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“So, you’re not sorry you lied to me?”
“I didn’t lie to you. It wasn’t like that. I promise, I thought we were doing the right thing, just letting it settle for a few days.”
She shot me a look and I sighed heavily. “But I can see how it would have felt like that to you,” I said then, dropping my defenses. “We got together, but it was unexpected. It surprised us both. Neither of us were looking for it – it just kind of happened, and, well, it felt right.”
“Dad, this is TMI,” she said then. “I don’t want to know about your gross old peoples’ romantic feelings.”
“Sorry about that too, honey,” I said. “But I think we should talk about it.”
She sighed suddenly and threw herself back against her seat. “It’s not that I don’t want you to be happy,” she said. “It’s just, everything’s changing so fast, all the time. Mom’s talking about us moving in with Andrew and-“
I had to work very hard not to explode about that. Clarissa broke every rule in the co-parenting handbook. Announcing this to Kayla without talking to me first? No heads up whatsoever? Jesus!
“I’m sure your mom was doing what she felt was right,” I said evenly. If Mary-Beth could see me now, she’d see how selfless I was. How much I put Kayla first. How much self-control I had. I was doing all this for Kayla – all of it – however hard it was for me. However much happiness, it was going to cost me.
Kayla just ate her last slice of pizza and didn’t comment on her mother’s actions.
“Sweetheart, Mary-Beth is a great person, and maybe, in other circumstances, we’d be great together,” I said. “But it’s not the right time. I’ve ended it, and we’re just going to be friends.”
Well, I hoped we would be anyway. And in a way I hoped we wouldn’t. I didn’t think I could stand seeing her and not being with her. It would eat me up way too much.
Kayla still didn’t look at me. “So, are they’re moving out?” she asked quietly.
I nodded. “Yep. Mary-Beth wanted to go right away, but her mom’s having all new wood floors put down in her house at the moment, so she’s having to wait a few days, while she finds an apartment.”
She fixed me with a stare. “You have five empty apartments,” she said levelly.
“None of them are ready yet,” I said. “And I think she wants to move on with her life on her own, without me helping out.” I didn’t say that I hadn’t offered Mary-Beth one of the apartments. I felt ashamed that I hadn’t even thought of it. Or would that have been offensive to her independence? I had no idea.
“So, she’s still at our place, with Maddy?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Then I ca” see them when I get back?”
“Yeah. Sure.’ I frowned, a little confused by this too. “So, you’re not mad at Mary-Beth?”
She shook her head. “Nah, I’m only mad at you.”
I sighed. “Oh, well, that’s fine then,” I said.
But it was fine. I didn’t want any trouble for Mary-Beth. If there was fallout from this, I wanted to take it all.
And I’d offer her an apartment when I got back, I decided. The grand one didn’t need any major work done to it. I could ask her to get the rest of the furniture organized right away if she did want it. And if she told me to take a hike and stop being so controlling, I’d accept that too. And if she did take the apartment and I had to face the pain of seeing her every day and not being with her, then I’d just have to suck it up.
“So, no romance for me, honey, okay?” I said then, putting my hand on Kayla’s. “I just want to focus on you and me, that’s my priority. And the season, of course. I’ve got a lot to prove.”
Kayla squeezed my hand and smiled. “You’ll ace it, Dad,” she said. “I’m with you all the way. I’ll help, starting now, by eating your last slice of pizza.”
I held my hands up. ‘Oh, great, thanks, I appreciate it,” I joked, and she laughed. I slid it over to her, though. “Be my guest, I’m done.”
I didn’t let myself think about how much gloomier things would be without Mary-Beth and Maddy. Kayla and I were back on track and that was all that mattered. Well, nearly all.
My phone beeped then with a message in the hands-free, and I glanced at it.
“Who is it?” Kayla asked.
“Jason,” I said, with a frown. I reached out and turned the screen away from her so she couldn’t read the curse words filling it. “And it looks like he’s pretty mad with me too.”
