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I smirked. “Ready for your appointment?”
“I brushed and flossed, and I bet you an ice cream after that I am cavity free.” Holly gave me the biggest grin, showing me her crooked smile, half adult teeth, half baby teeth filling the small cab on the truck.
I chuckled at her. “As long as you don't have pockets in your gums.”
Her grin faded. “What's a pocket in your gums?”
“It’s a…you know…” I pinched my brow. “Actually, I don’t really know. Have Madeline explain it to you when we get there, okay?”
“Okay. I think teeth are interesting.”
“Do you want to be a dentist?”
Holly shook her head. “No, maybe a hygienist though.”
The thought of Holly following after Madeline made me smile. My two girls…
We pulled up to the office in record time, mere minutes before her appointment time. We swung open the door to see the waiting room, a gray couch against the wall and red chairs surrounding it. A coffee table was seated in the middle, a few magazines and fake plants resting on it. Jamie was sitting at the computer, a large smile on her face when she saw us.
“Hey, Milo!” She stood and placed a paper on the counter for me to fill out for Holly. “Hey, Holly.” She smiled at Holly, who smiled right back. “Are you ready to get your teeth cleaned?”
Holly nodded. “I brushed and flossed. I’m ready.”
Jamie laughed. “Oh, good. At least one of you takes care of your teeth.” She widened her eyes, raising her eyebrows, shooting me a knowing look.Damn pockets…
“Hey.” I furrowed my brow and glared up at her. “I got a Waterpik.”
“Yeah, we will see in a few months,” Jamie muttered as she sat back down. “Madeline will be right out for you, Miss Holly. She knows you like her complete attention.”
“Yup!” Holly skipped backward and went to take a seat on one of the red chairs. I sat next to her and pulled out my phone, wishing I had thought to bring a book.
Moments later, Madeline appeared. She was wearing her pink scrubs with her white lab coat. Her auburn hair was in a ponytail that was flopped over her shoulders, her loupes dangling from her neck and a mask under her chin. She looked tired and somewhat overworked, but she was also radiant. Her beauty filled the room, and she was all I could see. She didn’t make eye contact with me. Instead, she was focused on Holly.
Holly jumped up and ran into her open arms. Madeline wrapped her arms around Holly’s small waist and lifted her off the ground. My heart dropped, and I swallowed, reminding myself to play it cool. Here I was, Madeline’s “friend” Milo…not Madeline’s “boyfriend” Milo. I stood and walked over to them, ready to accompany Holly, until she stopped me.
“No, Daddy,” Holly said, her palm facing me. “I can do this on my own.”
Madeline raised her eyebrows and finally met my gaze. “Getting braver,” she muttered.
I shrugged. “I will just download a book on my Kindle app then.” I returned to the sofa and watched as Madeline grabbed Holly’s hand, taking her to the back rooms.
I sat in silence as Jamie was busy at the computer. I scrolled through my social media feeds, checking to see what Elliot has been up to these days with his band, and then stumbled onto Clay’s newest post. It was a photo of him smiling at the beach in Washington. He wasn’t one to post on social media, so my mind automatically went to the girl he was with, taking the photo and posting it for him. It did look a tad staged. I liked the photo and kept scrolling, seeing Ophelia next. Unlike Clay, she was always on her feeds, always active for her thousands of followers. She looked sassy and confident. I doubled-tapped and kept going.
Madeline’s post showed up. Mainly they were of her books and Niko, but every now and then, I was thrown in, or a there was picture of Holly from the back. She'd always been aware of posting my daughter on her pages. That had always made me trust her more. I saw one of her and Niko at the park, a pizza on the table and two small fingers over Madeline’s head, giving her bunny ears. I chuckled. That was Holly.
My girls…
The doorbell to the office rang, and I heard a familiar voice, one I hadn’t wanted to hear ever again.
“Jamie!” Kent exclaimed, his arms open wide and his laptop case over his shoulder, brochures sticking out of the pockets. I looked up from my phone and glared at him, and then turned my attention to Jamie, who was giving him the biggest death stare I had ever seen.
“What the hell are you doing here, Kent?” she asked, disdain in her voice.
“You haven't placed an order for a while, so I wanted to come by and check up on you, make sure you were fully stocked and—” He began reaching in his bag.
“We switched vendors,” Jamie interrupted him.
Kent looked from his bag to her, his hand still pulling the brochure from the pocket. “Can I ask why?”
