Page 15 of Forever Player

“No, I mean for the two of you. You’re her mother. I grew up with a single mother, Willow, and my sister was a single mom until not too long ago. That is some hard shit and I plan to be here for both of you.”

“You’re being kind, Brett, but you don’t need to say those things. I would never keep Maylee from you.”

Her reluctance to understand my commitment to her and Maylee makes my head spin, but I get it. Willow grew up with a father who lived in her home and wasn’t supportive, but I’m not him.

Maylee finishes eating and Willow puts her over her shoulder and burps her.

“Can I hold her?” I ask.

She nods and I stand. I take hold of my daughter. My daughter. I know how to hold a baby after helping out with my nephew, Asher, when he was little.

“Hi there,” I say, holding my daughter so she is facing me. I love Asher with all my heart, but what I’m feeling now is beyond words. “You are so pretty, just like your mama.”

“She has your blue eyes,” Willow notes.

I smile at that.

Maylee coos in my arms and I’m a goner.

“Holy shit.” A woman’s loud, rough voice pulls me from my bliss. I look up to see a brunette woman in her late forties, maybe early fifties, with long hair and blue-green eyes that resemble Willow’s. “Damn, Willow, you chose a good-looking baby daddy,” she says. I’m guessing this must be her mom. She is also slightly inebriated.

“Mom, can we maybe do introductions another time?” Willow asks, wanting to get rid of her.

“I’m Georgia and I’m guessing if you’re here, then there really was some sort of fuckup,” she slurs.

Willow hisses. “Mom, please,” she pleads and eyes the woman with a look that says skedaddle.

“Okay. Okay,” the woman says, holding her hands up in the air. In one of them she has a pair of high heels.

“You two have yourself a good night,” she says.

“Brett will be staying over,” Willow informs her.

She looks me over in an appreciative way that makes my skin crawl. “Well, then you two have a good night.”

“Not in my bed, Mom,” she clarifies. “He’ll be on the couch. I didn’t want you to be scared in the morning.”

“Actually, can I just camp out on the floor in here?” I ask. I don’t want to leave my daughter.

Willow’s mom gives me a confused look. “I’m going to bed.”

“Good night,” I say to her.

Her mom saunters away. I look at Willow, who looks mortified. “It’s been fun being back home, but it was better than being in the city.”

“A huh,” I say. “So, the sleeping arrangements. . .”

“I can make you a makeshift bed on the floor,” Willow offers. She leaves the room and I look down at the baby in my arms. My baby. She takes hold of my finger, her entire hand wrapping around the one digit.

Willow returns with a blanket and a couple pillows. “Hope this will do.”

“That’s perfect, thank you.”

Willow smiles, but it’s tight. “Tonight has been a lot to process,” she yawns. She must be exhausted. She has her family around her, but I wonder how much help she is really getting.

When I look down at Maylee, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.

“It’s better you put her in the crib. I don’t like to hold her a lot at night because I can’t let her get used to hands. I need my sleep,” she explains.

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