"Shit," I mutter as I run my fingers through my hair.
"Shit," Lilly says, and mimics my action.
My eyes widen and I shake my head. "No, honey...you can't say that word. It's bad."
"Then how come you say it?" she asks with her head cocked to the side.
"Um...well, okay...it's not a bad word, but only daddies can say it."
"Oh, okay," she chirps, as if that makes all the sense in the world. And I feel damn proud of myself for making sense to a toddler.
Giving her knee a pat, I step back and close the door. Fishing my cell phone out of my pocket as I round the front, I think about calling Gracen to ask her about lunch and naps. But I can't do that. She's at work.
So I dial the next best option right now.
As I get into the driver's seat, Reed answers on the second ring.
"Is Josie there?" I ask him. I don't have Josie's phone number, and I don't think she's my biggest fan anyway based on how I've treated Gracen so far.
"Yeah...sure," he says, and then I hear him say, "It's for you."
"Hello?" she says hesitantly in the phone.
"Josie...it's me. Marek."
"What's up?" she asks, sounding pleasantly open right now.
"So, is it dangerous for a kid to miss their nap?"
"Pardon?"
"If I don't give Lilly her nap today, are there any dangerous side effects?"
"There are," she says gravely, and my stomach tightens. Our schedule is now getting very complicated. Maybe I don't feed her and just have her sleep instead.
"What sort of complications?" I ask, a feeling of impending doom hanging over me.
"You'll probably have a very cranky toddler by 7 P.M.," she says with a laugh. "Why?"
Relief courses through me, and I can't even be mad at Josie for yanking my chain. "I've got Lilly today, and we're getting ready to grab some lunch. By the time we're done, she'll have missed nap time."
"Relax," she says with a laugh. "She'll sleep if she needs to sleep. I've seen kids fall asleep in their lunch mac and cheese before. But she may not sleep. Just depends."
"But she won't die if she doesn't?" I ask to make sure.
"No, she won't die, Marek."
"Cool. Thanks." I say, and then disconnect the phone. Turning in my seat, I look back to Lilly. "Want to do something fun?"
She nods at me with sparkling eyes.
"Then buckle up, little girl, because we're going to Dave and Buster's for cheeseburgers and arcade games."
"I'm already buckled up," she points out.
"We need to work on relaxing your literal interpretation," I tell my daughter with a grin, then turn back to the steering wheel so we can get this party started.
Nap be damned!
Chapter 12
Gracen
My phone dings and I grab it off my dresser to take a quick peek. Instantly my stomach churns and my hands start to sweat. Another text from Owen.
I demand that you call me. We have to talk.
This is one of his nicer messages. The voicemails and texts I've received from him over the last two days since I told him the wedding was off have ranged from begging to downright threatening. I know I'm a coward not to answer him, but I just can't bring myself to talk to him in any form. My hope is he'll just give up and leave me alone. I sent an email to the bank's manager inquiring how to set up monthly payments on the note, and I'm hoping this stays far downwind of Owen. He doesn't personally oversee the mortgage department, so I'm hoping I can put a Band-Aid on this mess and he won't know any different.
The front doorbell rings downstairs and my hands get even sweatier, because that's going to be Marek's parents, Gale and Joan. They insisted on getting a rental car from the airport to Marek's house so they could have transportation while they were here for their visit. Marek insisted on running out for bagels a little bit ago and said he was taking Lilly. He's still not back yet, and I know he planned this to give me a little time with his parents before they met Lilly. I'm dreading dealing with the fallout, but I deserve it.
I tuck my phone into my back pocket and trot down the stairs to let them in. My chest is squeezing painfully, just like when I first saw Marek two weeks ago when he came to stop my wedding. The memories of losing his parents' love hits me as hard right now at the prospect of seeing them. I loved them dearly, and they loved me as well. After Marek broke things off, I couldn't bring myself to see them anymore. I cut all ties, and we lived in a big enough town we never ran into each other when they were in residence over the summer.
As I cut left off the bottom of the staircase to move through the formal room, my breath hitches as I see them standing on the other side of the double doors, which are mostly clear glass and framed by dark stained wood. Gale--tall and powerfully built like Marek--and Joan, with that trademark curly dark hair and crystal blue eyes. They lock eyes with me through the glass and I take a deep breath as I open the door and swing it open.
We stare at each other for a moment, then before I know it, Joan is through the door and wrapping me up in a warm, all-encompassing hug. It catches me by surprise, and for a second, my body locks stiffly. My eyes cut to Gale as he walks in, and I see an understanding there.
I hug Joan in return and squeeze her hard as I mumble, "I'm so sorry."
"Just stop it," she murmurs back, giving me a squeeze. When she pulls back, she puts her hands to my face and studies me. "No apologies."
I shake my head. "It was wrong. I deprived you two and Marek of so much."
"Did you do it spitefully?" Joan asks, her warm palms upon my cheeks giving me much-needed security.
"No."
"Do you regret it?"
"More than you'll ever know," I assure her with a quavering voice.
Again, those blue eyes hold mine, the gentleness within them causing my chest to loosen slightly. "I am sure you had your reasons, Gracen, and it would be foolish of us to pretend like we could understand them. But I know you, sweet girl. You'd never do something to intentionally hurt Marek or Gale and me. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt your daughter. So I say we start fresh and we let those bygones be bygones. Sound good?"
Sounds utterly fucking amazing, but all I can do is nod with a swollen lump of emotion in my throat.
"Okay," she says brightly, and steps back from me. I turn to Gale and he opens his arms. He's the one I expected to be pissed, because while Marek got his mom's looks, he got his dad's fiery Lithuanian temper.
Instead, Gale pulls me into a warm hug and gruffly says, "It's good to see you, Gracen."
I nod my agreement, again the emotion stealing my voice.
When he releases me, he looks around expectantly. "Where's Marek and Lilly?"
"I think Marek thought we'd benefit from alone time to talk a bit first, so he took her out to grab us bagels."
"That's thoughtful," Joan remarks brightly as Gale shuts the door behind them. "But clearly unnecessary, since there's nothing more to talk about on this issue, right?"
"Right." The corners of my mouth tip upward in amusement at her cheery disposition in the face of such an emotional and somewhat awkward reunion. But just like that, I'm completely at ease, and it makes me love Joan all the more.
"I'll make some coffee." I walk to the kitchen, with Gale and Joan following me. "I'm sure Marek will be back soon."
No sooner do we step foot into the kitchen and Marek and Lilly are walking through the mudroom that connects to the garage. He's carrying a big bag of bagels and Lilly has a box of apple juice in her hands.
We had talked to Lilly last night and explained about Joan and Gale coming to visit. She understands they're Marek's parents, and seemed to accept the concept that she has another set of grandparents other than the ones she's known all her life. To my already battered heart, Lilly asked if my parents were also coming to visit, and when I told her no, she got a little teary-eyed. I pulled her onto my lap and held her while she lamented missing her Mi
mi and G-Pa, as she calls them.
I can hear Joan's breath catch behind me, and I know she's locked eyes on Lilly and is taking in just how much she looks like Marek and herself. I step to the side to give both Joan and Gale room, and Marek's hand goes to Lilly's shoulder, which he squeezes reassuringly.
"Lilly, honey," I say as she gives Joan and Gale a shy smile. "These are Marek's parents we told you were coming to visit. This is your grandma Joan and your grandpa Gale."
Her eyes immediately slide to mine. "They're not called Mimi and G-Pa?"
Marek chuckles and squats down beside Lilly. She turns to look at him. "You can call them whatever you want, or maybe they might even have an idea for you."
Joan walks toward Lilly like she's in a trance. Her first grandchild. Perhaps the only she'll ever have, who knows? She squats and reaches into her purse. She pulls out a tiny stuffed teddy bear and hands it over. "Hi, Lilly. I'm your grandma Joan and I am so very happy to meet you."
Lilly takes the bear and gives a warmer smile to Joan.
Gale doesn't squat, but he bends over to get near eye level with his granddaughter. "Hey, Lilly. You sure are a cute thing."