Page 51 of Just My Ex

It’s all sorta nice. I’ve been used to the Mom Hustle and now things are slow and quiet. I’ve never spent so many lazy evenings eating dinner, mostly on the fringes while Sebastian, Oliver, and Alec and their wives talk and laugh. Lately, Henry and I have been joining in on the conversations more and more.

And actually, Navie steals the show every night, and I like how the family fusses over her and teaches her things and makes her laugh. You know, there’s nothing better than watching people love your kid.

In summary, my career is dead in the water, I won’t have any money coming in for a couple more weeks, my family wants to disown me, and I’m both anxious to go back to real life and terrified about what that will mean.

Also? It’s going to kill Navie to have to say goodbye to Henry again.

After I finish in the bathroom, and I’m wearing my favorite plum, lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and some white jeans I happen to know Henry used to love, we head up to the loft to eat pizza with the family.

It’s a blast, and yes, I feel obligated to mention that I spilled a little pizza sauce on my shirt. At least it wasn’t on my white jeans, right?

Then Henry and I head up to the suite to bathe Navie and put her to bed. She’s just drifted off when someone knocks on the door. It’s always a big fanfare when someone knocks. I swear, it’s like Henry is a triggered puppy, all tense and ragey with his iPad security screens.

But it’s just Sebastian.

He asks to speak to Henry. Alone. So they go out onto the patio, and I busy myself wiping down the counter, trying very hard not to overhear.

Okay, I sort of try not to.

But they’re justright there, and the tension between them is as thick as my body type after giving birth to Navie.

And trust me, that wasthickin a lush and curvaceous way that Henry totally appreciated.

But that’s neither here nor there.

“Mom wants to come see you,” Sebastian says in his gravelly voice that is carrying over so well I can’tnotoverhear.

“Just as long as Dad doesn’t come, I’m all for it.”

“He might come. I can’t guarantee he won’t.”

“You could ask him not to,” Henry says.

“Why don’t you ask him since you’re so uncomfortable with it?”

“And you’re not? I always thought you hated him even more than I did.”

“I think it’s safe to say we both hate him plenty,” Sebastian says.

Whoa.Hey, at least they’re talking about uncomfortable things, which is a plus in my book.

There’s a long pause, and I’m standing here with my dishrag, the apprehension making me feel like I’m watching a slasher horror film and someone’s going to come out with a knife at any moment.

Sebastian sighs and there’s a scratch along the patio floor as one of them pulls out a chair. “Either way, I wanted you to be prepared.”

“Thanks,” Henry says.

“And to be clear, I wasn’t trying to help you out, it’s for Quinn and Navie’s benefit.”

There’s silence, and I can imagine Sebastian and Henry doing one of their death stares they’re so good at now.

“Someone’s gotta look out for them,” Sebastian says, his voice extra grating.

Henry clicks his tongue. “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”

“I really don’t know, Henry. Because it looks a whole lot like you’re setting it all up to hurt them all over again.”

“I’m trying to protect them, to help them. I wasn’t there for them in the past, but I want to be now.”

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