Page 90 of Protect

Troy

I tried that, it’s not possible. TicketHub is adamant now about this sort of thing. Apparently, it’s to stop the resale oftickets.

What am I supposed to say? You’re leaving me in the worst possible scenario. She’s going to be crushed.

Troy

They’re coming to Tacoma in October. I'll take her then.

Great I’m sure she’ll be satisfied with that only being three and a half months away.

I grit my teeth trying hard not to scream into my pillow. How could he do this to her?

How could he just blow her off like this? Any thread of hope I had for Troy being able to not be selfish just went out the window.

Don’t bother. Hollie is a person and I’m done with you pushing her aside.

Troy

Violette, you knew what you were signing up for when you married a doctor. I’m trying to do my best for this hospital. They need me for this promo and this is the only afternoon the film crew can be here. I’m sorry I forgot when I said yes yesterday.

I might’ve signed up for it, but Hollie did not.

Don’t come around until you’re ready to start putting Hollie first.

I swipe the tears off my cheeks and toss my phone on my bed. I don’t want to see his snarky reply that I know will be coming. Of all the shitty things to do three hours before he was supposed to pick her up.

I make my way to Hollie’s bedroom door. She’s halfway through her daily nap and when she wakes up, she’s supposed to start getting ready. I glance to the closet where her Power Piggycostume hangs and feel the tears creeping up. I’m not prepared to break her heart.

I spend the next hour while she naps combing the online re-sale websites and it turns out Troy is right. TicketHub has a whole new policy that stops people from using tickets in other people’s names which basically means I’m totally screwed. I start tidying up my kitchen and text Rowan explaining what happened and to let him know that our date night he’s been planning will have to be postponed.

While I wait for his reply, I start to run through every fun thing I could possibly do for Hollie tonight to make up for this. Take her to the toy store and spend a shit ton of money I don’t really have onSuperPetstoys and then going for ice cream seems like the best plan I can come up with. By 1:30 p.m. I hear Hollie start to stir and the feeling of dread settles deep in my gut. For the first time since she was born, I feel hate towards Troy for letting her down. These moments shape her little mind and create core memories and being a doctor, he should know that.

He does know, he’s just selfish.

“Mommy, can I put my Power Piggy dress on now?” is the first thing Hollie asks when she wakes up. I smile, her wanting her to wake up a little first or this is going to be so much worse.

“Why don’t we go have a snack first, babe, and a drink? Did you have a good nap?” I ask, picking her up as she yawns.

“Yep.” She smiles putting her chubby hands on the sides of my face. “Can we watch the one where Power Piggy saves the baby fox?”

“Sure, baby.” I kiss her and bring her out to the living room glancing at the clock. It’s two, she’s supposed to be leaving in an hour. I make her a quick snack with some fruit and cheese and carry it out to the living room where she happily munches it and watches her show. When she’s done, my time is limited and I know I have to tell her.

“Hols, Mommy needs to talk to you about today,” I tell her, snuggling right up beside her.

We both jump when a sharp knock on my front door interrupts me. We look at each other for a second before I get up to open it, Hollie following behind. Rowan isn’t due here for another couple hours, I had asked him to come over anyway even though our date night is out, and I’m hoping doing something with the three of us together might help cheer Hollie up after I break the news. I pull the door open and stand dumbfounded. I’m pretty sure my heart may burst as I take in the sight before me because it's Rowan, in an adult version of a Power Piggy costume—glasses and all.

“What are you doing?” I whisper. “Didn’t you get my text?”

“Yeah, I got it.” He smirks. “No comment on my incredible find?” Rowan gestures to the cape and glasses that Power Piggy wears. He’s also wearing Power Piggy’s magic yellow gloves. If this day wasn’t devastating for Hollie, I’d probably be laughing.

“Super Rowan!” Hollie calls out to him. “Can I put my Power Piggy outfit on now too, Mommy?” she asks me again.

Here goes nothing.

“Actually, babe, Daddy?—”

“Can’t make it, so he wanted me and Mommy to take you to seeSuperPets.Would that be okay with you, Hols?” Rowan interrupts me, looking at me to go along with him. “He really didn’t want you to miss it, so what do you think?”

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