“I’ve seen you pull a lot of stunts in my life, Mother, but this right here is the straw that is breaking the camel’s back. My whole childhood, all I wanted was for you to give a shit about me for two fucking seconds, but the only time you actually paid attention to me was when you were parading me around like a show dog. I graduated top of my class and you didn’t show up because you had to prepare for a case.”
I slip my hand around his waist, bringing me closer now.
“You aren’t a mother, you’re a name that they put on a birth certificate. But Kaleigh, she is everything that I want my children to have. She is beautiful, she is kind, and most of all she’s fucking loyal.”
“That was quite a declaration, but it doesn’t answer my question. When are you going to have a paternity test?”
Noah shakes his head. “Go put on your shoes, babycakes,” he tells me as I turn to slip on the flip-flops that I took off near the couch. “Since you can’t get it into your head to get the fuck out, we will.” He grabs my hand, turning around. “Oh and, Mother, just so we’re clear, you’ll never set eyes on my children.”
The door closes behind us with a big thud. I look up at Noah, seeing the tears in his eyes as he blinks them away.
“Fuck this,” I say, turning back around and storming back in the door.
“You are…” I start saying, watching her blink her eyes at me. “Your son is kind. He is so kind. He’s loving. He took care of me and bought vegan food just because I was sick. He’s caring. He held my hair while I threw up. He’s selfless. He let my niece paint his nails and toenails just to keep her busy. He is everything that you could ever wish your child to grow up to be and more. And instead of welcoming it into your life, you push it away because you’re an egotistical bitch.”
Her mouth opens wide.
“Yeah, that’s right, I said it. You’re a bitch. A high-class, nose so high in the air, I’m surprised you can see all the little things.” My hands fly up in frustration. “You know that throne you sit up on that is high, well, let me tell you when you fall it’s going to be a bumpy fucking fall and you’ll have no one there to help you, no one.” I turn now, walking out of the room and turning my head over my shoulder. “And all because you’re a bitch.” I turn back around and walk out to see that Noah and Austin are now there watching me.
“That was some speech,” Noah says to me.
“Yeah, well, she poked the bear,” I say, walking past them. “Now can someone please feed me? All this has gotten me hungry.”
“I’ll leave you two be. Just making sure I didn’t need to get the go-to bag out to bury a body.” Austin winks at me and then slaps Noah on the shoulder.
“Can we go eat, please?” I say, walking to his car, getting in as he gets in and buckles himself in.
“Can I just say I got so hot watching you stick up for me?” He leans over, giving me a kiss on the lips. “So hot I’m going to make sure I show you exactly how hot.”
I roll my eyes. “Like I could stop you from showing me.”
We pull out of the driveway and make our way back to our favorite Italian restaurant when he gets a call on his Bluetooth.
“Hello,” he answers. “You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, Noah, it’s Luca.” A male’s voice fills the car. “Guess what?”
“I have no idea,” he answers.
“I found her,” he says. “She lives in New York and works at Lennox hospital in the NICU.”
“Shut the fuck up,” he says, his voice booming out.
“Yes, sir, lives in Brooklyn, which is why she doesn’t need a car. She has two kids and lives with her partner, Ruthie.”
“Holy shit. I owe you one, man,” he says, hanging up. He looks over at me. “Want to spend the weekend in New York?”
“You want me to come with you?” I ask him, not sure how I’m going to feel meeting his actual wife.
“Of course I want you to come with me. We can make a mini vacation out of it. Stroll through Central Park, take pictures in Times Square, have vacation sex.”
I laugh at him. “I would love to go on vacation with you and have vacation sex.”
He pumps his fist in the air and dials Lauren’s number.
She answers on the third ring. “Hey.”
“I need you to book two tickets first-class to New York. For Thursday to Sunday. I also need a swanky hotel to take your sister to.”