Page 84 of Hey, Daddy

I felt like I’d been hit by a truck and groaned when I turned over and answered the phone blindly.

So many times I’d been pulled from sleep exactly like this, but it never got any easier.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hi, this is Assistant Principal Neely from West High. I just wanted to let you know that your ex-wife attempted to take Desi from school again, but we blocked her and called the police. Your child is safe, but we just wanted to let you know of the event,” the principal explained.

I groaned. “Thank you for calling.”

“No problem.” She hung up, and I rolled over to find the bed beside me empty.

I agreed with my daughter. The bed was one of the most comfortable things I’d ever slept on in my life.

Before I could roll out of bed, my phone rang again.

Unaware that it was a FaceTime call, I answered it and said, “Hello?”

“Who is that woman?” my mother gasped.

I blinked, turned, and sure enough, my woman was standing in the open bathroom doorway combing out her hair staring at me.

I winked at her, then turned back to my mother and said, “Why are you calling so early?”

“Haze Austin, it’s almost one o’clock there. Why are you still in bed?” she asked. “And why are you not answering me on who that woman is?”

I grinned and said, “Well, if my life wasn’t fucked up beyond belief, I would introduce you to her. But since life has a funny way of fucking the best of us, I don’t have time to explain beyond she’s my girlfriend.”

And, to prove my point, my phone beeped, signaling an incoming call.

Shasha.

“I have to go,” I continued. “Love you.”

I hung up on her before she could reply, answering Shasha on speakerphone as I peeled myself out of bed.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Got that girl at my office,” he said. “And before you ask, I didn’t go looking for her yet. I just got to my office and she was outside standing here. Might want to come down.”

After agreeing, I hung up, then walked to Nastya and smoothed her wild hair back from her face. “You look rough.”

“Sleeping with my hair wet wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had,” she admitted. “I don’t want to go with you there.”

I nodded, my fingers continuing to play with her hair. “I think that’s understandable. Will you stay here while I go?”

“Yes.” She shuddered. “I don’t plan on doing anything today. I don’t…I don’t know that I can work until this is all taken care of.”

I agreed with her, and I was happy that she saw the writing on the wall, too.

Before I could say anything more, my phone rang for a third time.

I answered it since it was Ben.

“Your ex-wife broke into my house and stole Finn,” he said without preamble.

Nastya stiffened, hearing the words despite it not being on speakerphone.

“Fuckin’ bitch.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I can’t do anything about it right now. Don’t engage her. I’ll deal with her after I deal with other shit.”

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