“And we won’t worry if she’s a little fat.”
I want to get angry again, but why? “She’s not fat, honey. She’s healthy in all the right ways. We need to be healthy to work as hard as we do.” God, did I say the right thing? I sure don’t want my kid running up to Isabelle and telling her how “healthy” I think she is, but I can’t worry about that. Not right now anyway. “Go on. Get your shower. You stink.” I plug my nose then laugh.
“Daddy.” She giggles. “I do not stink.”
“Nah, you smell sweet as sugar.” I tap her nose. “Get cleaned up. It’s time for bed.”
Then, as soon as she’s asleep, I’ve got some calls to make.
32
Isabelle
Ringing wakes me up.I blink a few times to figure out where I am. On the couch with the television playing some home renovation show. I love those shows, but right now, all they do is lull me into sleep. I hear the house phone ring again, and I jump off the couch. The only people who still call the landline are Mom and Dad. Isaac does sometimes when he can’t get a hold of Mom or Dad on their cells. “Hello?”
“Isabelle.”
Shit. It’s Nash. He tricked me, dang it.
“Nash.”
He releases a heavy sigh into the receiver. I’m tempted to hang up, but that’s fruitless because I’ve missed him. I’ve missed talking to him and seeing him and Andi. It’s like part of me doesn’t function without them now, and that scares me.
“Isabelle, I miss you.”
I’m a little shocked by his words. I don’t know what I expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. “You do?”
“Wedo.”
See that? He just made it a “we” rather than just a “me.” One letter changes everything. I sigh because I can’t help it. I’m resigned. “I miss you guys too, but….”
God, I want to cry, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry over Nash Watson anymore. It’s a useless waste of energy.
“Did you read my letter?”
He knows I did. “Yes.”
“Is that why you shut us out?”
Us?What the ever-loving…. “Us? Shutusout?” The man is exasperating, and not in a good way. “I shutyouout. I’ve made sure Andi knows I’m there for her. I see her every day at school, and I make it a point to find her and talk to her each day.” God, what kind of monster does he think I am? I’d never shut out Andi. She’s got nothing to do with my feelings about Nash.
“So, you’re shuttingmeout?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Yeah,Isabelle.” His voice sounds hard. “Why?”
Is this the point in our story where I tell him how I feel? It could take all night if I start. But maybe that’s exactly what I need to do because Nash is clueless. It’s also all about him, and I’m over that. Ivy is always going to be there––she’ll always be in the periphery as part of his and Andi’s life. She’s in his world for life.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
God, he can’t handle the truth. But I need tofinallysay it. Taking in a deep breath for courage, I start. “I’ll tell you, but you need to shut the hell up until I’m all done.”
