Page 43 of Finding Forever

Abby smiled at me and I knew it wasn’t a fake, placating smile because her eyes crinkled at the side and her rosy cheeks rose.

“Well, I’m glad you’re finding some happiness. You deserve it.”

Maverick

Me: Penny has been crying nonstop since she got back. Did something that I should know happen while she was with you?

Istared at the text before hitting “send” and waited for my ex-wife’s response. If there would even be one.

In the meantime, I looked up to see Penny curled up in her bed despite it being one in the afternoon. Because it was the weekend, she’d usually be running around the house super excited after gymnastics class. Not today.

This morning when I picked her up from her mother’s condo, she’d been quiet, but I had attributed that to the early hour. We grabbed some breakfast and then I dropped her off at gymnastics class like I always did. By the time I picked her up, I expected her to be in a better mood, but that wasn’t happening.

My phone dinged and I read the banner text on my screen.

Baneofexistence: Maybe she had a bad dream?

I rolled my eyes at Victoria’s unhelpful text and stepped into Penny’s room, abandoning my hovering stance in the doorway.

“Honey, talk to Daddy. What’s going on?” I dropped into a squat beside her princess themed bed and waited for her to look up at me.

When she did, her eyes were watery, and a pout rested on her usually cheerful face.

“Daddy,” she said, tearfully. “Are you going to get a new me just like you got a new Mommy?”

I didn’t have time to process how heart shattering her statement was because the tears that had been welling in her eyes were now spilling onto her cheeks.

“Baby, I could never get a new you. And I didn’t get a new Mommy. Victoria will always be your mom. That won’t change.”

Pulling her into my arms, I rocked us back and forth. But a levee had broken and her tears flowed freely, with no signs of letting up.

“When you and Mycah’s mommy have a baby, you’re gonna forget about me!” she wailed, her little body shaking with sobs.

“I’ll never forget about you, Penny. Ever. You’re my little princess.” My voice sounded rough to my ears. Unexpected emotions battled for dominance as I focused on soothing my despondent child.

“You will! I know it!” she declared. “Mycah will have his daddy. The new baby will have you and Miss Gina. And I’ll have no one because you don’t want me to see Mommy anymore!”

My hand stilled in the middle of rubbing her back. I don’t want her to see Mommy anymore? This had Victoria written all over it. I was too pissed to speak, but continued to console my child until she calmed down.

Victoria was playing it innocent, but she’d been busy poisoning Penny against my new relationship. First, she’d gotten in Chris’ ear and sent him running to Gina. Now, she’d gone after her own daughter, knowing it would hurt the child.

What the hell was her problem? Why couldn’t she come to me directly? Was she acting out because I was finally taking legal steps to even our lopsided divorce and custody settlement? Whatever it was that had her upset, she needed to take it up with me and leave our daughter out of it. But Victoria had never been one to play fair and the more time that passed, the more I was realizing how true that was.

“Listen to me, Penny,” I said, my tone softer than before. “There is no one who could ever replace you in my heart in this lifetime or the next or the one after that.”

Penny sniffled against my shoulder.

“Did you hear me?” I asked, my hand moving in slow circles around her back.

“Yes,” she said. Her voice was still tinged with hurt that I wished I could wipe away. But only time could do that. And me having a long overdue talk with her mother.

∞∞∞

Gina opened the door to greet me with a sunny smile that instantly fell after she got one look at me.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, concern lining her face.

I tried to shake off the sour mood that had stuck around all day after my talk with Penny. Gina and I had tickets to a jazz festival in town. It was something we’d planned weeks ago and now that the time had come for us to go, she didn’t deserve to have that snatched away because of something that wasn’t her fault.

---