Page 16 of The Sweetest Chirp

She shrugs. “I wanted her to have a piece of you, and Thaddea was close to Thatty.”

Everything just fucking aches. “But you didn’t give her my last name?”

Her gaze is unwavering. “They wouldn’t let me since you weren’t there to give your consent. You are on the birth certificate, so the name can be changed if you want.”

I don’t even hesitate. “I do.”

A pregnant pause settles between us. I watch as a tear spills over, rushing down her cheek as she nods. “Okay.”

“Okay,” I say, because I need to keep her talking. “I’m surprised you named her after me.”

She looks away, wrapping the baby’s curls around her fingers. “I loved you at the time, so it made sense.”

My gaze burns into her profile. “Loved? I didn’t realize you had those kinds of feelings for me.”

She scoffs. “Yeah, you never asked. Instead, you accused me of being a whore, and I ran. But it’s all good. I have been over you for years now. What’d you think? You’d come back, and things would go back to like before? Everything and more has changed, Thatcher. I am not that girl anymore. I am a mother.”

“To our daughter,” I remind her, ignoring the other shit. I don’t believe for one moment she’s over me. She’s deflecting, and that’s fine. I’ll keep shooting until I score.

“Semantics,” she says, waving me off. “We’re just fine.”

“Are you?” I ask, and unable to help myself, I look around the room, disgusted that this is where she has my child living.

“Yes,” she snaps, her eyes wild.

I shake my head. “Audrina, what the hell are you doing?”

She cocks a brow at me. “Soothing my daughter.”

“No, here. In the center of bumfuck Virginia’s asshole, hiding not only yourself but my daughter.”

She presses her lips together but doesn’t look away even though her tears fall in heaps. “I’m doing what’s best for me.”

“That’s fucking selfish, and you know it.”

“My peace is more important than the chaos that waits for me back home.”

“Chaos?” I choke out, glaring at her. “What chaos?”

“Coming home will be a shitshow. Everyone will be so mad, so I’d rather just stay away.”

It’s like I don’t know her. “What is this?” I ask, gesturing my hand at her. “This isn’t you. You don’t hide.”

“Yeah, well, apparently I’ve never been broken before, so this is what’s left.”

Her words cut deep, and I try so hard to keep my cool, but it shatters. I can’t apologize because she’ll assume I’m doing it because she brought up the past. Instead, I blurt out, “Audrina,this is selfish. Stop thinking of yourself and think of our child. It’s not about what’s best for you anymore. It’s what’s best for Arwen. Ear infections? Sick? Living in a box?”

“I am making an honest living,” she sneers at me.

“For what? To prove a point that you can? Way to go. We’re all so proud you ran off—with my child—and hid for over three years. Now, are you done throwing a fit?”

Why did I say that? I’m like a lion with a thorn in my paw when it comes to her. I hate that we’ve hurt each other, but I need her to see reason.

“Get f-u-c-k-e-d,” she spells out, her eyes lobbing bombs at me. “I am not throwing a fit. You made me feel smaller than small. I took off to lick my wounds and figure out who I am.”

I hold up my hands to calm the situation. “I’m sorry,” I say, my heart in my throat. “I didn’t mean that. But figure out who you are? I didn’t even know that was in question.”

More tears cloud her vison as she holds my gaze. “Neither did I, until you said what you said.”

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