“Yeah, there wasn’t enough disdain in your voice for me to believe you’re not thinking about getting knocked up by Evander.”
“Whatever. Having a baby and getting married have never been on my to-do list. You know that. I just want to play…”
“For the philharmonic, I know. It’s literally been your dream since you first touched a harp and realized you were the best. Nobody said you can’t eventually have a family and play professionally.”
“Stop talking about family. It’s creeping me out,” I huffed. “I don’t want to have a baby now or in the future. It would deplete my shopping budget and how am I supposed to afford myself plus another, smaller, cuter version of me?”
Navy laughed at my response then sighed a little. “You’ll be okay,” she assured me. “I’m happy that you’re happy and I think you and Evander will figure out the best way to get Frankie to come around. The bottom line is, there are some things she can’t understand right now. She’s only twelve.”
“You’re right. I just hate that she’s hurting because of me. Normally, I wouldn’t care but I really do love Frankie. I love Evander too. I just want everything to work out.” I’d never cared about much outside of my family and playing the harp. Now, I had these two people in my world and I cared deeply about them. I loved them. They were a part of my family now. Things had to be made right.
“It will, sis. Listen, you get some rest and call me tomorrow when you guys get back, okay?”
“Okay, Navy. Love you.”
“I love you too, Xari, and I’m proud of you.” That last part made me smile even after the call ended. She was proud of me. It meant so much. My heart swelled in my chest despite the cyclone of bullshit I was going through. Hearing my big sister say she loved me and she was proud of me made me feel like I was doing something right.
I’d take whatever wins I could get.
…
TWENTY-ONE
Frankie gave Xari and me the silent treatment the entire drive. I was letting her have space because she needed to deal with her emotions. As much as I loved her, I couldn’t step in and interfere. She felt hurt and betrayed by both me and Xari. I understood that. I refused to let her run away from what was bothering her though.
Freezing me out wasn’t going to make anything better and it damn sure wasn’t going to make it go away. She had to learn how to deal with uncomfortable things. I would have to learn to be okay with it if she wanted to remain upset with me, but she at least needed to articulate her feelings.
I looked out of the window when we pulled around my circular driveway and a frown crushed my face.
“What the…” The words involuntarily fell from my lips when I saw Alexis’s car already waiting. “Frankie, did you call your mother?” I turned to the twelve-year-old sitting beside me with her arms folded in a clear act of closed-off defiance.
“Yes.” It was the first word she’d spoken to me since last night when she told me no after I asked if she wanted to talk to the chef who catered the wedding. Her tone was still cool and barbed.
“Wow,” Xari scoffed from the front seat. I sat in the back with Frankie, hoping she would warm up to me enough to talk. It didn’t work.
“Wanna tell me why you called her?” I asked. My voice must have had enough ice in it to remind Frankie that while she was pissed at me, I was still her damn father.
“I want to stay with her this week.”
“This week?” I hoped like hell I didn’t hear her correctly. “You need to explain this to me and quick.” My eyes drilled into hers and she pulled her shoulders up around her ears, too scared to meet my gaze head-on. I didn’t blame her.
“I want her to take me to school and pick me up and…”
“All the stuff I do?” Xari said quietly before getting out of the truck. I hated how defeated she sounded.
Yes, Xari and I should have talked to Frankie about our relationship, but we planned to do just that. We didn’t get the chance and now everything was a fucking shit show. There were a lot of tangles to smooth out, apologies to be made, and new understandings to be formed if everything was going to work out. None of that would get done if Frankie ran off to her mother’s house to brood and feed into Alexis’s toxicity.
“Frankie, it’s your choice to stay with your mother this week and I’m not going to punish you for it. However, you don’t get to not communicate just because you’re upset. I’m upset too and somehow. I managed to get you in the truck and home safely. I communicated.” For the first time since she walked in on me and Xari, she looked remorseful. I wasn’t trying to make her feel that way but I didn’t appreciate the way she decided to call Alexis without saying one word to me.
I got out of the truck and walked over to Alexis’s car. She rolled down the window and smiled at me. It was as phony as everything else on her face.
She wasn’t always plumped with fillers and slathered in makeup. When we were married, she had her natural face. Somewhere along the line, she turned into a Kardashian and never looked back.
“Hey, Van. Is my daughter ready?”
“I don’t know. I was unaware she called you and wanted to spend the week with you.”
“Aw. How sad? Evidently, she doesn’t feel like she gets enough attention here with you.
