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“And I had pizza for lunch,” he finishes.
Pizza isn’t exactly a healthy meal, I want to say, but with difficulty, I bite those words back. “You having a good time?”
“Yeah,” he says enthusiastically. “And papa is taking me to the beach tomorrow. He’s going to show me how to fly a kite.”
Isn’t that just fucking lovely?
We talk for about ten minutes. I try not to interrogate him on Ed’s parenting, but Noah lets a few details slip. Ed’s working evenings. He’s got a sitter, a woman called Samira, to watch Noah while he’s gone. It sounds like Samira is a neighbor, and I want to demand more details, but again, I bite the words back. If I say the wrong thing, Noah’s not going to want to talk to me.
Once he hangs up, I head outside, cross the main road, and walk to the beach. I sit on the sand and watch the waves for a long time. My thoughts are bleak. Ed’s obviously trying to win the kid over. One day, the aquarium. The next day, the beach. Soon, he’ll be buying the kid a puppy, and then, I’m toast.
After a few weeks of this, Noah’s going to forget about my existence. He’s not going to want to come back home.
I’m not going to let that happen.
I hear Dominic’s voice in my head. You’re feeling threatened. You’re not being rational. Noah isn’t going to forget about you.
Damn right he’s not.
I pull the mediator’s card out of my wallet and stare at it for a long time. Then I crumple it up and toss it in a trash can.
For as long as she’s in town, Gabriella is going to keep an eye on Ed.
I know Wagner. He’ll do something to violate his probation. He’ll fuck up. It’s only a matter of time.
And when that happens, I’ll be ready.
