But there was no best way. I simply had to tell her and deal with the consequences as they came. After all, it was my mess to clean up.
CHAPTER 18
HEATHER
“What’s for breakfast?” Rebecca asked.
“Pancakes and bacon,” Andrew said.
“Can we have eggs too?”
“Do you want eggs?”
I giggled as Rebecca nodded her head furiously. When Andrew came to pick me up, I assumed he would be happy. In high spirits. But instead, the car ride had been silent and filled with tension, minus Rebecca rambling on about breakfast. He hardly met my eyes, and he didn’t make a move to take my hand or anything. While I figured it was because Rebecca was in the car, it still had me worried.
He had said that he wanted to talk about our future. Was he second-guessing having a child with me?
It was the worst-case scenario for something like this. There was no contract to fall back on, no agency to help me process things, no Marsha calling me up after every meeting and asking me how it went. I’d have no money, no bakery, and I’d have to raise a child on my own. And all because Andrew didn’t want to do this any longer.
“Pancakes and eggs for you,” Andrew said as he slid me a plate, “and pancakes with bacon and eggs for my princess.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” she said with a smile.
“Would you like some syrup?”
I looked up into Andrew’s eyes, but my appetite was gone. The smile he had on was plastered onto his face. As fake as the happiness he showed his daughter. I knew something was wrong, and I knew he was putting on a front for Rebecca. My heart thundered in my chest as I shook my head. The idea of drowning my pancakes in syrup didn’t seem appetizing at all, though Rebecca was all for it.
“Are you going to stay and play today?” she asked.
“I have to open up the bakery at ten,” I said, “but you’re more than welcome to come in and see me if your father will let you.”
“We are actually having a day in today,” Andrew said.
“Aww, but I wanna go see her.”
“You know you’re welcome anytime. It doesn’t have to be today,” I said. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Can we watch a movie?” Rebecca asked.
“That’s actually a very good idea. You want to eat your breakfast and watch a movie?” Andrew asked.
Rebecca’s face lit up with excitement as she grabbed her plate. She wiggled down from her seat, almost spilling her eggs all over the floor. She walked gingerly down the hallway as Andrew got up from the table, following her so he could get her set up wherever she was going to be.
I pushed my plate away from me, trying to keep my nausea at bay.
It felt like he was gone for hours. I got up from the kitchen table and grabbed my orange juice and then headed for the couch. The smell of breakfast was making my nausea worse, and the worry pooling in my gut wasn’t making anything better. I sipped on the tangy fruit juice and closed my eyes, listening as Andrew’s footsteps strode back up the wooden hallway.
“Not hungry?” he asked.
“Not right now, no,” I said.
“Got Rebecca settled in with a movie in her room.”
“What's she watching?” I asked as he sat down next to me.
“The Jungle Book. What else would she watch?”
“Every little girl’s got a favorite movie.”