She frowned at me. “You got two moms?”
“My birth mom, and then Mama Mae adopted me and my sisters.”
“Oh. That’s nice.” She was quiet for several heartbeats. “Did your birth mom leave you too?”
“She couldn’t help it,” I said gently. “She died in a car accident.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, hon.”
She was quiet so long I thought she had fallen asleep. “I used to be really mad at Mommy,” she whispered.
Poor girl. “That’s understandable.”
She lifted her head, her eyes wide and worried. “It is?”
“Yeah. I was mad at my birth mommy and daddy, but as an adult, I know they did the best they could. Sometimes,” I said, lowering my voice, “I’d even get mad at Mama Mae.”
She giggled. “But Mama Mae didn’t leave you.”
“No. She didn’t. Sometimes she cares a lot and it can be stressful.” I rubbed her shoulder. “Have you talked to your daddy about this?”
“No.”
“He might need to know you’re feeling this way.”
“Who’s feeling what way?” Rhys’s voice broke in.
I found him standing at the end of the hallway. He was wearing the gray sweats from the night we’d almost gotten busted after making out and a loose white shirt that draped over his chest and settled around his hips. His hair was mussed and he was scratching his beard.
The other reason I hadn’t been able to sleep was because he wasn’t next to me. How spoiled I’d gotten in those two weeks. Waking up next to the one I loved wasn’t something I’d ever take for granted. If I ever got to experience it again.
Bethany shrank against me. I didn’t want to out her in front of her dad when she’d confided in me about something, but I hoped she’d talk to him soon. “Nothing, just girl talk.”
He narrowed his eyes on us. “Sure.” He shuffled to the bathroom.
“Thank you,” Bethany said in a small voice.
“I really do think you need to talk to your dad about this. Can you think about it?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe if Hannah feels the same way, you can do it together.”
“Maybe,” she said noncommittally.
I let her rest until the bathroom door opened. Rhys shuffled back out. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze went from his daughter to me. “Hungry?” he asked gruffly.
Bethany nodded, her hair scraping against me.
Hannah woke up and stretched. “Morning, Daddy.” She scanned the room, and when she spotted her sister, she climbed on top of me too. I hugged both girls to me. Another experience I might never get.
It wasn’t too late for me to have kids, but I didn’t want them with a guy like Finn. Or Clinton or Toby. They might make good dads, but a shitty husband was still a bad role model.
Damn my standards.
Damn Rhys for his convictions.
