Things would be fine.I’d just have to use all my manifesting powers to make them so.
Chapter nine
“Watchout,”Keelycalledout, right before a ball hit Addy smack in the face.
She went down with a loud screech.
The ball thrower, Sven, rushed up to my daughter, his lanky arms propelling him forward.“I’m sorry, Ads.Are you okay?”
He was Keely’s youngest and by far the calmest out of her three boys.His messy, curly red hair stood up in all directions, his mouth turned down in a frown.
Addy sat up, rubbing her cheek.“You hit me in the moneymaker.”
Keely’s head snapped around, her eyes coming out of her head, her cheeks blown.She resembled a frog who was about to burst.
Her look imitated how I felt, stuck between laughter and surprise at my daughter’s words.
Getting on my haunches next to Addy, I tilted her head to the side.“Do you want ice, ladybug?”
Her temple and cheekbone were red, but otherwise she seemed fine.
Addy sat up.“Naw, it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
“No, thank you,” I responded with a raised brow.“So, tell me, my little star, since when do you call your face the moneymaker?”
“Tammy said we should always protect our moneymaker.”
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I helped her stand up.“Let’s keep calling it a face.Since that’s what it is, okay, baby girl?”
Shrugging, she stood up.“Okay.”
Sven and Addy ran off, and Keely burst into laughter.“I’m sorry, but that’s gold.”
Looking up at the sky, I wished for a medium-ish rock to fall on the walking accessory.Just to knock some sense into her.Not to kill her or anything.
“The worst thing is, I can’t even bring it up because all communication has to go through our lawyers.Could you imagine Vance telling Hank’s lawyer to tell his client’s fiancée not to call her face the moneymaker in front of the kids?”
Keely’s chuckles died down.“I bet he’d do it.From what Malena’s saying, he’s a great lawyer.I’m sure he’s had stranger requests.”
He might.But there was no way I’d ask him to.Things had been weird ever since the phone call.Vance had been different.Nice even.And I didn’t know how to take it.Especially because I didn’t think I’d hear from him again after our last conversation.But he’d called me twice since then.Once to check a few details in the settlement, and once to confirm my address.Both things I would have thought his assistant would do, considering how busy he was.
His calls always put me in a daze.Last time, I put Elana’s shoes in the microwave after I talked to him.The time before that, I gave Winston’s food to Orange.A mistake I’d never make again, since Winston went crazy and bit Orange.Who I then had to take to the vet since he had a hole in his ear.
Thankfully, they had a payment plan.
“You think this divorce is going to screw them up?”
The question was something that had been on my mind a lot.I wondered what effect it would have on the girls, even with the quick way things seemed to be proceeding.
Keely blew out a breath, sounding like a deflating balloon.“Probably.But it’ll also teach them resilience.And what it means to love someone.You’re giving up everything to keep them.”
“But—”
She squeezed my mouth shut by pinching my lips between her fingers, keeping them closed for a few seconds before I batted her hand away.
“Anyway, where was I?”Keely stopped for a dramatic pause, then took a hefty gulp of her wine.“Right.You.Badass bitch.Who chose a rocky path filled with potholes instead of a nicely paved one.You showed your girls that you’ll always choose them.It doesn’t matter that they’re too young to understand that you saved them from becoming Tammy 2.0 and 3.0.One day, they’ll realize how hard you fought for them and how much you love them.And that’s all that matters.”
I waved her off.“I should have sucked it up and let him do his thing.At least then—” A punch landed on my boob.Rubbing it, I blinked at my now ex-friend.“Did you just punch me in the boob?”
