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“Will Mommy play with me tomorrow?” Maggie asked hopefully.
“She’s in town for a few days. We’ll see if we can head to a park tomorrow. Would you like that?”
“Can we go to the one with a zip line?” Maggie continued to rattle off the best parts of each playground nearby, and I reveled in the sound of her little girl voice. She wouldn’t always sound like this. She’d grow up and change and need me in different ways, and I wanted to hold on to this for as long as I could.
After she was dried off and in her pajamas. I tucked her into bed and read her a couple of books. She was nodding off before I finished. I kissed her before turning off the light and tiptoeing out of the room.
I missed Alice.
She belonged here with us. I hoped I hadn’t irreparably damaged our relationship by having Felicia here and suggesting it would be better if Alice went to Elle’s. It didn’t feel right. We should be a team. But first, I needed to deal with Felicia. I’d created this mess, and I needed to fix it.
CHAPTER23
ALICE
The farther I drove from Sam’s house, the worse I felt.
When Felicia showed up early, I wasn’t sure how to react. I was polite, but she was clearly irritated with me. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was a pseudo-mother figure for Maggie, or if she assumed something was going on between Sam and me.
In all the time I’d been watching Maggie, I never overheard a phone call. I couldn’t imagine walking away from my daughter without any contact. Then she just showed up every few months, expecting Sam to do whatever she wanted him to do. And he goes along with it.
I had a feeling she was giving Sam an earful about why I shouldn’t have a job. I wanted to think Sam would stand up for me, but I wasn’t sure about his relationship with Felicia. Was he willing to do anything to keep Maggie? Was he worried he’d lose her if he stood up to Felicia?
My head throbbed when I arrived at Elle and Gray’s. I’d only packed an overnight bag because it was only supposed to be a weekend. But I wondered if I should have packed more. Would anything be the same after this weekend?
I bit my lip as I walked up the steps to the door. I needed to focus on my first workshop and make it a success. If people enjoyed it, they might buy my mosaics, or at the very least, spread the word to their friends and family.
I knocked, not feeling comfortable using my key now that I was just a visitor.
Elle opened the door and enveloped me in a hug.
“How did you know something was wrong?”
“I could sense it.” She pulled back so we could go inside. “What’s going on?”
“His ex is in town.”
“It’s not going well?” Elle asked as we entered the living room.
Amelia was coloring at the coffee table.
“You’re here!” Amelia jumped up to give me a hug.
I crouched down and caught her in my arms. No one could ever take Amelia away. She was my niece.
My heart ached that I might not have a job or see Maggie after this weekend.
“Are you sleeping in my room?” Amelia asked me.
“I think she’ll sleep in her own room,” Elle said, sitting on the couch.
I liked that Elle hadn’t referred to it as the guest room. “I might need to move back in. Just temporarily.”
Elle’s face filled with concern. “Why? What happened?”
I sat on the other end of the couch. “Nothing yet. But I don’t think Felicia likes me.”
“That’s the ex?”
