I pull into the driveway. My house is pitch black while Palmer’s is flooded with light from almost every window. I swear she never worries about the electricity bill. I’ve been the one to teach Adley to turn off the lights after she’s done in a room.
As always if I’m by myself, I veer toward Palmer’s back door instead of going into my own house. I’ve never liked being alone. Up until we moved here, I always had roommates even when I didn’t need one to share the rent. I’m a people person, and I find being alone lonely most times.
I open the door, and I’m surprised to find Palmer in the kitchen. She turns to me since she’s wearing her cochlear implants and heard me. These days when she has Adley, she usually always has them on, so she can hear if anything happens when they aren’t in the same room.
She raises her hands. I heard about your new client.
I roll my eyes. “Harper?”
Laughing, she stirs what looks like spaghetti sauce. It’s one of Adley’s favorites and an easy go-to when you’ve had a long day. I place my hands on her shoulders, massaging them. The stress and pressure of a book deadline always leaves her tight. She leans back into me, and I wrap my arms around her.
“You need a really good massage,” I whisper.
She sets the spoon down and turns around. Harper says I need to get laid.
“That’s what I said this morning. I’m not sure I like having the same thoughts as her.”
Again, she giggles and moves to the oven, where she takes out garlic bread.
I have no idea what Theresa has planned, but I’d love to stay here. “Do you have meatballs too?”
Placing the hot cookie sheet on the empty spot on the stove, she smiles over her shoulder and shakes her head.
“What? Spaghetti but no meatballs?”
She removes the oven mitts. Adley doesn’t want them tonight.
Sometimes I don’t understand my little girl. “Speaking of Adley…”
Palmer inhales a deep breath and nods. I know.
“Kissing?”
Wanting to kiss.
I scowl at her. “Same thing.”
Not really. You know I’ll get the blame. Romance author, remember?
“That has nothing to do with it.” I step out of the kitchen. “Adley!”
Do we have to do this now?
“I’m done with getting the phone calls. Where were you earlier that you couldn’t answer your phone, and I had to be bothered at work?” I usually never give her shit, but I’ve gotten the call from the school the last four times, and it’s getting embarrassing.
Oh, you’ll never believe it. My cousins gave me—she stops talking and turns around to face the stove.
“What?”
Before I can pry it out of her, Adley runs into the room. “Daddy!”
I pick her up and place her on the counter, caging her in with my arms on either side of her. “I cannot believe we have to have this conversation again, but Holden wants to play at recess, not be chased by you and your friends.” I sign at the same time as I speak. It’s what Palmer and I have done since she was little to help her learn. It’s amazing what little sponges young kids can be.
She huffs. “No, he doesn’t, Daddy.” She crosses her arms.
I glance over my shoulder at Palmer, who is hiding her amusement with a dishcloth in front of her mouth.
“Why do you think that? Has he told you he wants you to chase him?”
She swings her feet back and forth. She’s changed out of her clothes into a leotard with fake princess high heel slippers. “I don’t know if I like him now. He said his dad said I was a stage five clinger. What does that mean?”
“Stage five clinger?” I ask.
Palmer steps up to our daughter, her hands going a mile a minute.
“Mommy, slow down.”
Adley might not be able to decipher everything her mother is saying, but I can, and let’s say Mama Palmer is pissed.
Palmer taps me on the shoulder, and I turn fully in her direction. I should handle this since you have plans. You go.
“We’re a team.”
Okay, have at it. She puts her hand out as if I’m going to regret this.
“Adley, sweetie, you’re three—”
She crosses her arms, and her eyebrows draw down. “I’m almost four.”
“Okay, you’re almost four, and there is plenty of time in the future for boys. Holden is one of many fish in the sea.”
Adley leans away from me to look at Palmer over my shoulder. “Holden is a fish?”
“No, Holden isn’t a fish. I’m just saying there are a lot of boys.”
“I want Holden. His favorite animal is a gorilla like me.”
“And there are other boys who like gorillas too,” I say.
Adley stares at me. “So?”
I exhale a frustrated breath. “So, you can’t go around chasing boys, okay? The boys will come to you, you don’t have to go to them. When you’re older.”
“I should wait?” Adley asks.
A tap on my shoulder tells me I’ve fucked this up. I turn, and Palmer hip-checks me out of the way.
If you like a boy, there is no harm in telling him. But then you wait. Would you like it if one of your other friends chased you?
“NO!”
Exactly. If Holden likes you, he’ll come to you. She pokes Adley in the stomach and Adley laughs. Spaghetti time?
“Yay!” Adley raises her hands in the air.
So, you aren’t going to chase Holden anymore, right?
She shakes her head, sending her brown hair flicking side to side. “No chasing.”
I have my suspicions that this will continue, but hopefully Palmer got through to her. I hear a vehicle outside and look out the window to see Theresa pull up behind my truck in my driveway.
“I gotta go. Have a good night, ladies.” I pretend to bow as though I’m a prince.
Adley laughs, hugging me, then I get her off the counter, set her on her feet, and twirl her around with my finger in her hand. The ruffled flare of the leotard spins.
“Bye!”
Palmer waves, busy getting Adley’s plate ready.
I head outside to cross the two driveways, a path worn in the snow from us going back and forth to each other’s places. Theresa’s head is in the trunk of her small SUV, and I go around to help her. She has three bags, and all I see are the plastic bags from the produce section. Of course she’s picked something healthy.
“Over at Palmer’s again?”
There isn’t any disdain in her voice. Theresa’s known from day one how close Palmer and I are and that we’re committed to parenting together. She doesn’t have the same relationship with her ex—they still meet at a public place to exchange their daughter. He lives over in Winterberry Falls.
“Yeah, got another call from the school today about Adley and this Holden kid.”
“I understand the concern as a teacher, but they are only three.”
I unlock the side door of the house and allow her to go first.
“I think Palmer got through to her. Hopefully.” I put the bags down on the kitchen counter and pull out the items.
“Do you think it’s because of Palmer and the romance writer thing?”
“Given the fact that Adley can barely read, I’d say no.” I’m a bit irritated that she said that—especially since that’s exactly what Palmer was worried about.
“I just mean Palmer probably talks about her stories with the people in her life. Maybe Adley overheard her talking about kissing and—”
“Yeah, I’m not sure, but I doubt it.”
“Okay. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Can we drop it?” I take the plastic bags and put them in the container I keep them in in the laundry room.
“Of course.”
“What are you making?” I ask, wanting to change the subject.
“Stir fry with tofu,” she says. “Hope you’re ready to chop.”
Because we’re both on edge after she blamed Palmer’s job for the reason Adley’s chasing a boy around the playground, I don’t groan and complain like I usually would when she picks tofu instead of meat. I’ll suck it up and eat a bowl of cereal later tonight. Besides, she’s doing me a solid by even making this dinner.
I nod. “Sounds good.”
“Great, you chop, and I’ll make the sauce and rice.”
I sit at the table with a cutting board and the vegetables. She grabs her apron from one of the drawers. She leaves one here now because the first time she cooked, and I didn’t have one, her blouse got ruined. She looks cute in it, all put together in a perfect little package.
“So, how was your day?” I ask, using my phone to turn on the stereo for background noise.
She talks about a boy in her class who has been giving her trouble. I’m familiar with the name and other problems he has caused for her this year. After she sets the rice to cook, she goes into my family room and straightens up, coming back with a cup Adley was using last night and an empty bowl from the popcorn we ate while watching a movie.
“You’ve got to start cleaning up unless you want Adley to be a slob when she grows up.” She holds up the two items.
To stop a fight from starting, I nod and smile. “It was late by the time the movie ended, and this morning was crazy when you came with breakfast.”
She turns from the stove. “Would you rather I not surprise you with breakfast?”
“No.”
“Is it an inconvenience?”
“No, I just meant we have a routine, and maybe that cup and bowl would’ve been picked up had you not surprised me.” I chop the green pepper and put it aside. At this point, I’m wishing I would’ve met Matt at a fucking bar.
“Doubtful, but nice thinking.”
My hand tightens on the handle of the knife. Thankfully, the doorbell rings, so I stand to answer it. Matt must have taken an Uber because a car pulls away from the curb the minute I open the door.
“Hey, man.” I shake his hand and open the door wider for him.
“Thanks for having me.” He holds up a bottle of wine and a six-pack. “Not sure which you prefer.”
“Theresa can have the wine, and we can split the beer.” I take both from his hands.
A throat clears, and we both turn our attention to Theresa standing in the entrance to the kitchen.
“Matt, this is Theresa.”
“The little woman,” he says, and I inwardly groan.
“Little woman? Where did you just warp in from?” she asks.
Matt laughs. “I’m just joking. Nice to meet you. Where is the little woman, though?” He shakes Theresa’s hand.
Theresa looks at me with an arched eyebrow.
“Adley is at her mom’s.” I point in the direction of Palmer’s house.
“She lives next door?” Matt asks.
“They have an unorthodox relationship,” Theresa says. She takes the bottle of wine and the six-pack from me. “I’ll get you a glass for that beer.”
Matt stares at her ass and turns back to me, giving me his appreciation for her. Theresa is good-looking, but I doubt she’s the kind of woman Matt has ever been with. “I don’t need a glass. Bottle is fine.”
By the time we make it into the kitchen, she’s already pouring it. “It’s no problem.”
“What’s for dinner?” Matt peers into the wok Theresa has on the stove.
I sit back down to cut the remaining vegetables.
“Stir fry with tofu.” Theresa smiles and turns back to the stove.
“Yum,” Matt says, eyes widening as he joins me at the table.
Dinner goes well, Theresa seeming impressed by Matt and his accomplishments. She pulls out a cake from a bag on the counter that I didn’t realize she’d brought and opens up the freezer, her shoulders sagging.
“What?” I ask.
“You don’t have ice cream?”
“Sorry, last night was sundae night with Adley. We used it all up. I’m sure just the cake is good.”
“It’s supposed to be served with ice cream,” Theresa says.
I’m thinking I’ve caught her on a bad day because we both seem irritable with each other. This has never really happened before between us, and when she excuses herself for the bathroom, Matt is quick to jump on it.
“She’s wound…tight,” he says.
“I think she had a bad day. I’ll be right back. I’m going to get some ice cream from Palmer’s.” I leave my house and go to Palmer’s, but the back door is locked, so I have to knock.
Adley runs up, freshly bathed and in her Wonder Woman flannel pajama set. Palmer comes right after her, still dressed in jeans and sweater. She helps Adley open the door.
“Hi, Daddy!”
“Do you have ice cream?” I pick up Adley and walk in, shutting the door to not let in the cold air.
“Ice cream?” Adley’s eyes light up.
Palmer nods.
“Theresa brought cake for dessert, but Adley and I ate all mine yesterday.”
Palmer digs into her freezer and pulls out a new container. Adley is addicted to ice cream and likes to make her own sundaes. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“I want cake!” Adley grins at me.
Is Matt over there? Palmer glances out her kitchen window.
“I want cake!” Adley says again—to Palmer this time.
Ask Daddy, if he says yes then…
I give Palmer the evil eye because she’s backed me into a corner, and she knows it. Theresa and I are already not on the same page tonight. Bringing Palmer over won’t help anything, but I’m not going to just bring Adley over—it feels rude.
We’ll be quick.
“Yes. Quick like bunnies.” Adley and Palmer both put on their best smiles.
“Fine. Let’s go. But cake, and then it’s your bedtime. Got it?”
Adley nods. “Got it.”
We put on Adley’s coat, and I walk with them over to my house. I can’t wait to see Theresa’s reaction. Hopefully this doesn’t make things even worse, but I suspect I already know the answer to that.