Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“I did!” I say, in mock outrage that she wouldn’t believe me. “It was curled up around her head. I thought it was a hat when I first saw it. A furry hat with a tail. And then I saw its tail move and I jumped out of my skin.”
Willow scrunches up her nose. “Really?”
“Well, no, I stayed in my skin, but it made me jump.”
“You know, I saw a lady with an elephant on her head today,” Willow says, taking my cat and raising me an elephant.
“You did?” I say, on a gasp. “I bet that was heavy.”
Willow nods. “It was a baby elephant, but even baby elephants are very heavy, Daddy.”
Gabby comes out of the loo, interrupting our conversation. “Hi, Deacon. Can we talk for a second?” she asks.
I press a kiss to the side of Willow’s head, stand, and follow Gabby into the living room.
“I won’t be long,” Gabby says. “I just wanted to say this in person.”
My stomach drops.
Her gaze hits the floor, she takes a breath, then looks me right in the eye. “I think we need to look at changing the arrangement we have here,” she says. “I’m getting married. I can’t be away from Ray for three nights a week. It doesn’t work.”
“You want him to move in three nights a week?” Ray’s okay, but I don’t like the idea of sharing a house with him. Gabby and I used to live in this place together. Okay, so we don’t live here at the same time now, but everything’s set up the way it always has been, except I moved out of the primary and I’m in a guest suite. Another person in the mix will change things. “I don’t think that’s a good idea for Willow.”
“Willow loves Ray.”
A wave of jealousy threatens to engulf me. I don’t want my daughter loving another man.
My reaction must be written all over my face, because Gabby turns around and says quickly, “I just mean, they get on well. I don’t think Ray being here overnight would change anything.”
“It’s disruptive. I don’t—”
“I’m not talking about Ray moving in. That’s not what either one of us wants.”
“So, what are you talking about?”
“A more traditional custody arrangement, where Willow stays with you and then with us.”
My stomach curdles as she says the word us, like she’s some kind of unit with Ray and my daughter.
“We both agreed that it would be better for Willow if she stays in the same house and we’re the ones that are inconvenienced by our split.”
“I know,” Gabby says. “But things change. She was little then. Now she’s older, she can understand more.”
“She shouldn’t have to understand more.”
“And I’m getting married to someone else. You can’t expect me to leave my husband three nights a week. Even if Ray came with me, it’s not fair on him.”
“Making our daughter shuttle between houses isn’t fair.”
“Just think about it. We’ve always agreed on everything between us, for the benefit of Willow. I don’t want that to change, but the way things are isn’t sustainable.”
“It is for me. It is for Willow. You’re the only one who wants this to change.”
She looks up at me. “What about for you, Deacon? What if you find someone you’re serious about? Life moves on. For all of us.”
My jaw tenses. “You can’t just make your children bear the brunt of your life choices.” My entire childhood was ruled by the British Army and where they sent my father. There was no thought to what was best for us. I won’t make the same mistake.
Gabby tilts her head and gives me a look that says I’m being unfair. But I’m not. I’m being the opposite. What’s not fair is making Willow move houses twice a week. “Ninety-nine percent of divorced couples do it a different way from us,” she says.
“So? We’ve done it the right way.”
“I agree it’s been the right thing to do because Willow was little. But things are changing.”
“For you,” I say. “Things are changing for you.”
Gabby sighs. “Think about it. We could buy this place from you and we could move in permanently…”
My stomach churns. Now Gabby wants this house?
“This is my house, Gabby.”
“Okay, so you move in here,” she says.
Anger simmers in my stomach. Why did she have to come and upset everything? Everything was working perfectly.
“Or what?” I say. “What if I don’t want to think about it?”
“Please, Deacon. Just think about it. I don’t want to fight with you about this. I know you’re a good guy who wants to do the right thing by his daughter. But this might be better for all of us.”
She doesn’t say it, but the implication is clear—things have to change or she’s going to take me to court. Ray is in this mix too. He’s probably pushing her to change things up.