Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(71)
I carried her into the bathroom and stood her up on the vanity. First I pointed to Kat in the mirror, then myself, and finally her. “Mommy, Daddy, and B.”
She laughed at us, pointed to herself, and said “B”, then to Kat. “Mama.” When she looked over at me it was obvious she was trying to figure it all out. Then she poked me in the eye while looking back in the mirror at herself. “Mine.”
I couldn’t believe she recognized me as having the same color eyes as her. I guess she’d known that neither Kat nor Bobby resembled her the way I did. I tried hard to not get choked up. After all, she was only a toddler. By morning she’d forget that we had the same colored eyes. “You’re mine, little bug. I’m your daddy.”
“Daddy?” B was obviously wondering what was going on. I wasn’t even sure she knew what a daddy was.
I did my best to smile and look at Kat. “It’s going to take her a while to get used to it.”
“She needs to know the truth though.” Her words were like music for my soul. This was so real. I still couldn’t grasp it all.
B rested her head against my chest. I felt like she was giving me reassurance even though I knew she didn’t understand. “How about we take it day by day and let B figure it out herself? I’m not going anywhere, Kat. We’re going to raise her together whether you want to stay friends or get married. It’s up to you.”
Kat wrapped her arms around the both of us. “I don’t deserve this,” she whispered.
“You’re getting it anyway, so shut up and be happy. You’re going to have a lot of bad days coming your way. No matter what, I’ll be there.” It was a promise I intended to keep.
As the hours passed I enjoyed spending alone time with both of my girls, but mostly B. I got her set up on my iPad so she could enjoy her favorite shows without commercials. We laid there together like lifelong friends while Kat sat watching. Every once in a while I’d look over and see her smiling as if we were captivating.
After we ordered room service Kat’s phone began ringing. My stomach knotted up because I had a good feeling I knew who was going to be on the other end of the call. “Just answer it, Kat. He can’t hurt you.”
Kat rolled her eyes before putting it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Really, Katy? This is how you’re going to f*ckin’ be? I’m tellin’ you right now, you better be home when I get there.”
She closed her eyes while responding to his madness. “It’s my house and you’re not welcome there anymore. I want you out, Bobby. I’ve taken pictures of what you did to me this time, and I even had to get a stitch in my head. I’m done with you hurting me for things I didn’t do.”
“Don’t even go there. You’re with him right now, aren’t ya?”
“That’s none of your business. I want a divorce, and I’m not changing my mind. I never should have given you a second chance. I should have known you wouldn’t change.”
“Bitch, I ain’t givin’ you a divorce, and I sure as hell ain’t lettin’ you take that little girl from me.”
“You don’t have a choice, Bobby. She’s not yours. If I want to keep her from you I can, and you know it’s true. She’s got her daddy’s name on that birth certificate. Now, if I were you, I’d think long and hard about what you say to me from here on out. I’d like to eventually be able to come to a visitation agreement with you, provided that you go back to anger management and get help. If you try to harm me, in any way, my offer is off the table. I’ll make sure you never see her again.”
“This ain’t over!” The click let us know he’s hung up. I didn’t want to mention that he wasn’t going to have visitation, not anymore. Kat needed to calm down before we got into that discussion.
When it looked like she was about to puke I took both of her hands into mine. “Come here.” I pulled her into a hug. “You’re safe, Kat. I’ve got you.”
She put her arms behind my back and clung to me for support. “Please don’t ever let go.”
It was obvious the call had her shaken up. All I was able to do was be there when she needed me. I’d do whatever she needed, because whether she wanted it or not, I was in this with her. Nothing would tear us apart.
While Kat sat back down, I started reading a book to B. I didn’t want her seeing her mother so freaked out. It was probably silly, but I’d change my voice to sound like different characters. My daughter giggled each time, making me happy to continue. “Again,” she requested.
I reached over with one arm, keeping a tight hold on Kat, while I read the story over and over to B. I was getting so used to calling her that. I liked it, but not as much as being able to bond with her this way, while keeping Kat from losing her shit.
After nearly reading the book until my eyes burned, I stood to stretch. B began jumping on the bed, almost falling off several times. “Don’t do that. You’re going to hurt yourself, bug. How about we go for a ride and let Mama get some rest?”
She shook her head. “Bye byes.”
I got her seated in a chair with wheels, kissed Kat on the head, and pushed B out of the door. Right before it closed I gave Kat strict orders. “Take a nap. I’m going to tire her out and hit the snack machine. I’ll bring you up a soda.”