“Good guess, but it’s not. It’s pink. Her mama tells her she likes her in purple, so she wears a lot of it. How about her favorite food?”
This guy looks like he was attractive once. I could see the appeal. But using the product he sells hasn’t done him any favors.
“Spaghetti.”
“Another obvious guess by an absent parent, but it’s chocolate chip cookies. Who’s her best friend?”
“Let me guess,” he says with a sneer, “you?”
I want to punch that look off his face so badly. “Used to be. It’s a toss-up between her mama and Carly. You don’t know her, so don’t pretend you’ve ever given a damn.”
“I do give a damn.”
“Really? Is that what everyone who knows these two would say?”
I’m careful not to say too much in front of Bernie because I know Misty doesn’t want her to know about this asshat walking away because she was born. But I want him to know I know.
“You don’t know me, and you don’t know my family.”
“Dad, stop it. He’s my friend, okay? And he was Mom’s friend for a while, too.”
This gets a reaction. “Bernadette, get inside,” Ben orders.
“No—”
“I said get your ass inside!”
Grabbing his shirt, I lift him onto his tiptoes. “Don’t you ever fucking yell at her like that again. Speak to her the way she deserves, or I’ll make sure you never speak again.”
“Zep, let him go. He just… He doesn’t know. It’s okay. I’m okay,” Bernie says, patting my elbow.
Doing as she requests, I release her sperm donor with a shove hard enough to make him stumble. This man is not a father. I’m not her father, but at least I’d like to be.
“I guess I made a mistake not fighting for custody if Misty lets our daughter around scum like you,” Ben says.
“Dad, that’s not nice. He’s a nice guy. When he doesn’t do stupid things like kiss the mean girl.”
Great. “Thanks, Bernie,” I say.
“Maybe I should take Bernie from Misty. She clearly can’t parent.”
“No!” Bernie says and hides behind my legs. “You can’t take me from Mom. She’s the best mom in the world.”
“Bernadette, you don’t get a say in this.”
“It’s my life, Dad.”
He shakes his head. “You deserve better than this.”
“I don’t even know you. I don’t want to leave Mom.”
“I know she’s poisoned you against me. But I was young when I told her we shouldn’t have you after finding out you were sick.”
Eyes wide, I stare, not believing he actually just told his daughter he didn’t want her. Not just not want her but not want her alive.
“You didn’t want me?”
Her voice is so small and broken that I want to strangle this motherfucker.
