“Fuck,” Alex sighed.
“Do you want us to come over tonight? I can pick up dinner?” Maddox offered.
“No. I have a meeting I couldn’t push.” I probably could have pushed it, but when Jada sent me the reminder and asked if I wanted to reschedule, I told her no.
The bell rang, and children began to pour out of the school. It wasn’t long before Bella, Maddox’s daughter Hannah, and Alex’s daughter Lexi all came running down the stairs.
“Hey, Squirt, how was your day?” I asked as Bella rushed toward me.
“Is she here?” Bella asked excitedly.
“Yep.” I nodded. “But remember, she’s very sick and—"
“I know.” Bella cut me off as she nodded enthusiastically.
I said goodbye to Alex and Maddox, promising I’d let them know if I needed anything, and headed to the car. On the short walk to the vehicle, Bella shot rapid-fire questions at me.
“Can I call her Grandma?”
“If you want to.” I had no plans on calling Naomi Mom, but the therapists that I had spoken to had all agreed that Bella should call her whatever she felt comfortable with.
“What’s her favorite flower?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s her favorite color?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s her favorite ice cream?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s her favorite animal?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does she like pizza?”
“I don’t know.”
“When’s her birthday?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know anything about her?”
“Remember, I told you that I don’t really know her.”
“Right, because she was in prison.”
“Yep.”
“And that’s like time out.”
“Yep.”
As we reached the car, I heard my name being called.
