“Wonderful! Then why are you complaining?”
“Because I’m not in love with Briel, and having a child with someone you don’t love is hard.”
“Preaching to the fucking choir.”
“Jesus, what’s your problem?”
“I’ve just run out of solutions for you, and I can’t bear to hear you talk about Briel that way. Leave her if you don’t love her. You have options.”
“No, I don’t. You don’t understand.”
“Fine, then buck up. Be a father, be a husband. Life will change, Gavin, and then it will change again. Stop acting like your life is over.”
“I can’t talk to you anymore.”
I took a deep breath. “Look, I’m so grateful to you for this studio. It saved me. But not having you in my life has been hard on me. You don’t seem to mention that it’s hard on you. All you talk about is how you don’t get along with Briel.”
“God, Penny, are you that dense?”
“Are you insulting me?”
“I don’t get along with Briel because all I do is compare her toyou.”
I had no fight left in me. “But here we are, you and me, on opposite sides of the world.”
He didn’t respond.
“I hired an office manager.” I said. “I’ll text you her number. She’s going to take over managing the strip mall properties. I’m gonna go, Gavin. I’m tired.”
“I still love you, you know.”
“I know,” I said before hanging up.
40.Three Years Later
GAVIN
Peering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dance studio, I held my daughter’s hand and watched Penny dance like I had when I first met her.
“That’s her, Elodie. The most beautiful woman in the room. Do you see? Do you see the way she moves?”
“I do, Daddy. She’s a very pretty dancer.”
When Penny’s routine ended and she excused her class, I led Elodie into the room. Penny and I hadn’t spoken in three years. We needed space from each other. And watching her now, I knew I had made the right decision to stay away. She was vibrant and healthy looking. Her hair was up, and I noticed from across the room that she had a new tattoo on the back of her neck.
She still hadn’t spotted us.
“Nice tights, Teach.”
She spun around so quickly it made me dizzy. Those lips, those chocolatey eyes. “What the—” she started.
“This is Elodie. She wants to be a dancer.” I shrugged. “I have no idea why.”
Penny came toward us, ankles cracking and popping. I smiled at the familiar sound. She bent in front of Elodie and stuck her hand out. “I’m Penny.”
“I know. My daddy shows me videos of you dancing.”
“Does he?” she whispered. Her eyes misted over as she shook Elodie’s hand.
