“This is…”
“Awkward. I know, and I am sorry about what this is going to do to you. And Sienna. And the kids.”
His gaze hardened in a way that asked why she was putting him through this, but he had the brains not to say it. Or maybe the compassion.
She picked up her cordless phone and checked to make sure there was a dial tone, even though she already knew it was working. When she pressed it to her ear, she heard the voice of her mom, Doreen. “Claudia?”
Her stomach clenched and she spoke quietly so as not to wake Elliot, who fell asleep while she was nursing him on the couch. He was snuggled against her, like a tiny, soft oven. “Oh, hey, Mom.”
“That was fast. I didn’t even hear it ring. Did you hear from him yet?”
“Nothing yet.” She sighed and Elliott stirred, then put his little hand on his forehead as if he was dreaming he had a very important financial decision to make. How could he be doing such grown-up things already? He was only six weeks old.
“Do you think that’s a good sign or a bad one?”
“No idea,” she answered. “I’m sure it’s been a terrible time for them both, and it’s got to be tricky with the kids there.”
Her mom made atsking sound that did more than anyten-minute lecture ever could. “Those poor children. My poor grandson.”
“They’ll all be okay. Kids are resilient.”
“Tell that to yourself at fifteen.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, and Elliott let out a grumpy little groan. She dropped her voice to an angry whisper. “Did you call to make me feel worse than I already do?”
“Don’t tell me you’re letting him sleep on you again,” her mom answered. “You’re going to regret spoiling him like that.”
“He fell asleep while I was nursing him. I was hoping he’d finish his meal.”
“Do not let him do that. He’ll turn you into a twenty-four-hour snack bar.”
“He’s a newborn, Mom, he’s not trying to manipulate me.”
Letting out a scoff, she said, “That’s what you think, but they start from day one and it never ends. You’ve always been too giving and just look where that’s got you.”
Oh, God, I can’t do this right now.“I should go in case Zane’s trying to call.”
“Don’t you have call waiting?”
“Yes, but I don’t trust it.” She did trust it, but she needed to end this conversation before she snapped and woke her baby.
“What are you honestly expecting to happen today, Claudia? That he’ll show up on your doorstep with a suitcase, tell you his marriage is over, and declare his undying love for you?”
“Yeah, Mom, that’s what I’m thinking. And that she’ll be over it already and we’ll live happily ever after,” she said, feeling a trickle of sweat slip down her back. Why were babies so hot? “Come on. I’m not an idiot.”
Her mother’shmphsaid Doreen wasn’t so sure about that.
“I’m going to go. I need to put the baby down and make myself something to eat.”
“You shouldn’t be eating so late at night. You’re going to pack on the pounds.”
“Nursing burns a lot of calories.” It also made her absolutely ravenous, which meant she was definitely binge-eating again. But she would stop once she heard from Zane. She could never eat much around him. He made her too nervous. That’s how she’d lost all the weight in the first place. She should sell the plan toWomen’s World Magazine. The Zane Diet.
“Well, make sure you don’t overdo it. You don’t want to go back to the way you were before. And when hedoesfinally call, you demand the money you’re owed. Threaten to go public if you have to.”
“Mom, I’m not about to blackmail the father of my child.”
“You’re going to have to do something because clearly he’s not willing to take responsibility for his actions. He should’ve already started giving you something to live off of.”
