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It had been a few days, and we’d kept our distance. Or, rather, I’d maintained some distance between us. The next step was to get Scarlett pregnant, but it felt too soon to start on that. We didn’t have to try right away.
Plus, I wanted to focus on Olivia. Some of the things Scarlett said to me about Olivia made me think. Deep down, I knew my daughter was probably lonely, but I was always telling myself it was better than letting her get close to people just for them to be taken away. I didn’t want my daughter to grow up feeling lonely. She deserved all the happiness in the world, and I had an obligation to give that to her.
I began the process of looking at schools in the area. I was going to make sure to pick the right one. There was a chance we’d have to move closer to town. Commuting all the way from the mansion would be costly in regards to time. We could always come back on the weekends.
I hadn’t made an official decision, but it was some stuff for me to think about.
“Good morning, Daddy!” Olivia came into the kitchen, a big smile on her face.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Do you know what you want to have for breakfast?”
“We were thinking of having a parfait.” Scarlett came in not too far behind my daughter.
Ever since she signed the papers, we hadn’t spoken much. She’d tried a few times to have a conversation, but it all felt too weird. I hadn’t fully gotten over the first time we had sex. I should have shown more restraint. But Scarlett was waiting for me like a fucking gift, and I had my own pent up emotions. I sent her away a year ago, but I never dealt with any of the feelings I had for her. They never went away. They only laid dormant, and now shit was bubbling to the surface.
“That sounds delicious,” I directed this towards Olivia.
“Do you want one?” Scarlett asked from behind me.
I turned, so I could answer. I didn’t want to be entirely rude and potentially give Olivia the wrong impression. She was so happy these past few days, I wouldn’t let my mood get in the way.
“I’m not too hungry.”
“We’re making one for Daddy!” Olivia slammed a bowl down in front of me. I was so shocked; I flinched a little. My daughter was standing right in front of me with a stern look on her face.
“It’s fine, sweetheart. You guys don’t have to worry about me.”
“We’re making one for Daddy!” She said it a little louder the second time around. It was clear Olivia meant business, and it looked like there wasn’t anything I could do.
“I guess Daddy is going to have some parfait.”
Livvy clapped her hands and got onto her tippy toes to give me a kiss on the cheek. I brought my face down, so she could place a quick peck on me before she ran off to rummage through the fridge. Scarlett had to rush over to help her get the ingredients. I watched as the two of them scooped and mixed and sprinkled. It was like a scene out of a catalog.
It didn’t take them too long to make our breakfast, and soon, all three of us were sitting at the table with a bowl in front of us. We ate in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable like the silence I had been allowing to grow between Scarlett and me. It felt like we were a unit—something I couldn’t get used to.
“I need to go to my office. Thanks for the breakfast, baby.”
I stood up, ruffling Olivia’s hair before I left the kitchen. It was a total cop-out, but it was getting way too cozy in there for my liking.
Throughout the day, Scarlett and I traded off Olivia. I was able to spend some time with my daughter while avoiding too much eye contact with Scarlett. A weird day but not completely horrible.
That night, I got to put Olivia to bed.
“Thank you, Daddy.” Her eyes were fluttering closed. Olivia was moments from falling asleep.
“Thank you for what?”
“For Auntie Scarlett. Thank you,” her voice trailed off, and she was out.
I quietly and carefully left her room, going to sit in the living room. There were so many things racing through my mind.
“Noah?” Scarlett’s hand rested on my shoulder, and I jerked away, surprised. She withdrew her hand and looked at me with sad eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s fine. I was just lost in thought. Do you need something?”
Scarlett hugged her body, her shoulders going tense. “It’s just… I was wondering how we were going to make this baby if you were always not around me,” she trailed off, her eyes going to look at her feet.
