She nods against my chest, and I wait for my dad to return with some antibiotic ointment and bandages. I coax Lilah into letting me wash her hands in the kitchen sink, and then take the supplies my dad brought in. Lilah picks out her favorite character bandaids, and we get her all patched up.
After finally handing Burrito over to my still sniffling daughter, I wipe a stray tear from her cheek. “I was going to leave again. Is that alright? Or do you need me?” I ask.
My mom tries to bribe her with extra T.V. time, but she refuses, only wanting to lie with me. Lilah does this when she gets hurt. She refuses to let anyone soothe her but me.
“Can you stay until I fall asleep?” she asks so sweetly, there’s no way I could decline.
“Of course.” I kiss the top of her head, and walk her upstairs to her bedroom my parents have for her.
I squeeze into her toddler bed, praying the whole thing doesn’t snap in half under my weight. I read Lilah a couple of stories, and rub her back for a while, before she turns over and starts to drift off. We’ve been in here for so long, I can feel my eyes getting heavy too. Then I remember.
Fuck. Ivy.
I’ve been here way longer than expected. I got so caught up in consoling Lilah, that I forgot I was supposed to go back to the bar. I told her I’d be right back. Has she tried to call or text me? I’m sure she got home safe, and my siblings would make sure of it, but I still need to call her. I don’t even know what time it is.
I reach my hand into the pocket I’m not laying on to reach for my phone.
Empty.
As gracefully as I can, I turn my body slightly in the tiny bed to get to my other pocket. I shove my hand in and my fingers brush against something soft. What the hell? I start to pull whatever it is out, but stop when realization dawns on me, and my nostrils flare.
Underwear.
I didn’t give her back her underwear. That was initially the plan when I thought I was going to stay with her for the night, but then I left her at the fucking bar. With no god damn underwear. I grind my molars in frustration, digging further into my pocket for what is hopefully my phone.
Nothing.
Where the hell could my phone be?
I lift my head, and peek over Lilah’s mop of curls. She’s fast asleep. I take that as my cue, and roll out of her bed, dropping unceremoniously to the floor. I hold back a groan, and slowly move to my feet. I grip my lower back, and cringe. I’ve never felt as old as I do when I lay in this bed.
I close Lilah’s bedroom door behind me and make my way down the stairs. I search the kitchen and everywhere I’ve been since I got here.
“What are you doing, weirdo?” my mom asks from the living room, where she’s bundled up in the giant loveseat with my dad.
They’re both wearing their reading glasses with books in hand. Normally, I would hyper focus on how I’m not sure I’ll ever have a love like theirs, but right now I have one mission. Find my phone, and call Ivy.
“Have you seen my phone?” I say out loud to the room, while looking around.
“No. Why? What’s wrong?” my mom asks, starting to sound worried.
“Nothing, I just have to call Ivy.”
“At… eleven-thirty at night?” my dad chimes in, the amusement clear in his tone.
“Yep.” Is all I give them.
“Told ya,” I hear my dad murmur to my mom.
“No, I toldyou,” she snipes back.
They continue to argue about who told who, what first, while I open the front door and jog down the porch steps to my truck. My phone isn’t there either. I think back to the last time I had it. I remember using it to check the time before saying goodbye to Ivy. I must’ve left it on the table or something.
Great.
I head back into the house to thank my parents and tell them I’ll see them in the morning. I have to get back to the bar to get my phone. Then I need to track down Ivy if she’s not still there. I step inside the front door, and say my goodbyes to my parents.
“So is she your girlfriend? Are you an official couple now? I knew it. The way you looked at her, I just knew it. The way she treats Lilah is something you could have only dreamed of, Wes. She fits in so well–” my mom rambles on, but I cut her off. I need to leave.
