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“I’d get the lamb, then. Not all boys love unicorns.”
“But all babies like rockers?”
Another pause. “Lili did. She still tries to sit on it, even though she’s getting too big.”
“Oh.” That’s my brilliant response to learning Oliver bought his niece a rocker. Based on everything that’s been said and I surmised, I thought he had no relationship with Scarlett and Crew’s daughter.
“Call me back when you can,” he says, then hangs up.
I stand and listen to dead air until the sales associate approaches me. “Can I help you with anything, miss?”
“Yes. I’ll take the lamb rocker.”
She blinks at me, appearing taken aback by my surety. “All right. I’ll get it packed up for you.”
“Great. Thank you.”
I pay for the rocker, load the oversized box into the back of my SUV, and then call Oliver back.
He answers on the second ring this time. “Hi, Hannah.”
“Hi.”
Hearing him say my name twists my stomach into knots. It’s so unexpected. Unfamiliar. We know too much about each other…and nothing at all.
Oliver clears his throat. “How have you been?”
I smile. “We can skip the small talk, you know. I called you because I said I would. I haven’t had time to find an attorney.”
“Just to go shopping for baby gifts?”
I’m silent, not sure if he’s judging or joking.
“I haven’t gotten an attorney yet, either” he says, after a beat of strained silence.
“Really?” I’m surprised, and it fills my voice. I was certain he’d be on the phone with a hotshot lawyer before my plane left Las Vegas.
“Really,” he confirms, but there’s a note of hesitance in his voice. Like he’s unsure if that’s an admission he should have made.
“I’m planning to make some calls this afternoon.”
“Good luck. I’ve heard divorce attorneys are hard to find in Los Angeles.”
A joke, I realize. He just made a joke.
Too late, I laugh.
“Um, yeah. I’ll send you the name of my attorney in the next few days,” I say. “Once you’ve decided who’s representing you, it will probably be best to let them handle all the communication going forward.”
Oliver doesn’t reply right away. I’m not sure how, but I canfeelthe surprise in his silence. Did he think I’d ask for money? Expect daily calls?
“You’re right,” he finally responds. “That will probably be best.”
“Great. Goodbye, Oliver.”
“Goodbye, Hannah.”
There’s another awkward moment when neither of us hang up right away. But there’s nothing else to say, so I do, dropping my phone in the cupholder.
