Page 30 of Mine To Keep (Southern Wedding)

“Well, as per our last conversation.” She taps the back of the couch with one nail. “I was thinking long and hard, and, well, I’ve decided.” She pauses for a second, and I don’t know if she’s thinking about the words she has to say or if it’s for dramatic effect. Knowing Marylin, I’m going to say it’s all about the dramatic. “I have been thinking.” If I could roll my eyeballs in the back of my head, I would. Also, when did her voice sound like nails on a chalkboard? “I think I was a little too hasty.”

“About?” I ask her, really not knowing where she’s going with this. That’s not right, I think I know where she’s going with this, and I also know that road has come to an end. Not only that, but there is also a huge meteor that came down from the sky and left a gaping black hole.

“About us,” she huffs. “I wasn’t ready back then for the whole husband-and-kid thing.” I stare at her for a couple of seconds, trying to make sure I heard her right.

“Husband-and-kid thing?” I laugh sarcastically. “And what, you think you are now?”

“Yes,” she answers without skipping a beat. “I’ve been thinking about it over and over, and what we had was amazing.”

“Yeah?” I say, folding my arms over my chest. “Which part?” I ask, and she looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights. “Was it the part where you left your newborn daughter to go home?” I ask. “Was it the part where you took me to court and sued me for alimony?” Her face goes from trying to be seductive to almost angry.

“That wasn’t my fault!” she shrieks. “My lawyer did that.”

“Did he?” I now can’t help but roll my eyes. “Did he also cash the checks every single month?”

“You can’t blame me for that.” She puts one of her hands to her chest. “I had to survive.”

“Getting a job wouldn’t have helped that?” I ask, and she gasps.

“I was recovering from having your child.” She gawks.

“She’s four.” I hold up my four fingers.

“I want to start over,” she declares, ignoring what I just said. “I want to have a fresh start. I want us to be a family again.”

I laugh and close my eyes, putting my thumbs and middle fingers on my temples. “You never answered me. What did we have that was so amazing?”

“The sex,” she gloats, smiling at me.

“That’s all you have?” I ask. “Let me tell you what was amazing.” I stare at her. “My daughter being born. Holding my daughter in my arms. Caring for my daughter. Watching her crawl for the first time. Seeing her take her first step. When she said Dada for the first time. When she blew a kiss at me with her one tooth sticking out. The list goes on and on, except you aren’t in any of them.”

“But I want to be.” She now sits up straight.

“That’s good to know,” I tell her, and she smiles, “but I don’t want you.”

She chuckles and stands up, pushing her chest out and cocking her hip to the side. “Why don’t you take me out on a date?”

“Umm.” I point at her. “Because I don’t want to.” Because you don’t have blue eyes that I can’t stop thinking about. Because you don’t have a smile that lights up your whole face and makes me want to do nothing but keep it there the whole time. Because you aren’t Grace.

“Are you dating someone?” she asks, like it’s impossible for me not to want to date her.

I want to date Grace. My mouth almost says the words.

“I am,” I lie to her. I mean, is it a lie? We just had a make-out session, so we might be dating. I haven’t done this in a really long time.

“Well, why don’t you date us both?” She raises her eyebrows. “See which one you like more.”

“Her,” I declare without thinking twice. “I like her a lot more than I like you. Now, I hope after this conversation, we never have to do this again.” She glares at me, grabbing her jacket in her hand. “And just so we’re clear, don’t think you can waltz in here again. I’m not interested in playing whatever game you think you’re playing. And I definitely am not letting you play this game with Meadow.”

She snatches her purse next. “We’ll see what my lawyer has to say about that.” She turns to storm out.

“Good luck with that one, Marylin,” I say once she grabs the handle of the door, opening it. “Not sure you remember, but you signed over all custodial rights to Meadow, which means she’s mine.”

“Whatever,” she huffs before walking out and making sure to slam the door on the way out.

“Good God.” I put my hands on my hips and look up at the sky. “How can my day go from fucking phenomenal to horseshit in the matter of five seconds?” I mumble, walking back to the door and opening it to talk to Grace.

Her desk is empty, her chair tucked under her desk, and her computer is shut down. “Kayla,” I call her from beside the desk.

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