AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Peter tilts his head. “What’s wrong?”
“What about Nadia and Dakota? I can’t imagine Bryant and Lyra agreeing to us taking the girls away at Christmastime.”
“Lyra can’t argue after she took Dakota to Hawaii for the entire month of July. It was our year to have her on the Fourth.”
“But Independence Day is hardly comparable to Christmas.”
“Don’t worry about Lyra. She’ll agree. When has she ever given us trouble?”
“True, but what about Bryant? He pitched a fit and threatened court the last time we took Nadia on a plane.”
“His own lawyer told him to take a chill pill. Just because Bryant throws a tantrum doesn’t mean he gets what he wants. Most people see right through him.”
But if he doesn’t want me to take Nadia on a trip, he’ll find a way to interfere. It’ll become his life mission.
Peter squeezes my hand again. “Call your attorney tomorrow and see what she says. I’m certain he can’t stop you from taking your daughter on a family vacation. Worst case scenario, Nadia will have to fly back a week early, and she’s plenty old enough to travel alone. If that means she won’t be with us on Christmas Day, we’ll celebrate early. It’ll all work out. Bryant cantryto ruin our holiday, but he won’t succeed.”
“I wish I had your positive outlook.”
He brushes his lips across mine. “Don’t worry. I have enough optimism for the both of us.”
I hope it really is enough.
ChapterTwelve
My hands shake as I end the call. I can hardly believe the good news. Peter was right, of course. My attorney just confirmed the parenting plan allows me to take Nadia on vacation. It’s even my year for her to be with me on Christmas Day, so we won’t have to celebrate early. If we wanted to stay until the new year, she would need to take a solo flight because she’s supposed to be with Bryant on New Year’s Eve.
Everything is looking so much brighter now than it did last week. I’m not usually a fan of Mondays, but this one is shaping up nicely. There haven’t even been any new fake sightings of me.
Sylvia ignored me when we crossed paths at the grocery store, but I can live with that. I was just as glad not to have a conversation with her since the day was off to such a great start. I’m so excited about taking a family vacation for the holidays, I’ve already started looking into options.
“You look happy today.” Megan’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
I set my phone down on the restaurant table and tell her the good news as we look over the lunch menus.
She smiles and squeezes my arm. “Things are starting to go your way now! Take the bull by the horns and make thisyourweek.”
“I think I will.” Excitement radiates from my chest as I sit taller. This really is my week. Everything is going to turn around, and by Saturday, Peter and I will have a fully planned vacation. We can tell the kids all about it when Dakota returns from her mom’s house.
Megan orders my favorite appetizer and two margaritas. “My treat. I’m so thrilled for you. It’s been too long since you’ve had a getaway.”
“Not everyone leaves town on a monthly basis,” I tease. She’s single and childfree by choice, so she makes a point of traveling the world as often as possible. She and her sisters have a timeshare membership, which brings the cost down wherever she goes.
“You’re always welcome to come along. I keep telling you. You can even bring the family.”
“I’d feel bad.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re loud. It wouldn’t be much of a vacation for you with kids running all over and hogging the bathrooms.”
Megan shakes her head. “It would remind me of my family. Remember when you would spend the night at my place?”
She has a point. I was essentially raised as an only child, so going to her house was always a shock to my system with her sisters frequently shrieking and laughing over something, but I had loved it. “My family now is actually a lot like yours when we were kids.”
“See? Take me up on the offer. If there’s a timeshare near where you want to go, I’d be happy to give you a free place to stay.”
“But what if one of your sisters wants to stay somewhere that week?”
