Page 128 of Fierce-Michael

“Sorry isn’t good enough. I asked you over a month ago to figure things out and it’s gotten worse and not better. I’m not sure what is going on, but I want an answer.”

“An answer to what?” she asked, frowning. Her tears dried up fast now that she knew he wasn’t giving in or changing his tune.

“You needed to figure out if you were going to step up as a mother. You haven’t. You’ve stepped back and it’s even more confusing to Ty. He has no idea where you are and if he’s going to see you.”

“I’ve been busy,” Electra said.

“Busy doing what? You know the schedule. It’s been the same for five years. I’m not buying any of it. Things got worse when you found out about Kelly. Admit that.”

“I don’t give a shit who you fuck,” Electra said. “Just like you don’t care about who I’m with.”

“That’s right,” he said. “I don’t care who you are with as long as it’s not in front of Ty. But I expected you to at least spend time with him. Or don’t you want that? If you don’t, then say it. Don’t keep pretending because it’s not helping anyone and only hurting him.”

“I didn’t want to be a mother,” Electra said.

It wasn’t news to him. “But you are one. Why even go through with the pregnancy then? I would have never known.”

It broke his heart to say those words and the thought that he wouldn’t have had Ty in his life. But what he was saying was the truth. He only found out because she was showing seven months along at that point.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant,” Electra said, shrugging. “I just thought my period was late and I always lose track of it. Then when I started to gain weight, I still didn’t figure it out. One of the guys I was with one night said something.”

He ran his hands through his hair. He was disgusted that she found out she was pregnant when a guy she was sleeping with noticed that her stomach was shaped with a baby.

“You had no clue?” he asked.

“Nope. Thought I was constipated. It happens,” Electra said. “But I went to the doctor and by then it’s not like I could do anything about it. I was stuck.”

Stuck. He’d never heard it phrased like that. Maybe if he knew all these things back then he would have had a different approach.

But when he was trying to figure out a custody arrangement, she said she wanted to be part of Ty’s life. She agreed to everything.

Maybe he pushed it more than he should have.

“You’re not stuck anymore,” he said. “I’m giving you an out and I want an answer. Do you or don’t you want to be part of Ty’s life? And by being part of it, it means you are going to show up and be present when it’s your time.”

“I don’t know,” Electra said.

“You don’t know if you want Ty in your life? Your son?”

“I just don’t feel the connection to him like you do. I guess when you called it babysitting, that is all I think of it. Then I wouldn’t have to be tied down either.”

He rolled his eyes. He should be relieved and yet his heart shattered for his son.

“So you’re telling me right now, you don’t want visitations with Ty at all? You want me to legally change the custody agreement.”

“Would I have to pay for that?”

“No,” he said. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Then yes. I think it’s best.”

“You don’t want to do a trial first?” he asked. “Just take a few months off and see how it goes before you make it legal? Once it’s legal, then it’s done. I’m not going back again. I’m not saying you can’t see him, but I’m going to make it clear that you have to give me at least forty-eight hours notice and I can still decline you if it doesn’t work in my schedule or plans.”

“Have it say whatever you want. I think this is best,” Electra said, shrugging. She wasn’t upset or showing any emotion. She just walked over and grabbed a soda out of the fridge and popped the top on it.

More things she always had for herself but no milk or juice for their son.

“Are you going to tell your parents what is going on?” he asked. He wasn’t sure why he was even offering that, but he didn’t want Ty’s grandparents to be blindsided. He’d told them he’d let them stay in Ty’s life and he was going to honor that.

---