Page 105 of Time for Change

“That’s what Mommy said.” She sighs, and I can tell she’s tired. Add in the fact she’s been crying, and you can see the exhaustion settling in. “I’m sorry I yelled at Stevie.”

“Thank you for telling me and apologizing. I do appreciate that, but you need to know, if you’re ever worried or upset about something, you can talk to me, Gi. I don’t care what it is, what time, or where you’re at. If you need me, I’m there.”

She crawls back on my lap, throws her arms around my neck, and hugs me tightly. “I love you, Daddy.”

I exhale, closing my eyes and just breathing in the moment. I know, as she starts to grow, these moments will become few and far between, so I’ll soak up every single one of them while I still can. “I love you too, Gi. Very much.” She sits back on my lap and looks up at me. “Are you gonna call Stevie?”

The corner of my mouth curls up. “I don’t know.”

She seems nervous suddenly, twisting the comforter between her hands as she confesses, “I sent a message.”

“To Mom?” I ask, recalling her using my phone earlier to text Mya.

She shakes her head, her big blue eyes full of guilt.

“Who did you send a message to?” I ask, my heart starting to pound.

“Stevie.”

Now it’s my turn to sigh loudly. “What did you say?”

“I was sorry.”

I give her a smile. “I appreciate you apologizing to her.”

Gianna nods and looks down for a brief moment before meeting my gaze. “Umm, it would be okay if she came over sometime again. I had fun playing Uno with her.”

Now it’s my turn to remain a little silent. I’m not really sure what to say.

“And she’s pretty too. I like her hair,” she continues, acting a little shy.

“She is pretty.”

“And if you get married to Stevie like Mom got married to Cort, I think that’d be okay too.”

I hug her tightly. “Thank you, Gianna. I’m not sure what the future holds for Stevie and me, but I appreciate you telling me all of this. But you also need to know, I’m not talking about getting married or having babies with Stevie or anyone else. If that does happen, I’ll be sure to talk to you and Christian first, okay?”

She nods and yawns.

“It’s really late, sweetheart. Do you think you can go to sleep now?”

She nods eagerly, the day and emotion all catching up to her.

“Good. Let’s get you back into bed,” I state, lifting her into my arms as I stand from the bed. Even though she’s perfectly capable of walking down the hall, I carry her. “Night, honey. I love you,” I tell her when she’s tucked back into bed.

“Night, Daddy. Love you too.”

Moving to the door, I start to pull the door closed, noticing she’s already curled on her side with her eyes closed. When I’m in the hallway alone, I take a few seconds to breathe in the silence and the realization. I can’t believe Gianna said what she did to Stevie, but I appreciate her finally telling me what happened and apologizing.

Then, I remember my phone.

I go quickly down the stairs, flipping on the kitchen light when I cross the threshold, and reach for the device. It’s been sitting in the same spot since dinner. There’s a slight shake to my fingers as I tap on the screen and pull up the messaging app. That’s when I see it. A message to Stevie.

Me:I’m sorry. Come over.

Stevie didn’t reply, but the read receipt tells me she saw the message. I’m sure she’s wondering what the hell is going on. I want to send her a quick message, letting her know it didn’t come from me, but I think it can wait until morning. I’m not sure what her work schedule is, but she could be sleeping.

Flipping off the light, I grip my phone and head for the steps. Just as I grab the banister railing, there’s a soft knock at the door behind me. I pause, wondering who in the hell is showing up at this hour.

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