Camille didn’t miss a beat when I approached. “What’s up, love? You look like you’re ready to bite someone’s head off.”
“Just a bad day,” I muttered.
“Come over after school,” she said. “Lauren, you too. We can vent and drink wine.”
“I guess we could do that,” I replied. “Thanks, Camille.”
The children soon poured out of the gate. Bebe came running, hand in hand with Ivy. “Mommy, I’m going to Ivy’s this weekend!” she declared excitedly. “Charlie can’t come, though. Her dad is playing football.”
This was news to me. “We’ll see, girls,” I said, not wanting to commit to plans I didn’t know about.
Will walked over to us. “Hey, kiddo,” he said to Ivy. “We’ve got to get going.”
Ivy turned to him. “Daddy, please tell Miss Natalie about our playdate.”
Will rubbed the back of his neck. “Ivy wants Bebe to come over,” he said. “I don’t know what your plans for break are.”
“Sorry, Ivy,” I said gently. “Bebe will be with her dad all week. I can give your dad his information if you want to set something up.”
Ivy pouted but nodded. “I’m going to my mom’s tomorrow,” she said. “But Bebe can come to either house. Please, Miss Natalie?”
I gave Will a glance, trying to act like we were just two parents coordinating schedules. “I’ll share Bebe’s dad’s info,” I said. “But we have to go. Say goodbye, Bebe.”
The girls hugged tightly before we left, Ivy waving as we walked away.
As I drove home, frustration settled back in. Now I was mad at myself for how I’d acted. I also wondered what Will would do over break if his children were with Kelly. The only time we seemed to thrive was when we were alone.
I grabbed Lisa’s pastries to bring to Camille’s. Lauren and Charlie were already there when I arrived, and I set the treats out for the kids, knowing full well Camille and Lauren wouldn’t touch them.
I told them everything, about Lisa, about Will, and about my own emotional mess.
“What a bitch,” Camille said, referring to Lisa. “Who brings over muffins and starts talking about their crush?”
“She’s trying to make you fat,” Lauren added with a smirk, and we all burst out laughing.
Eventually, we moved on to other topics. Lauren invited Meredith and me to a Chargers game on Sunday. “We have great seats,” she said. “You should come.”
“That’s so nice,” I said. “I’ll check with Meredith.”
“Also, girls’ night on Saturday?” Camille suggested. “Should we go out or stay in?”
“Anything but Bourbon House,” I said, referring to the trouble-inducing restaurant.
The laughter that followed eased some of my tension.
Later, when I checked my phone, I noticed a text from Will.
Will: Call me when you can.
Embarrassment bubbled up. I’d been unnecessarily harsh earlier, and now I didn’t know how to respond. After getting the kids home, feeding them dinner, and surviving the bedtime routine, I debated whether to call him. Instead, I opted for a text:
Natalie: Hey, are you around?
Will: Give me a few. Wrapping up with the kids.
An hour later, just as I was dozing off, my phone buzzed.
“Hey,” I answered groggily.
