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She wasn’t even a bad baby.
The look in Hope’s eyes, the confusion and disbelief, echoed my own as a child. It was a look I never wanted to see on her face again. We spent the next few days quietly. Taking the girls out to see the lights at night, though only Brayleigh could truly appreciate them. We got their picture taken with Santa, then Hope wanted one of us with Santa.
I declined but kept a close eye on Santa’s hands with Hope on his lap.
Hope’s parents sat closer to the front with Brayleigh, Minty, and Lucky. Lucky invited me to sit with them, but I preferred to sit at the back.
This way I could slip out if Sia started to fuss.
This way I could watch Hope dance without anyone watching me.
I couldn’t remember the last time I went out on Christmas Eve. I occasionally attended a party with a date, but could not remember a single, family outing after my tenth birthday. The occasions before that were not worth mentioning. The ones after did not involve me.
Watching Hope dance eased my soul. When she picked me out in the crowd, her heart in her eyes, both of her parents swung around to try to find me.
My knee jiggled up and down under Sia’s diapered bum. Not to settle her. She was fine. I was a mess. I’d never met a girlfriend’s parents. Not even Julianna’s. I don’t think they even knew about Anastasia.
When Hope’s troupe took their bows and gracefully left the stage, my heart pounded in my throat. This first meeting was important. And I did not have the right words.
Just as everyone began to move, my phone buzzed with a notification.
My father.
I huffed out a breath with a profound sense of relief. Who knew he’d be good for something?
Stepping out of the fray with Sia, I pressed my cell phone to my ear.
Hope
As badly as my mother wanted to meet Ares at the auditorium, he had to take a call and was already waiting in the car when I came out.
But she made up for it by waiting for us at the window with Brayleigh in her arms.
“Oh, frig. Ares…”
“What’s the matter?”
“My mom is a bit… neurotic about me ‘finding someone’ to settle down with. I’m so sorry in advance if she makes you uncomfortable.”
He huffed out a laugh. “She’ll probably tell you to trade up.”
I sucked in a breath. “Don’t say that! No one else even comes close to you.”
His chin dipped low, and his brow furrowed.
I reached out to cup his face with my palm. “No one has ever taken care of me the way you have.”
“What are you talking about?” His eyes searched mine warily.
“You got me home when Brayleigh got sick. You sent me for a massage when that bitchy model was screwing with me. You got rid of my horrible, horrible boss. You fired your nanny when she mistreated Brayleigh even though she was good with Inky.”
“Anyone would have done the same,” he whispered.
“No, Ares,” I smiled, “they wouldn’t.”
He opened his mouth to speak only to close it again, his dark eyes intent.
He changed the subject. “Should we go in?”
