Page 12 of Everything We Left Unsaid

“I think it’s a great idea. Chloe loves books, and she needs to be around other children,” Ama supplies. At least somebody is on my side.

Abby huffs an exacerbated breath and glares at me. “We can discuss this after dinner.”

Abby turns away and walks back toward the kitchen. Ama motions me inside, closing the door behind me. The two women return to their abandoned stack of vegetables and continue slicing.

“Do you need any help?” I offer, hoping to win Abby over with kindness.

“No, we’re fine. I think Chloe needs someone to play with, though,” Ama encourages with a wink, waving me off. Abby shakes her head but never looks up, so I retire to the living room where Chloe is dragging a baby doll around by its leg.

“Whatcha got there?”

“Bebe,” she replies, offering the doll to me. I take it from her tiny hands and sink down onto the couch, resting the doll on my knee.

“What’s your baby’s name?”

“Bebe,” she repeats. Her sweet voice and clear, bright eyes make me smile. “Bebe,” she says again, reaching out her arms. I return the doll and she clutches it tightly to her chest before turning and running in the other direction. She stops and stares at me with expectant eyes. Unsure what she wants me to do, I smile and wave. She runs to the other end of the room, stopping to stare at me once more.

“She wants you to chase her.” Abby’s voice sounds from a few feet away, startling me. I hadn’t heard her approach, but she’s standing just behind the couch when I glance over my shoulder. “She’ll run you all over the house, but it makes her laugh,” she supplies with a shrug.

Chloe squeals when I stand up and stalk towards her. She bolts to the opposite side of the room and stops, waiting for me to come after her. I crouch down low, sticking my hands out like I’m trying to capture her, and her excited laughter fills the small, open space. A huge grin splits my face at the sweet sound. I reach for her as she rushes past me and pretend to barely miss her, eliciting another squeal, followed by elated giggles. When I lift my gaze, I catch Abby watching us, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe there’s hope for us yet. We may never be what we once were, but maybe we can find a way to make peace and co-parent without hating each other.

Her eyes find mine and the smile falls from her lips. She quickly returns her focus to the plates in her hand and prepares to set the table for dinner. My face falls at her reaction. For a moment, she let her anger and resentment slip, allowing herself a moment of happiness. But she’s holding onto the past, to what she sees as a wrong I committed against her. It’s in the way she looks at me, the tone of her voice when she speaks to me, and her tense and defensive posture when I’m in the room.

“Dinner’s ready,” Ama calls to us. Abby scoops Chloe up and settles her in her highchair. We eat in relative silence, the air heavy with tension and unresolved grievances.

When our meal is finished, I offer to help clean up but am turned down again. “This is your time with Chloe. Enjoy it,” Ama supplies. Her eyes warm with a smile, and I’m thankful to have her support. Now, if I could win Abby over...

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