“I called and asked to speak with her. They told me she wasn’t there.”
“And they didn’t tell you where she was?”
“They said she was with your neighbor,” she spits. “Who the hell is your neighbor, and why would you leave our child with a stranger?”
“My neighbor is not a stranger. Not to me, and not to my family. She’s spent more time with Hannah in the last three months than you have in the last five years.”
I can practically hear her grinding her teeth, searching for a comeback, but she doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
Because it’s true.
“Who is she, Jackson?”
“She’s someone who’s been there for our daughter in ways you never have.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I can almost see her brows knitting together, anger brewing.
“Do you remember the mother-daughter tea at school?” I ask. “The one you were too busy to attend? Hannah wasn’t about to miss it just because you refused to take her. Our neighbor took her.”
I pause for a beat.
“Emily’s birthday party? Our neighbor helped Hannah pick out a gift. When Hannah had a fever and wanted her mom? Our neighbor stayed up all night with her. And Thanksgiving—you promised you'd see her, but you never showed up. Those are the kinds of letdowns that stay with a child. The ones she won’t forget.”
There’s a pause.
“Jackson, are you seeing this woman?”
“Really?” I scoff. “After everything I just said, the only thing you care about is whether or not I’m dating her? You’re unbelievable.”
“Are you?” she murmurs.
“No, I’m not seeing her,” I say. And without hesitating, I add, “But I’d like nothing more than to marry her, and let her be the mother to Hannah that you never were.”
There’s a long silence on the other end. No breath, no argument, no venom. Just silence.
Then, a soft click.
She’s hung up on me.
Chapter 19
Danielle
“Where’s Hannah?” I say, dropping the bag of bagels on the table and setting down the drink carrier—two coffees, a smoothie for Hannah, and a chocolate mocha for Beth.
I glance over at Tina and Beth. They're both sitting on the couch. Beth is biting her fingernail, Tina is fuming.
“What happened?” I ask, a sudden wave of panic crawling up my spine. “Where is she?”
“Meghan picked her up,” Tina says, exhaling sharply. “If Hannah hadn’t been here, I swear to you, I would’ve socked that woman right in the jaw. I’d be in handcuffs right now, getting hauled off to jail.”
She throws her hands up. “But level heads prevailed. In other words, Beth held me back. So yeah, she took her.”
“She took her,” I repeat, stunned. The words don’t feel real.
“She also accused me of trying to steal her husband. Said I was using her daughter to get Jackson to like me. She apparently calls him Jackson. It was verbal vomit. I couldn’t keep up. And apparently, she thought I was you—the other woman. The one ‘Jackson’s sleeping with.’” Tina scoffs. “She didn’t stop to breathe between flinging insults. And then poor Beth… she had plenty to say to her, too.”
“Tina,” I say, trying to gather my thoughts. “Take a breath. Let me think. Please.”
