Page 24 of Lorenzo & Lily

John was waiting at the concierge desk, his finger tapping his watch and shaking his head.Asshole. Calvin – somehow miraculously here in the daytime – stood grinning disgustingly nearby.

Lily ignored both of them, and walked over to the check-in desk and said good-bye in person to a few of the staff.

As she walked out into the bright sunlight of the fall day, she said good-bye to the valets and porters, and walked to her car. With each step, the adrenaline of the last hour faded and the weight of what had happened began to consume her.

She had a little money stashed away, but it was a very little. It was hard to save when she lived essentially paycheck-to-paycheck. It would be a challenge to pay both rent and Lily’s school, not to mention food and essentials for another month. She’d worked so hard to provide for her and her child, and now all of that was at risk.

What if she couldn’t handle it? What if this was the day she’d finally prove herself an incompetent mother? Her parents had certainly warned her long ago this would happen; they’d never had any faith in her. She doubted now if they’d ever even loved her.

She took a deep breath, and decided not to think about the fact that she was jobless and incomeless, not yet. She’d still have her insurance until the end of the month, and Liliana, as a child, was covered under the national health plan regardless. That was the most important thing.

For now, she’d go home, pick up Liliana early from after-school care, and get ready for Lorenzo’s visit. A different type of fear gripped her as she wondered what he’d say, what they’d both say to Liliana, and how she might react. Her stomach clenched even harder as her two fears collided. Would he use her job loss to gain custody?

No, even as the thought popped in her head, she discarded it. He may not be the man she once knew, but she had a very hard time believing he’d take Liliana away from her.

If he did, though, she would fight. Just as she’d fight against John, she would fight Lorenzo. She would do whatever it took to take care of her child, and keep her near.

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