CHAPTER FIFTEEN
mia
Since one,this is a favor for Liam, and two, I don’t want to abandon a child who was just forsaken by her own mother, I need to stick around. If the price is to hear the bells of shame clang behind me for the rest of my life, so be it.
But I need to keep myself busy to at least muffle the sound of it. So I tidy up the craft mess, vacuum twice to make sure no glitter’s left behind, and after accidentally vacuuming the entire ground floor, decide the gym Dr. Preston just used is next.
Once I’m done, I head back upstairs and find them both in the kitchen, starting dinner. How cute is that?
But the doctor’s stern tone cuts off the smile blooming on my face.
“Were you cleaning down there?”
“Yes, I was. Why?”
“I’ve told you that you don’t need to clean in this house.”
I wave him off. “I don’t mind. If I’m living here, I’m helping out.”
“I take great pride in keeping my gym clean and tidy, Ms. Thorne.” The corner of his mouth lifts.
That makes me laugh. “Tidy, yes. Clean? No, those mats were gross. An inch of dust on top of each, at least.”
I watch, front row, as his playful mood comes to a halt. Oh, fuck. What did I do wrong now? Is he that anal about cleaning?
“Lily, can you go get your backpack ready for school, please?”
My little buddy, peeling carrots with surgical precision, sighs, not happy to be interrupted again by her father. “But Daaaad, it’s Saturday. I can do that tomorrow.”
“Now, Lily. Please.”
He’s still holding the knife. Will I make things worse if I ask him to put that thing down?
Lils stomps up the stairs, muttering age-appropriate curses. As soon as she’s out of earshot, he turns to me, blade lowered.
“Those belonged to my ex-wife. I have no desire to touch them.”
Ah. Okay. Well, I’ve got a fix for that. Is it intrusive? Absolutely. Am I going to try it anyway? Same answer applies.
“So you don’t use them?”
“No.” He goes back to chopping onions, now with unnecessary force. The cutting board might need medical attention once he’s done.
“Okay, then. Excuse me for a second.”
I head downstairs, gather the four now-pristine yogamats, come back up, and walk straight past him without a word. Do first, apologize later—one of my favorite mottos. I march outside and chuck them all in the bin.
When I return, he asks, “Did you just?—”
“I did. Is that a problem?” My voice is steadier than I feel.
He stares as if he’s seeing me for the first time. I’m awarded with another one of his real smiles. And this one is all because of me. I take the opening and bump his hip with mine.
“Ahhhh…” I make a whole production of the exhale. “Decluttering. So good for the soul. You should try it sometime.”
He tries to wipe the smile off his face, but it stays put. He looks surprised by me. A little in awe. Maybe even grateful. But mostly, just stunned that I pulled that off, I think.
I wash my hands and ask, “Now, how can I help?”
