Hey baby girl, see you today at Ten! Xo
“Who the fuck is Isaac?”
“Bad word!” Claud shouts.
“Sorry,” I say through my teeth. “Answer the question, Juliette.”
She’s blinking at me like I have ten heads, but then she shakes herself out of it and sits up straight, glaring daggers at me.
“I thought we were both getting over this jealousy crap.”
I lift a brow. “Says the woman who almost plowed down the lady at the grocery store.”
She waves me off. “That’s different, and Isaac is my hairdresser, Harrison. So you can calm down.” When I don’tretreat, she sighs, clearly exasperated. “My very gay hairdresser. Now shut up so I can enjoy my breakfast.”
“Fine.” I crawl in next to Claud and grab one of the strawberries off her plate.
“Just to confirm, pick-up is at eleven forty-five today?” Jules asks through a mouth full of pancakes.
“Yeah. Call me when you’re heading to the park, and I’ll meet you there. Seb is coming at one, so Claud has time to change after school if she wants.”
She stares at my leg, shaking with nerves. “Why don’t you go to the gym and calm down? A run will do you some good. I’ll get Claud ready for school and drop her off today, too. Mom has a doctor’s appointment at eight-thirty a few blocks away.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, already out of bed. I’m so amped up for today’s meet and greet that I need to expel some energy.
“Yes. Before you go, can you grab me a painkiller?”
I hand her the bottle and some water. “What’s wrong with your leg? You haven’t had pain in weeks.”
“I was in such a deep sleep last night, I don’t think I moved once and put too much pressure on it.”
“Do the heat therapy, then the stretches before you leave, and what’s wrong with your mom?”
“We’re a sorry pair, her and I. She’s had a few bad flare-ups over the last couple of weeks, so the doctor is going to give her a Corticosteroid injection. She’s gotten them before.”
“With the new doctor? I don’t want you to go back to the old one. She didn’t know what the hell she was talking about.”
“Yes, you control freak, we’re going to the doctor you picked. Now go work out. Goodbye.” She smiles and swats me away.
Please…I’m not a control freak because I want to care for all my girls, which now includes her mother too.
I kiss her and smile down at her. “You’re beautiful, did you know that?”
“Uh-huh.” She laughs and wiggles her brows playfully. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
I look up to see Claud smiling at our interaction. She loves affection. I lean over and kiss her next.
“Come say goodbye before you leave.”
Juliette
“Your name, again?” the nasty school attendant asks when I tell her I’m picking up Claudina.
“Juliette Caldwell,” I tell her for the second time. My last name starts with a C. It’s at the beginning of the list, for god’s sake.
I can’t take it anymore. I point to where I’m listed.
“I see it,” she snaps.
