My back was to the house as I faced her. She gestured with her chin toward the wide bay window.
“Have a feeling that might not happen tonight,” she said sadly.
When I turned to see Katy looking through the window at us, I frowned. Vicky took the opportunity to pull away completely.
“I’ll call you later,” I called out, but she didn’t answer as she got into her car. The sun was a tiny speck of orange on the horizon as I watched her drive away without another word.
Turning back to the house, my ex-wife was no longer in the window. Rubbing my face vigorously, I tried to prepare for whatever her visitmeant. Waving to a neighbor who was checking their mailbox, I headed into the house.
“AndthenI had to chase the seagull for like five minutes to get my Doritos back. You know how much I love them. Doritos, not the birds. They’re cute but annoying. Then a wave hit us and all our stuff got wet…” I heard MJ breathlessly telling her mother about our day. Katy’s forced smile might’ve fooled MJ, but not me. She was not happy.
“Mom, are you listening to me?” MJ asked. Her favorite pajamas with rainbows on them made smile. It made her look like she was five years old again. That thought made me wonder if Katy was thinking the same thing. “Mom?”
I winced at the name when I saw Katy’s unhappy reaction. MJ had stopped calling her Mommy sometime last year after another promised but missed call. When I asked her about it, she just said she was growing up and it sounded like a baby. We both knew the truth, since she still called me Daddy, something I had prayed would never stop.
“Yeah, I am sweetie. Sounds like you had a great day. Who’s Vicky?” Katy asked. They were sitting on the sofa, Katy looking around and taking in our home with great interest. It was obvious she didn’t realize I’d stepped back into the house.
“Vicky is our interior designer, but more than that, she’s our friend and the coolest person. I can’twaitto show you what she did in my room. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Katy scoffed and straightened her wide hat. “Interior designer? Why did she look like she’d just gotten out of the shower?”
Okay, this was going to stop right now.
Closing the door louder than I needed to, they both turned to me. The look I gave Katy was clear.
Don’t.
Our marriage may not have lasted longer than a couple of years, but she knew my body language and thankfully dropped the subject. My emotionally intelligent daughter read the room and didn’t answer. Katy was out of line, and we all knew it.
“MJ, why don’t you take your mom to see your room,” I said, needing a few minutes alone to gather my thoughts when my eyes snagged on the bright pink suitcase.
“Okay, Daddy. Can’t wait to show you my planets and chalkboard wall,” MJ said excitedly. Katy’s real smile came out as she followed our daughter.
Alone in the kitchen, I started to pace. MJ’s excited voice echoed in the hallway as they walked. Katy had never given me a reason to fearanything she’d say to MJ out of my presence, but something was different. Taking a few slow breaths in and out, I grabbed a bottle of water and downed half in one gulp.
When I walked into MJ’s bedroom a few minutes later, the sight took me off guard.
Katy had taken off her hat and was sitting cross-legged on MJ’s bed, singing to her. My daughter’s face lit up as she listened intently. I’d always assured her that her mother loved her and to extend grace when necessary.
As Katy’s soulful voice filled the room, I leaned on the doorframe. Still singing, she turned to watch me with a wide smile. She’d always had a beautiful voice, often singing to MJ as a baby on her better nights. Back then, her doctor suspected she had symptoms of postpartum depression, but her counselor felt it was something deeper. Turned out, they’d been right.
When the song ended, MJ clapped and shouted “hurray” over and over. Katy bowed theatrically.
“That was beautiful. So that’s what you’ve been working on?” she asked.
“It is, sweet girl. I’m so sorry I’ve missed out on so much this year, but I’m here now,” she said, taking our daughter’s hand before looking at me. “As long as you’ll have me.”
I cleared my throat and pushed off the doorframe.
“Kiddo, take my phone and call our favorite pizza place, please? Let me talk to your mom for a minute.”
Excited to have access to my phone, MJ jumped off the bed and grabbed it from my extended hand, racing to the living room.
“Mom, you still like black olives and sausage?” she called out.
Katy smiled and called back, “Yeah, honey. Thanks for remembering.”
She turned to me and patted the bed next to her.
