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I stopped to get Amelia and me food for a late dinner. I’d already fed AJ since I didn’t like him eating after eight, and Milli was the same way with Alisia. Food fueled them at this age, and if they ate too late, they’d be up all night. She hadn’t eaten all day except for a few bites of sushi earlier before the breakup, so I wanted to get something on her stomach before the day was over. Though she assured me she had no appetite, she agreed to eat a few wings and fries from our favorite wing joint.
When we made it back to my home, AJ and Lis wasted no time going up to the game room. Under normal circumstances, I’d tell them to go ahead and get ready for bed, but I think Alisia needed a distraction to uplift her spirits before bed just as much as her mother did.
“Can we eat in bed?” Amelia asked me quietly, wrapping her arms around me.
“Whatever you want.”
“Your bed?”
“Yes, Milli.”
“And I can sleep with you?”
That was new. I liked it, too. Most times when we slept together it was unplanned or while we were on vacation.
“You never have to ask.”
She gave me a small smile before grabbing her to-go container and taking small steps out of the kitchen. I stopped by the game room and told the kids they could watch TV for an hour before going to their respective beds. Though both Amelia and Alisia had their own guest rooms, they sometimes slept in the same one. I let Alisia know she’d be in her own room tonight so she wouldn’t be expecting her mother.
When I made it to my room, I had to take a pause at the sight of Amelia taking her sweats off. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen her in her underwear, but like a lot of things between us, this felt different. She looked different. Well, she looked like she always looked—my reaction to her was different.
Lowering my eyes, I set my food on the bed and discarded my clothes as well. With just my boxers on, I got in bed and made myself comfortable in the middle of it next to her. Her head rested on my shoulder as I tried to quickly find us something to watch on Hulu. The best thing for right now was a comfort show, so I selectedMy Wife and Kids. It didn’t matter how much she watched this, she laughed at each episode like it was the first time.
We ate in silence except for our laughter from the TV. When we were done, we brushed our teeth and got comfortable in bed. She thanked me again, though it wasn’t needed, before drifting off to sleep. I ended up laying there awake for quite some time before getting out of bed to make sure the kids had gone to sleep. Once I made sure all the doors were locked and the lights were off, I made my way back into bed.
As if she was aware of my absence, Amelia quickly made her way back onto my chest. She tossed her leg over me, and I couldn’t stop myself from gripping the back of her thigh. Amelia released a quiet moan as she held me closer. My breathing relaxed as I settled under the weightlessness of having her on top of me. And before I knew it, I was asleep.
Ten
Amelia
Three days had passed since Darron and I broke up. I’d been trying to give Alisia as much attention as I could to get inside her mind and heart. Her attitude had changed since I told her he was moving to New York. All she did was tell me she was sad he was leaving, but she didn’t want to talk about it on a deeper level than that.
The first day after, I let her stay home. I took off work, and we spent the day alternating between Disney movies and rom-coms. We ate unhealthy comfort food and enjoyed each other’s company. The next day, she came home and was quieter than usual, but I gave her space to process her feelings and prayed she’d come to me when she was ready to discuss them. I didn’t think it was solely because of Darron because she didn’t spend time with him daily. I asked her if it was something going on at school, and she hesitated before saying no.
This morning, I reached out to her teachers to see if they could provide any insight on a change in her character, friendships, or anything that could contribute to her detachment. Before I could even go through their responses in the parent portal, I was bombarded by several missed calls from the school and Mama. Because she knew I had court this morning, she went to get Alisia when they called and let her know they couldn’t get in touch with me. I didn’t even bother listening to the voicemails they left as I rushed home to see what was going on with my baby girl.
As soon as I made it home, I rushed inside, tossing my purse and briefcase onto the wall table. I kicked my heels off before scurrying down the hall in search of Lis. She was in her room, at her small desk, doing her homework. Closing the door behind me, I took my suit jacket off as we greeted each other.
“What happened at school today, sunshine?”
Setting her pencil down, she released a dramatic breath that made me smile.
“Nothing.”
“Well, obviously it was something.”
I sat on the window bench in front of her desk.
“I was just feeling a lot and accidentally exploded in my STEM class.”
Nodding, I reminded myself to go slow and be soft. She was finally opening up, and I didn’t want to say anything to cause her to shut down. Plus, Alisia read people based on their expressions. If I scrunched my face up in thought over what she was saying or looked angry, she wouldn’t want to talk anymore.
“What were you feeling?”
“I was still a little sad over Mr. Darron leaving. I thought he’d be my new dad. He asked me and Grandma what kind of ring we thought you’d like, so I was excited. And he told me you and him were going to give me a little brother or sister soon. So I was really confused about him leaving.”
Clenching my jaw, I swallowed hard repeatedly. My eyes blurred and blinking rapidly didn’t dry my tears. I’m not exactly sure what I thought she was going to say, but that wasn’t it. Darron hadn’t told me about that conversation with them, but I know exactly when he could have had it. The last time he’d come to get me before his last trip, I wasn’t ready. He waited while I took a shower, and I’m positive that’s when he showed them rings.
