Page 21 of Mistaken Intention

It seems curlier to me, and I smile at my beautiful daughter before I turn around and face the front again.

“Thanks for coming to get me.”

I think that’s about the fifth time I’ve said that since I came out into the arrivals hall, and Maisie greeted me with the most perfect little smile that lit up my heart. Lexi handed her straight to me, and I held her against my chest, only fully appreciating then how much I’d missed her.

“It’s okay. I just wish I’d remembered how much luggage you were gonna have with you.”

“That’s my fault. I should’ve thought about all the things you usually have to bring with you for Maisie, and realized how hard it was gonna be fitting my equipment into the trunk.”

We had to empty everything out and re-arrange it all again, and while we got there in the end, it took forever.

The traffic’s heavy and we’re sitting nose-to-tail, waiting for the cars in front to move. I pull out my phone, checking to see if there are any messages or missed calls. I know I’d have heard it if there had been, but I’m desperate to hear from Josie, although I console myself that, at this time of day, she’ll be at work. That’ll be it. She’s not really ignoring me.

“Do you have any plans for the next few days?” Lexi’s voice interrupts my thoughts and I put my phone on my lap, turning to look at her, surprised by her question.

“Just to spend some time with Maisie, and to meet my new nephew. Why?”

She’s biting on her bottom lip, looking worried, and I twist around a little further, giving her my undivided attention. “W—We need to talk, Drew.”

“You’re right, we do.”

She glances over at me, frowning. “You want to talk as well? What about?”

“You can go first, if you like.”

“No… it’s fine.”

I was going to wait until we got to the house, but I guess there’s no time like the present.

“I—I was wondering… that’s to say, I got the feeling you might be seeing someone… as in a man. Is that true?”

I notice the blush creep up her cheeks and smile to myself. I was right.

“It is, but how did you know?”

“I didn’t. I guessed.”

“You’re not gonna tell me you have a problem with it, are you?”

“No. Of course not. I… um… I just wanted to say that I’ve been thinking about seeing someone, too.”

She looks at me a little harder, then as the traffic moves, she turns back and focuses on the road again. “You have?”

“Yeah.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“Well… I’d assumed you’d been seeing people all along. I mean, why wouldn’t you?”

“Because I met someone a while ago. We couldn’t get together then because the timing was off. But I really want to now.”

“Then why don’t you? There’s nothing between us, Drew. I know other people find it hard to understand our set-up, but Maisie’s the only link between us, and if you wanna see someone else, that’s fine by me.”

I nod my head. “Would you feel the same way if I told you the ‘someone’ in question was your sister?”

I hold my breath, waiting, watching as she works it out in her head. “Josie?”

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