The Daddy Box Set

Noah came in around eight that night. I’d already cleaned up our mess from the day and tidied a few rooms while waiting. I was on the couch reading a magazine when he came through the door.

“Hey,” I said from the sofa when he came into the living room.

His eyes were narrowed, and I wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion or resentment in his expression. I felt a little of both. I put the magazine down and went to him.

“I guess today wasn’t better?” I asked. I trod lightly, careful to keep my voice steady even though Gina’s tearful face stayed in the forefront of my mind.

“Not in the least,” he said. His shoulders sagged, and I wanted to comfort him, but I also wanted him to apologize for being so rude to me this morning. He could have done that to any other employee, but I thought we were something else to each other. I wasn’t looking for him to bow down to me, but a simple apology wouldn’t hurt.

“How was Gina today?” he asked and then let out a yawn.

I hesitated. He didn’t want me to guilt him about Gina, but as her father wouldn’t he want to know what she was feeling.

“Did something happen?” he asked since I still hadn’t answered him.

“Gina got upset today,” I said.

“About?”

“She wants us to go back to Australia because she thinks you’re ignoring her here.”

He rubbed at his brow and minutely shook his head. “This again? Jess, I don’t need someone to tell me how to raise my daughter. I’ve been working like this since she was born. I have to.”

“You don’t have to work this hard,” I said, then shook my head. I wasn’t going to push that issue again. “Or at the very least, respond to my texts during the day or call. That’s all she needs. Going from spending all day together to never seeing you, she’s confused and hurt.”

“I think you’re looking too much into this,” he said.

“I’m not. She bawled her eyes out today when we talked about this.”

“And I’m assuming you brought it up to her,” he said.

I scoffed. “I didn’t, she mentioned it.”

“I’m sure you fed into it.”

“Noah, what the hell is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem,” he said, flashing his teeth. “I think this is the problem here.”

“This?”

“I don’t need to come home every night to someone who can’t handle Gina and her toddler moods.”

“I can handle her. I’ve been handling her,” I said.

“That’s obviously not true,” he said coolly.

“What are you saying?”

“I think our relationship with you is a little muddled. It would be best for everyone if you go and I found another nanny for Gina.”

Indecision raged through the center of my chest. He was being irrational to some de

gree and over nothing? He was scared. He had to be. Maybe I had finally overstepped my boundaries, but to have him react so harshly? It wasn’t right.

“You don’t mean that,” I said. Heat moved up my neck and burned my cheeks and ears.

“I really do,” he said and then turned away from me and left the room.