit here and allow him to demand things of me.
“You will not take her from me!” I’m so proud of how my voice doesn’t waiver and how strong I sound, when inside I feel like I’m a shivering mess and he isn’t even in front of me.
“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”
“She needs me.” He’s silent for a beat and my heart thuds in my chest.
“You have three days, Allison.”
“T-three days for what?”
“To spend time with her before I come for my daughter.” I stop breathing, tears cloud my vision. “You try to run… I’ll stop you. You think of trying anything stupid with her and it will be the last thing you ever do.” I place my hand over my mouth to muffle my sob. My worst fear is coming to life and I can’t handle it.
“P-please, don’t do this, she needs me,” I beg. I don’t have the money to board a plane or even drive away with her. I don’t own a fucking car. I had to sell it to get the down payment for this apartment.
“It’s already been done. Three days is all you get.” He ends the call and I crumple to my knees as sobs wreck my body. I try to muffle them behind my hand and quiet myself down so Mela doesn’t hear me breaking apart. He has no idea what she likes, how she falls asleep, which is her favorite teddy… He knows nothing about her. She has asthma. If she has an attack would he know what to do then? I don’t know what I’m going to do but I know I can’t just roll over and allow him to come and try take her from me.
* * *
THREE DAYS LATER…
My time is up. Mela and I round the corner toward our run-down apartment building and the blacked-out Range Rover that is parked in front of our building sticks out like a sore thumb. A lump forms in my throat as I slam to a stop. Mela pauses beside me. I can feel her gaze on me but I can’t look at her, instead I just reach down and scoop her up in my arms and carry her the rest of the way. When we are close enough, the door opens and he steps out. He’s dressed casual like the other day—dark wash jeans, a blue polo shirt but no hat. He glares at me as I walk past and mutter,
“The park.” I don’t stop to see if he’s following. There is a run-down park across the street that has a set of swings, a slide and couple other things. I avoid coming here but since King is with us, I figure it will be safe enough for Mela to have a play whilst I try talk some sense into her… father. I stop near the slide and place her on her feet crouching down in front of her. I help her remove her pack. She beams at me and I return her smile, her little brows furrow as she looks up to the shadow that looms above me. She leans in closer and try as she might this girl cannot whisper to save her life.
“There is a pretty man behind you, Ally.” I chuckle. King snorts trying to mask his laugh behind me. I grin at my smart beautiful girl and speak.
“Why don’t you go play for a bit while I talk to… him.” I can feel his disapproving stare on me but I don’t give a shit. She nods eagerly and heads over to the slide. As I slowly stand to my feet I can the feel heat radiating off of him against my back, he’s so close to me that only a sliver of space remains between us. I take a deep breath and steel my spine as I slowly turn to face him. He’s too close so I have to step back and crane my neck up to look into his eyes. He isn’t focused on me, his gaze is zeroed in on the little girl that is a mirror image of him. “Please don’t take her from me.” I speak low enough so that Mela won’t be able to overhear us. He slowly pulls his gaze from her. It seems almost painful for him to not be able to watch her and focus on me. His eyes shine with hatred as he peers down at me. A part of me doesn’t blame him for how he feels but another part of me hates him too, for what he put my sister through.
“She belongs with me.” I shake my head denying his claim.
“No, she belongs with someone who loves her.” His upper lip pulls back in a snarl as he closes the space between us trying to use his height and size to intimidate me. I won’t lie, it works. He is freaking huge, the size of his body dwarfs my own. His arms are bigger than my thigh and I felt his hands on me, they are big enough to wrap around my neck and squeeze the life from me.
“You and your sister never gave me the chance to love my own kid!” I drop my gaze unable to hold his stare any longer. I nod my head defeated and turn to watch my girl. Looking at her and watching her smile is like a drug for me, I crave it daily. The only way to explain how I feel for Mela is like watching my own heart exist outside of my body.
“Ally, Ally, look at me.”
“I’m watching, baby girl,” I call back. I can hear the watery tone of my own voice and fight back the tears as I watch her go down the slide. I bite my lip to stop it from trembling, I have to woman up and do this. I turn back to him, shocked to find his gaze on me and not Amelia. “Her name is Amelia. She is four years old and loves unicorns.” My voice aches and the tears I have fought begin to fall as I tell him all about my baby girl. “She loves bubble baths and can only have them as a treat if she eats her veggies at dinner. She doesn’t like to wash her hair daily, only every second night. She still sucks her thumb whenever she goes to sleep and will only sleep if she has Mr. Snaggles. She won’t fall asleep in her own room–” He cuts me off.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” I sniffle and dry my eyes with the backs of my hands but the tears keep coming.
“You need to know this stuff if you plan to take her from me. She needs the comforts that she is used–”
“You think I can’t buy her everything that she needs and wants?” I flinch at the reminder that he is indeed able to supply her with everything her heart would desire, unlike me.
“It’s not about money,” I grit out. “She doesn’t give a shit about what you can buy her, she isn’t that type of kid. She loves quality time and being held while you watch a movie. She loves hugs on the couch and being with you, not left alone in her room with a fucking iPad!” I’m so angry I can’t even look at him so I turn away and watch Mela. When I see her trying to hop on the swings and failing, I grab my purse and storm over to her. She smiles up at me, which I can’t muster the strength to return and I feel like a bitch. Instead, I offer to help her on and buckle her into the child’s swing as I push her. I try to block the conversation with King from my mind as I focus on Mela and her laughter. Just the sound of it has my anger bleeding away and my hurt returning. I’m gonna have to say goodbye to her and I don’t fucking know how to do that. I stop the swing and help her off, ignoring her protests. I scoop her and our bags up and march past King.
