“Eddy loves him. He offers to babysit for me all the time.”
I wish I could take the words back the moment they are out of my mouth. Bentley’s face clouds over with anger and silence falls over the room. Aaron humming as he eats is all you can hear.
“These are his cups? Does he drink juice or water with his meals?”
“Water please. Thank you,” Aaron answers for himself.
“You can use the blue sippy cup. The yellow one is his morning cup for milk.”
“Nuggie, Dada?” Aaron asks as he holds up one of his nuggets.
“You would share with me?”
“Yes. Good job, Aaron. Good boys share.”
“Thank you, buddy. You eat your food. I’m not hungry this time.”
“Okay. Eat-eat, Mommy?”
“Mommy is going to have a sandwich.”
“PBJ, yum.”
“He’s so smart. I mean, he’s not even one,” Bentley chokes out.
“He gets a lot of attention and modeling.” I shrug.
“What happened, Zah? If I’m doing the math right, you were pregnant when I found out you were first engaged. Gilbert Manning? Really?”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Not too complicated to come to me. You were having my baby.”
“You were seeing someone. I didn’t want to get in the way,” I snap back.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“That influencer. The one you were dating last year.”
“Baby, I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, but I haven’t been dating anyone. And even if I was that’s no excuse for you not telling me about my son.”
“I … it was all over the internet. I thought.”
“You thought wrong. Shit, you’re talking about that crazy chick, aren’t you?”
He groans and pulls a hand down his face. Aaron looks up at him; I can see the wheels turning in his little head. He then looks at me.
“Shit. Shit.”
“Aaron, no. That’s a never word.”
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry. Buddy, Daddy didn’t mean to say that. Zah, I’m going to go for a walk. I need some air.”
“Aaron walk with Daddy?”
Bentley looks at me, his expression conflicted. I can see he doesn’t want to say no. I nod, and he lifts Aaron into his arms.
I stand staring after them as I rub the back of my neck. This has been a long-ass day. I feel like I’ve just lived the last ten years in one day.
