Page 74 of Valentine's Daddy To Go
Once in agreement, we go inside the home so that Vivica can gather some of the girls’ things. While I wait, I look around the living room. There are pictures of the girls as babies, and a homey sign on the wall that says, “Home is where the Heart is.” It’s clear that even though they didn’t have a lot of money, they did their best to make this a happy space for Madison and Mackenzie. Plus, I’m sure Brian had a hand in some of this. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully respect the man, but I understand that one point, he was a good parent.
Nellie and Vivica come back downstairs with the children. This time, they’re awake, but clearly very sleepy. They’ll probably fall asleep in the car again.
They also have duffle bags stuffed with all the things they’ll need.
“I don’t know if I got everything. Everything’s just moving so fast,” Vivica says.
“If you need anything, I can buy it for you. If you need something from the house, I have people who can get it for you. Don’t worry about a single thing, okay?” I ask. She nods again. I’ll remember to get the key from her before leaving the three of them at the hotel.
We leave the house, but then Nellie pauses.
“Ugh, I just noticed we don’t have any car seats. Brian probably has them at the encampment,” she says before trailing off. I hadn’t even thought of the fact that the girls were riding car seat free.
“I’ll have Zac pick some up tomorrow. For now, we’ll have to travel like this, okay?” She nods and gets into the passenger’s seat, while Vivica squeezes into the back with her two girls.
I start her car and drive us to the nearest good hotel. Nellie and Vivica carry the girls in while I manage the bags. I get them a room with enough beds and have the hotel keep my credit card on file. I hand the bags to the bellhop and then follow them up to their room.
Once the girls are in bed, I turn to Vivica.
“Here’s your room key. If you need anything, you can ask the concierge downstairs. Don’t worry about the cost. They have great service here and know what they’re doing. If the hotel can’t help you, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll make sure to handle it.” I scribble my number down on a piece of paper and hand it over. “The number works 24 / 7,” I add.
Vivica blinks back tears.
“Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Vivica turns to Nellie next and brings her into a great big hug.
“Thank you, Nellie,” she whispers. “You’re always the one who saves us. I promise I’ll be a better mother to them from now on.” She pulls her head back to look Nellie in the eye. “I promise.”
“I know, Vivica. I know,” the curvy girl says gently.
They break apart, and Nellie and I depart.
We make our way back to her car, and she curls up in her seat. I think she’s used up every inch of her willpower today to stay strong in the face of great adversity.
“Let’s go home,” I tell her. She doesn’t say anything, but since there aren’t any protests, I take that as a good sign and drive us back to the mansion.
I help her out of the car, letting her lean her body weight against me. We go straight upstairs to my bedroom, and I have Nellie sit down on the edge of the bed.
I remove her shoes, taking off her clothes. She’s basically a rag doll at this point, her spine barely keeping her upright.
“Lie down now, sweetheart.” She nods and crawls under the covers but doesn’t pull them up. Instead, her body is in a fetal position.
She’s trembling, but I can’t tell if it’s from the chills or the fact that she’s shaken from what just transpired. It’s probably a combination of both.
I tuck her into bed, bringing the covers all around her curvy form. Her hand grips the edge of the blankets, pulling them around herself even tighter.
While Nellie’s clearly not totally okay, she’s at least responsive to her surroundings.
Still, Nellie hasn’t said anything, and I don’t want to force her to. It must be hard processing everything that just happened. She probably needs a little bit of space. I go to sit in the chair against the wall.
I don’t want to leave her in here by herself. Hopefully, my presence is a calming one for her, and the truth is that I care too much to leave.
23
Nellie
