Veronica shook her head. “I can’t believe you still live in that little house.”
“It has everything Maisie and I need.” I finished my coffee, hoping I could keep myself from sounding defensive.
“You never needed much, did you?” Veronica smiled as if she was being friendly.
“Just a family.”
She flinched.
“Let me call Tessa.” I stood and excused myself as I pulled out my phone. I walked outside the restaurant and pushed the speed dial for Tessa’s number.
“Hello?” She picked up the phone on the second ring.
“Tessa, it’s Dylan.”
“Yes, hi. Is everything okay?”
I could hear the din of voices and splashing that indicated they were at the pool.
“Yes. Maisie’s mother is in town and wants Maisie to spend the weekend with her. Can you pack her a bag and have her ready in an hour or so?”
There was a pause on the line that made me wonder what she was thinking. “Yes, of course. I didn’t realize she was coming or I’d have—”
“She just showed up. That’s what she does.”
“Oh … okay. We’re at the pool, but I’ll pack us up and head home. How many days will she be gone?”
“Just the weekend. In the city … New York,” I clarified.
“Nice things then?”
For reasons I didn't understand, I found that humorous. “Yes.” She didn’t know Veronica and yet somehow understood Maisie would need to be well-dressed and groomed so that she fit in with Veronica and her rich husband. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
I hung up the phone and took a moment to get my irritation under control. The truth was, Veronica and Leo hadn’t done anything wrong. My annoyance was all about having to share Maisie. That, and the idea that Veronica wanted to settle down. That would mean more visits with Maisie … more sharing. I knew that was good for Maisie, but I couldn’t stop the feelings of resentment and anger. Maisie was mine, dammit.
With a final deep breath, I headed back into the restaurant. Veronica and Leo were sitting, their heads close together in discussion. Leo’s eyes shone with affection, as did Veronica’s. At least they truly cared about each other, I thought. For a moment, I was jealous. Not of Leo, but of the both of them. They had what I thought I’d have when I married Veronica. She found it in someone else. I suppose someone would say I could find it with another woman too, but no. I’d had my life squashed by the hope of love all through my childhood and then by Veronica. Today I was smarter. I wouldn’t let my heart be trampled again.
“Tessa and Maisie are at the pool, but heading home. Why don’t you stop by in an hour to pick her up? She’ll be ready then.”
“What will we do for an hour?” Leo asked.
I wanted to make a snarky remark about how small communities had things to offer, but I bit my lip.
“We can take a walk on the river. It’s a beautiful day for it,” Veronica said. I wondered if she’d take him to the spot where I’d fucked her for the first time in college. I shook my head at that thought. Stop being a dick, I told myself.
“There are new benches along the path,” I said.
“Sounds lovely.” Leo rose and helped Veronica up from her chair. We said our goodbyes and I headed home to talk to Maisie before sending her off with her mother. I made a quick stop first at the phone store and picked up a small easy cell phone. She was too young for it, but I couldn’t help feeling that I wanted her to have access to me if she needed me. I’d never felt so off-kilter around a visit before, but in the past, Veronica stayed in town. Hell, many of the times she stayed with us in the guest room, except for the few times she snuck into my bed. But now she had a new husband and was taking Maisie to her new home in New York City. I didn’t like it, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
When I reached home, I worked to put on a smile so I could sell this as something fun for Maisie, even though inside my heart was sick.
5 Tessa
When Dylan walked in, I had Maisie coloring at the coffee table as I met him at the door.
“I didn’t say anything about her mom in case that was something you should tell her.”
He looked at me like he couldn’t believe I was real. “Thank you for that. You always think of her first.”
His comment made me wonder if Veronica didn’t think of Maisie first. Well, of course she didn’t. If she did, she’d be more active in Maisie’s life. I knew Maisie remembered her because she sometimes talked about her and the times she visited. But in the ten months I’d been working for Dylan, I hadn’t seen nor heard about a visit from Veronica. What sort of mother could go that long without seeing her child? Sure, if she was in jail that would make sense, but she was gone because she chose to be gone. She made the decision to be away from her daughter. That made absolutely no sense to me.
“I did lay out some of her clothes on her bed if you’d like to check. I also packed her toothbrush and other toiletries.”
“Daddy!” Maisie jumped up and rushed to him.
He scooped her up and gave her a tight hug. “Hi, baby.”
I had noticed tension on him when he walked in, but now it radiated. He didn’t want her to go. Did he have a reason to be concerned about this trip, or was he just going to miss her?
“Listen, I need to tell you something.” He held her in a way that he could look into her eyes. It was something I knew from school that helped make sure children understood what grownups were telling them. Had Dylan had a child psych
