Page 12 of Faking It With the Single Dad

“Thank you.”

Back outside, Bella is gone. It’s funny how I don’t care about her, yet she manages to seize my attention for much longer than she should. Like now, I’m raising my head over all the cars in the parking lot to see if she’s lurking around somewhere. When I don’t see her, I get into my car and drive off, though something tells me I won’t be seeing the last of her anytime soon.

***

I park my car in the lot and go to the hotel room. When I unlock the door and step inside, the first thing I see is Alice, wide awake and perched on the bed with the receptionist, who’s sitting cross-legged beside her. They’re playing a card game, and Alice is giggling—a rare sound lately, considering the circumstances.

“You’re back!” Alice looks up, her face lighting up briefly before her expression becomes neutral again.

“Yep, I’m back,” I say, shutting the door behind me. “How are you feeling?”

Alice shrugs. “Okay, I guess. We’ve been playing Go Fish. She’s not very good.”

The receptionist laughs, shuffling the deck of cards. “She’s won three times in a row. She’s ruthless!”

“Good. I hope she stays that way.” I smirk and take out my wallet. I pull out the cash I withdrew on my way back—a bit more than I planned to spend, but well worth it for Alice’s care.

I walk over to the receptionist and hand her the money. “Here. For your time.”

She glances at the cash and frowns. “What? No, no, I don’t need this. I said I’d help, didn’t I?”

“And I appreciate it,” I say firmly, pushing the money toward her. “But I don’t expect anyone to watch Alice for free.”

She tries to push it back toward me. “Really, it’s no big deal. She’s sweet, and it was just a couple hours.”

“Take it,” I insist, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Use it for coffee, groceries, whatever you need. You’ve earned it.”

She hesitates, her eyes flickering between the cash and me, but she eventually sighs. “Fine. But only because you’re so stubborn.”

“Glad we agree on that,” I say with a nod.

She gathers her things and ruffles Alice’s hair as she stands. “Bye, kiddo. Don’t be too hard on your dad, okay?”

Alice giggles. “I’ll think about it.”

“Aren’t you adorable? He’s lucky to have you.” She winks at Alice, waves at me, and leaves the room.

As soon as the door clicks shut, Alice’s mood shifts. She’s not smiling anymore, and the energy she had during the card game seems to have evaporated.

“What’s wrong, kiddo?” I ask, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She doesn’t answer as she fiddles with the deck of cards in her lap. Finally, she says, “Why don’t I have a mom?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’m not prepared for such a direct question. I stare at her, noticing how she avoids my eyes as I struggle to find the right response.

“You’ve got me,” I say gently.

“That’s not the same,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “I don’t have anyone to play with, and you’re always leaving me behind. You don’t have time for me.”

I rub the back of my neck, guilt settling heavily on my shoulders. “Alice, I know things have been tough lately. I’ve been busy trying to sort everything out, but I promise you, I’m doing all of this for us. Foryou.”

She looks up at me with wide and watery eyes. “When are we going back home?”

I hesitate, knowing this conversation is about to get even harder. “We might not be returning home anytime soon,” I admit. “There’s been a problem with selling the land, and I need to stay here a bit longer to figure it out.”

Her shoulders slump. “So we’re stuck here?”

“Just for now,” I say quickly. “But I promise, once everything is sorted out, we’ll go somewhere better. Somewhere you’ll love.”

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