Alie’s eyes go soft. “She’s right here,” she says when she walks into her room.
Sera’s twirling around her room, listening to some music that I can’t make out.
“Daddy’s on the phone.”
Sera spins. “Daddy!”
“Sera!”
That makes her giggle.
“Daddy’s going to talk to us while you take your bath.”
“Yay!”
Sera holds the phone and rambles on about her day while Alie grabs what she needs from the room.
“Okay, let’s go.” She walks out of the room, and Sera follows with the phone. I nearly get motion sickness as she walks with it.
Once she’s in the bath and distracted with her toys and bubbles, Alie props the phone on the counter.
“So…I talked to him again today,” she says.
“A—” I start to say, but she puts her finger to her lips.
I look at her, confused, but then she points to Sera. Probably best that I not bring up my little incident with Aaron right now.
“Okay, and?” Wondering if it was before or after I hit him in the face with the football.
“It was interesting.”
“Interesting how?”
“Well, I’ve been avoiding his calls, but after you and I talked, I answered today.”
“So what did he say?”
“He admitted more than he meant to, I think.”
My jaw tightens.
“He said he didn’t want to lose me. Or Sera.”
I inhale sharply.
“And I told him that keeping a father from his child isn’t love.”
My eyes close, and I rub them with my palms.
“Alie—”
She stops me. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
I shake my head. “You can ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Just don’t let him interfere in our life together again.”
“I won’t.”
She bites the inside of her cheek and looks at Sera, then back at me.
