Page 94 of Sven

“When I came here, I was just hoping for money. I owed some people some money... I never thought you would take us in... but then you did... and you were so wonderful.” She wiped away a tear. “You were so nice to me, and you seemed to really care about Winnie. I don’t know... I thought you could give her more than I ever could. I mean, look at all this,” she said gesturing to the house around them.

“But you have one thing I will never have. You are her mother. She needs you to be in her life.”

She let out a defeated laugh. “Yeah... she needs an addict that left her. No, she doesn’t.”

“Yes. She does.” He paused and waited for her to look at him. “Do you want help?”

“I can’t afford it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

She shook her head. “After everything I did, you would still help me?”

“I would do anything for Winnie, and that includes making sure her mother is healthy. But I do want custody of her.”

“Okay, can I see her?”

“Okay,” he said as she turned to go to the pool house. Before he opened the door, he turned back to her. “Don’t leave.”

She shook her head.

He slid open the door. “Don’t rob me either?” he said in a bad attempt at a joke.

She shook her head again.

Before he left, he turned with one final question. “When’s her birthday?”

31

Natalie

Natalie paced in the pool house. Her heart was pounding. What the hell was happening? She trusted Sven to deal with this, but, damn, it was a lot. His dad was a real fucking piece of work, and she was just about ready to march in there and let him have it.

She blew out a breath and peered out the window, trying to see if she could see the door. She even messed with the intercom but nothing. What was going on?

After more pacing, she gazed out the window, and Sven was heading out the door. Thank god. She watched as she turned back to say one last thing before making his way to the pool house. She walked over and opened the door.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He looked shaken up, but at least he didn’t look like he and his father had come to blows, which she was not certain of until that moment.

“Yeah, I’m so sorry,” he said, putting his arms around both her and Winnie.

She took a breath for what felt like the first time since she’d come in.

“Are you okay?”

“We’re fine. What’s going on?”

“My dad is gone. Stacie is still here, and my lawyer is on the way.”

“You left her alone in there?” Natalie said, surprised. “Are you sure that’s smart?”

“No, but she wanted to see Winnie.”

Natalie’s hold on Winnie tightened.

“Sven?” She gave him a questioning look.

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