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Madeline: I miss you.
Moments later, my phone chimed. Milo’s photo appeared, making my heart do a summersault.
Milo: I miss you too. See you tonight?
Madeline: Tacos?
Milo: Perfect.
His words echoed through my mind.I love you, Madeline.
I love you, Milo,I thought to myself—not yet brave enough to type it back.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
-Milo-
How long are you going to be in Depoe Bay?” Hannah asked as I placed Holly’s suitcase into the trunk.
Holly had already said goodbye to her mom and Donald and climbed in the backseat. This was my week with Holly, but the vacation was next week, my first extended time in years. Hannah seemed disoriented, knowing that Holly would be away for two weeks. She folded her arms and hugged herself, watching every move I made and glancing at Holly in the backseat.
“Just a week, Hannah. We leave on Friday and will be back Thursday night,” I repeated. I had felt as if I had gone over these plans with her and Donald a few more times than I’d liked, but Richard had advised letting them know each and every step. How we were getting there, where Holly would be staying, and what we planned on doing during our trip. I hated it. It made me feel like a prisoner and that Holly wasn’t my own daughter.
I never had these feelings with the first meditations during the divorce. These meetings were worse. These meetings were a stab in the throat. The looks that Hannah would give me, and Donald’s eyes forced in on mine…the nerves that enveloped me were different.
“And you’re staying with your dad?” she asked.
“No, we will be in a hotel. He only has one extra guest room. You knew that.” Or maybe she had forgotten. We had been out to visit my dad a few times when we were married, and she always complained about the lack of space in his small home.
“It’s just you and Holly. Why does sharing a room matter?”
“Because Madeline is coming too, so we got a hotel room with two beds.” I shut the bed of my truck and shoved my hand in my pocket to get my keys.
“Madeline’s going?” she asked, a tinge of hesitation in her voice.
I nodded. “Yup, she will be there.”
“We have a meeting this Wednesday. Did you forget?” she poked.
“No, Hannah. I didn’t forget.” I fiddled with my keys. How could I? My phone gave me reminders, and Richard had been texting me updates on what we needed to discuss.
“And, um...” She fumbled, looking down at her feet, kicking a small rock that sat by her toe. “Donald and I would appreciate it if Madeline stayed out of this one.”
I raised my brow. “She’s not hurting anything by being there.”
“She’s having an influence on it.”
“She literally reads her book the entire time, but that's an influence?”
“She’s influencing you.”
“Excuse me?”
Did she really want to start this here? I could feel the anger rise in the pit of my stomach. Madeline wasmycomfort and support during all of this. I needed her there, and Hannah couldn’t take that away from me. This is exactly what Madeline was afraid of. I rubbed my eyes and told myself to keep my anger down.
“She’s not a part of this, and Tressa thinks it would be best if it stays within the immediate family. Madeline doesn't need to know details, I know her. She can sway what you think or want, and it can cause an entire disruption.”
“She canswaywhat I think?” I parroted.
