“I don’t think I did much at all.She’d already made up her mind to sign before we even got here.”
How anyone could want to give up their child was unfathomable to me.But I didn’t have to understand it, since in this case it worked in my favor.I would fight tooth and nail for Addy and Elana.And Mrs.Foster had given me one more crucial piece to help win my battle.
I got up, not wanting to stay at the diner as a restless energy flowed through me.“She didn’t even ask to see a photo of her.”
Vance took my hand, stopping me.“It’s her loss.And my guess is the only thing she was thinking of was how to best avoid a scandal.”
Drinking in his now-familiar features, I marveled at how lucky I was that he was mine.Because there was no doubt in my mind anymore that he was.
Squeezing his hand, I nodded.“It seems her now being married to a senator worked in our favor.”
We drove back to the office, where Keely was pacing the reception area.Riley, who had been sitting behind my desk, jumped up as soon as we walked through the door.
Keely reached us first, studying my face.“How did it go?”
I smiled, because I’d finally allowed a glimmer of hope to take root.“She signed the documents.”
Keely cheered, then threw her arms around me, swaying us back and forth.“That’s great news.I’m so relieved.”She stepped back and pulled her phone out of a pocket in her dress.“I’ll let Malena and Linny know.”
“How are the girls?”
She finished typing and beamed a huge smile at me.“Happy as can be.Malena promised them they could walk Miles and get ice cream.”
“I’m not going to the apartment.I’m going to Vance’s.I didn’t bring the special pens that glow in the dark, and I wanted to use them today.”
Picking the girls up from Malena’s went about as well as expected.They had loved Vance’s house so much that they were ready to move in.And to be honest, so was I.I was only human, after all.His bathroom had a spa.And a rainfall shower.And two vanities.Heated towel holders.A mirror that had those little lights lining the edge that let you see everything down to the smallest pore.Not that I had any interest in seeing my pores.I knew the sad state they were in.And if I ever had the urge to, I could also do yoga in his walk-in closet that was the size of our apartment.
“We need to go back to our apartment tonight since that’s where we live.”I passed the abandoned building on the corner that looked like it would blow over in the next storm.“And Vance is coming over, and he’ll bring Orange and Winston back.”
They were still at Vance’s, as we’d been running late this morning.But since he seemed to be Winston’s favorite human, it would be easier for him to wrangle the little devil in furball disguise into his carrier.
Elana wasn’t convinced and dug her heels in.“You have to respect my batteries.And I want to go to Vance’s.”
Turning into our apartment complex, I winced at the sight of two people clearly selling something at the side of the building.One of them looked an awful lot like my neighbor.“It’s not batteries.It’s boundaries, pumpkin pants.”I navigated into one of the empty spaces and turned the engine off.“And I think it means something different than what you think it does.”
I helped her out of her seat because she refused to unbuckle herself.Then I had to carry her because she refused to walk.Then she refused to hold my handbag, so I had to grip it with my fingers while still holding her.Addy reluctantly came out of the car and dragged her feet the whole way up the stairs.I couldn’t leave her to go up in her own time, since I was under no delusion about what kind of neighborhood we now lived in.I wanted eyes on my girls at all times.Therefore, we took it one slow step at a time until we were finally at my front door.My destroyed front door that was hanging on for dear life on one hinge.
Addy made a move to run inside, but I held her back.“Okay, change of plans.Who wants to go to Betty’s diner?”
Elana’s legs suddenly worked again, and she slid out of my arms and landed on the floor with a thunk.
“I do, I do, I do,” the girls yelled, then rushed down the rickety stairs that made suspicious groaning noises.
Jumping up and down next to the car, they called out to me to walk faster.I didn’t waste time getting them into their seats and locking the doors as soon as we were all inside.
I hit Call on Vance’s number.
“Ipo.You guys back at the apartment yet?”
“Vance.”My voice wavered, but I cleared my throat.I didn’t want the girls to know anything was wrong.
“What happened?”
“Can you come to the apartment, please?I need you.”
“I’m in the office, so I’ll be about five minutes.”
“Okay.”
