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Mother’s mouth drops open in a look of outrage that might actually be real this time. She jabs a finger in Ella’s direction. “She put you up to this, didn’t she?”
“What?” I have to look back over my shoulder just to be sure she’s actually talking about Ella. “She hasn’t put me up to anything.”
“Yes she has.” She barks out a loud, bitter laugh. “Your little American whore has come in and poisoned your mind against us. There’s no telling what kind of lies she’s been feeding my granddaughter. I should file a restraining order.”
I would never dream of getting physical with my own mother, but I can’t stop my fists from clenching. “You’ve gone too far. You need to leave.”
I turn to look back at Ella again. “I’m sorry. They’re leaving now. You shouldn’t have to put up with this.”
“No,” she dashes at her cheeks as tears well up in her eyes. “I shouldn’t.”
“Comfort your whore while you disrespect your own parents and your legal wife,” Mother scoffs. “At least your father always had the decency to keep his indiscretions private. You can’t even be bothered to do that.”
Ella runs out and I don’t even know what to say. Down the hallway, her bedroom door slams and sets my teeth on edge. I feel like I’ve slipped through to some kind of alternate reality where I’ve completely lost my grip on… well, everything.
What is happening right now? Do I seriously need to call security to have my own parents thrown out?
It seems like that might be my only alternative.
Rage is bubbling up inside me as I turn back to face the three of them. “What is your problem? Why did you really come here today? To insult me? To insult Ella? If that’s what you wanted to do, then congratulations. Mission accomplished. But I’m telling you that you don’t know what goes on in my household. You don’t know what my relationship with Ella is or isn’t.”
Father shifts from foot to foot and Kinsley takes a step back toward the elevator. Mother, of course, is still standing her ground. “Oh, please. You might think I’m a horrible mother but I can still tell when my son is starry-eyed over some girl. You’re acting just like you did when you first met Kinsley. All your common sense is the first thing to go right out the window.”
Her words would be laughable if they weren’t so rage-inducing. Still, there’s one part that rings true. She’s meddling in my life now just like she did when I started dating Kinsley. Of course she isn’t going to take responsibility for her part in all of this, but I’m still going to remind her.
“If you hadn’t stuck your nose into that relationship, I never would have married Kinsley in the first place and we could all be happier right now.” I point to the elevator. “Leave, Mother. The three of you are not welcome here.”
She opens her mouth to speak—no doubt to argue some more—but it’s another voice that grabs all our attention instead. A tiny, confused voice. “Grandma? Grandpa? Why is everyone yelling?”
Oh, fuck.
I turn and try to scoop Isla up before she can fully process the scene in front of her, but she dodges me and peers up at Kinsley with a look of recognition that I hoped I would never have to see on her little face.
“Let’s go back to bed, sweetheart,” I start to say, but Mother is talking over me.
“Don’t worry, honey. Your real mum is here to see you. She’s going to come back so you can be a family again. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Even Kinsley is getting in on the action now, echoing my mother’s ridiculous words. “Isn’t it wonderful, Isla? Don’t you want to see me?”
Isla looks from them to me and back again. She nods her head slowly, like she might be in trouble for admitting that she wants to see her mom. It’s the last straw for me.
“Get out.” I turn on my parents and my ex and start herding them toward the elevator. “Get out right now or I swear to God I’ll call the police. Do the three of you really want to have that confrontation downstairs in the lobby?”
My threat seems to finally get through to them. “You can’t keep us away forever,” Mother snaps as she follows my father and Kinsley onto the elevator. “You can’t keep your daughter from seeing us—her grandparents and her mother. That’s against the law, Keiran.”
“Just go. Shut your mouth and go.”
Kinsley has to get the last word, shouting that I’m being cruel as the elevator door mercifully closes.
Fucking hell.
I feel like I’ve just lived through my worst nightmare. I can’t even imagine how upset and confused Isla must be right now.
“I’m sorry,” are the first words out of my mouth when I turn around to comfort her, but she’s already running back to her room, her tiny sobs echoing through the hallway.
Was my mother right? Everything I do is to protect Isla and keep her happy, but… am I the one hurting her by keeping them out of her life? Am I the asshole?
My gut tells me I’m doing what’s right, what’s best for my little girl. But why does it feel so shitty?
