Page 16 of Daddy's Little Mama Bear

Janie sighed and closed her eyes. Echo was right. "Okay," she whispered. "Let me call my babysitter and I'll come tonight."

"Yay! All of us will be there tonight! See you there!" Echo said and hung up.

Janie took several deep breaths before calling her babysitter and asking if she could watch over her daughter tonight. Thankfully her babysitter was normally free during the nights and loved watching Eleanor.

After she got that situated, Janie walked into the living room where Eleanor was playing with some toys.

"Mama will be back," she said.

She needed to go check the mail, something she had neglected to do for the past couple of days. Janie was worried she would see Mac, but it was overdue and he shouldn't be home at this time anyways.

Opening the door, she took a step out of the house and soaked in the sun. It felt amazing to be outside and breathe in the clean air. Jannie took several steps away from her door before she realized Mac was getting out of his car and looking at her.

"Janie!" he yelled her name.

Her eyes went wide and she turned around, ignoring his pleas to talk to her. She didn't want to talk to him right now, not when she was still confused.

"Janie, please. I just want to talk," he said.

But she didn't pay any attention to him. She quickly made her way into her house and shut the door.

Shit.

That was a close one. She hoped and prayed he wouldn't come up to her door and knock, but luck wasn't on her side.

"Janie," she could hear him through the door. "Please open up. I just want to talk to you." But she didn't want to talk to him right now. Not for a very long time. "Please, Janie," he said once again.

Guilt started to eat inside of her as she kept the door closed. She never wanted to be treated like this and here she was treating Mac that way. She opened the door slightly and stuckher head out. "I'm busy and need to go do some stuff. Right now isn't really a good time to talk."

"Let me help you," he said.

"It's okay. I don't need any help," she said and cringed. That was a lie of the century. She definitely needed help with a lot of things, but she didn't want to ask anyone. Call it pride or just down right stubborn.

Eleanor started screaming and panic went through Janie. Turning on her heels, she sprinted into the living room to see Eleanor bawling her eyes out. She quickly picked her up and started to bounce her, trying to calm her down.

"Shhh," she whispered. "You're okay. Mama's here."

Janie heard Mac enter the house and walk towards them. "Mac," she said. "I really don’t want to talk right now. I don't have the energy to have a conversation."

"Can I just know why you're ignoring me?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She didn't want to get into this right now. "Please, just leave," she gently said. "I don't really want to see you right now."

"What did I do wrong?" he asked. "Did I do anything?"

Janie couldn't look at him. "I don't want to talk about it right now." Her heart ached as she said those words. She didn't want to tell him that, but it was for the best. He shouldn't be with her.

"I'm not giving up on you," he said.

Tears filled her eyes as he said those words.

"I'm going to continue to fight for you. Show you that I want you and your daughter," he continued to speak. "That I'm not going to leave you or Eleanor. You two mean the world to me and I would be foolish not to continue to fight for you both. Help you see that you and your child are my everything, that I want to protect and spoil both of you."

She continued to rock Eleanor in her arms as she shut her eyes tight. She couldn't cry right now. Not when he was in the house.

"It might freak you out a bit but I have to tell you. I want to be your Daddy. I want to be your husband. I want you to lean on me when you need to, be your rock," he said. "I want to be a father figure to Eleanor, treat her like my own daughter. I want you two to be a part of my family. Grow old together."

Her breath got stuck in her throat as he continued to talk. He really wanted all of that? Was he just saying that so she would agree and then it was some twisted joke and he leave?

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