Page 24 of I Wanna Dance

Dinner continued, and it was evident that the lines were drawn. Olivia, Kevin, and Brittany were on one side, not Leah’s, while her children were trying their best to win their mother back. Knowing Leah, she wouldn’t even make them apologize to her; she’d just hug them close. But that didn’t mean I had to play along.

I understood Kevin and Brittany, but not Olivia. She had no reason at all to be a bitch to Leah. It didn’t sit right with me.

When Leah excused herself to the restroom, and Olivia went into the kitchen, I saw my opportunity.

I cornered Olivia by the fridge. “Olivia, may we talk for a moment?”

She looked up at me, surprised. “Uh, sure.”

“I care a lot about Leah,” I began, and when she raised her eyebrows, I continued, “This dinner means the world to her. Thank you for inviting us.”

“That was Davis and Presley,” she said stiffly.

“It’s nice that they want to rebuild their relationship with their mother. Don’t you think?”

“Not my place.” She crossed her arms and then looked around the kitchen as if for an excuse to end this conversation.

“I see.” I dropped my voice to a concerned murmur. “I can’t help but notice you’re not exactly warm toward Leah.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hey, I get it.” I raised both hands in a peace offering. “Family dynamics are messy. But Leah’s trying. She’s here because she loves Davis and wants to support him. That’s not easy for her, especially with everything she’s been through.”

Olivia looked away, uncomfortable. “I just don’t think she’s always been fair to Kevin.”

“Maybe not, but their marriage is not anyone’s business but theirs.”

She swallowed. “I work at Kevin’s law firm.”

“There are other law firms, Olivia, but Davis has only one mother.” She looked like I slapped her. “Look, you seem like a smart, compassionate woman. Don’t be the kind of person who tears another woman down when she’s already carrying so much.”

She blinked, clearly caught off guard by my bluntness. “I amnotdoing that.”

“Yes, you are.” I tucked my hands in my pockets. “How you handle this is up to you. I hope that you’ll see Leah as the kind and warm person she is, and if you can’t appreciate her, you owe her respect.”

With that, I left her in the kitchen.

During dessert, Olivia seemed to have taken my advice to heart because she was softer toward Leah. They exchanged a few words, and though it wasn’t a breakthrough—it never could be—this would do.

As the evening went on, I found myself watching Leah more closely. She carried herself with grace, even when Brittany made snide remarks, or Kevin tried to dominate the conversation. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for, and it hit me then how much Kevin had chipped away at that strength over the years. Still, she stood strong. How had I ever thought that this woman was pathetic?

She didn’t need him. Hell, she didn’t even need me.

Kevin and Brittany were the first to leave, which gave Davis and Presley the opportunity to talk to their mother. I excused myself by going out to the balcony, and Olivia went into the kitchen to clean up.

On our drive home, Leah told me that her children had apologized to her and said they’d wanted to do this early on and had finally decided to do it this way so their father would also know where they stood.

“They seem like good kids, Leah.”

“Yeah, they are. They got lost, though…but then Kevin’s good at making people lose themselves. He can be very convincing.”

“I gathered.”

She put a hand on my thigh. “Thank you, Marco. For being there for and with me. No one ever has.”

I glanced at her, my hands on the wheel. “It was my pleasure. But, Leah, you didn’t need me with you. You’re strong enough to handle anything.”

“You think so?” She was still insecure, but now that I’d seen her with her family, I could see why. It was my job now to bolster her confidence.

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