Curves for the Single Dad

The phone stopped and started again immediately, pulling me completely out of my work to focus on the here and now. I groaned at the familiar ringtone that belonged to Lila’s mother and snatched the phone off the table. “Yeah?”

She laughed that light, tinkling laughter I used to think was so beautiful and effortless, at least until I realized it was a very practiced sound she used to get her way. “Oh Chris, is that the phone etiquette you’re teaching our daughter?”

I huffed out a bitter laugh. “So you remembered you have a daughter this week, Cassie. What’s the occasion?” It was the first time she’d called in two and a half months, so I knew she wanted something.

Cassie sucked in a breath. “I am always thinking about her and you know it!”

“I don’t know any such thing and more importantly, Lila doesn’t know. She’s eight, do you think she’s a mind reader?” This was the last conversation I wanted to have and she was the last damn person I wanted to talk to, but she was still Lila’s mother. On paper, anyway. “What do you want?”

“She knows I love her, Chris. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Dramatic? How is she supposed to know that? Because you call her and tell her? Because you show up when you say you will?”

“She understands.”

“No. She. Doesn’t. You know that Cassie, I know you do but this is another lie you tell yourself to make it easier to neglect your daughter. Now I’m done talking about this so tell me why you’re calling all of a sudden.”

“This is the perfect transition, actually because I want to see Lila for Christmas.” Her voice was happy and expectant, as if the rest of us were sitting around waiting for her to become a worthwhile parent.

“You’ll be in Texas for Christmas?”

“Of course not,” she snorted as if it was the most ridiculous assumption of all time. “I want her to come to us. We’ll be spending the holiday in Switzerland. There’s such beautiful skiing this time of year.”

“No.”

“What? You can’t just say no, Chris. She’s my daughter too!”

I smiled at the outrage in her voice knowing it had probably been a long time since someone said no to Cassie. “Is she? Because you only seem to remember that fact when it’s convenient for you.”

“Look Chris, I don’t want to make threats but it’s my turn to have her for Christmas per the visitation agreement you insisted on, as if I need permission to see my own damn daughter.”

I barked out a laugh and shook my head at her audacity, wondering what the hell I ever saw in this woman. “Is that how you want to play it, Cassie? Perfect. You were supposed to have her last Christmas, but you were too busy to call and tell her you wouldn’t be able to pick her up. Hell, you were too damn busy to even call to wish her a Merry Christmas, so don’t talk to me about what you think you are entitled to!”

“We booked a last minute holiday,” she said, her voice smaller than before.

“I don’t give a damn about your excuses. All I care about is Lila so no you can’t have her this year because I’m done making excuses for why you can’t show up. I refuse to plan my life around those rare occasions you decide you want to be a mother Cassie so if you want to see Lila, try to start with your scheduled visits.”

“Chris, please. I miss her.” She almost sounded sincere. Almost.

“Sure you do. What’s the real reason you need to look like a good mother this year? The new husband getting sick of you and you need to play on his sympathies?”

“Christopher!” She sucked in an offended breath. “How could you say such a thing?”

“Because I know you Cassie, that’s how and I won’t let you use my daughter to fix your marriage. Try focusing on someone other than yourself for a change, I hear that’s one of the keys to a happy marriage.”

“As if you’d know.”

Yeah, I knew that was coming. “Yeah I know, how dare I not make enough money to keep my lazy wife in designer goods. I’m just glad my success came after you left.”

“You’re lucky it came at all,” she spit back, the familiar venom in her voice.

“Then I lucked out twice, didn’t I?” The conversation was devolving and I had no interest in keeping it going. “Did you need to discuss anything else, Cassie?”

“No,” she sighed. “I should have known you’d be unreasonable about this.”

“Yep,” I smiled. “You should have known I would make you keep to the visitation schedule that we came up with for just this reason.” Cassie thought giving birth meant she should be able to come in and out of our daughter’s life when she felt like it. “Goodbye Cassie.”