The Neighbor - Don't Hate Me

She’d had a shitty day and her friend. Hours earlier, her friend had taken an ambulance to the ER.

The last thing I could tell her was how her lips were the most beautiful shade of pink. Or how her hair looked as soft as silk.

“Hello! Max!” Catrina said, hitting her knuckles on the counter.

“What is it?” I asked a bit too sharply, even though I hadn’t intended to. She’d distracted me from my thoughts… my thoughts about Hope.

“Phone call,” she said, looking away from me. “It’s your daughter’s school.”

I mouthed an apology to Catrina and took the phone. “Max Winston.”

“This is Caroline Dryer in the office. Your daughter is in the nurse’s office with a fever of one-hundred and two.”

“Okay,” I said. “Is she all right?”

“Yes, she’s fine. You’ll need to pick her up,” Caroline said. “School policy.”

My jaw stiffened. “I’m well aware. I’m at work. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Mm, okay, bye then,” Caroline said. She hung up without waiting for another word from me.

Caroline was my least favorite of those that worked in the school’s office. She didn’t have an ounce of patience, and she thought everyone was an idiot.

“Where are you going?” Catrina asked, looking down her nose at me.

“My daughter is sick. I need to go pick her up,” I said as I pulled my hoodie on over my scrubs.

“So, you’re taking a sick day?” Catrina asked. “Mary Lynn is not going to be pleased. We’re already short-staffed today.”

“I know,” I said. “Not a hell of a lot I can do about it. School policy and all. She can’t be there with a fever.”

Catrina rolled her eyes. “Why haven’t you found a nice woman yet? You’re a good-looking guy. A bit rough around the edges, but nice enough.”

“Thanks, so much for the compliment, Catrina,” I muttered. “When would I even have the time to find someone? No one wants to date a dad.”

“Oh, that’s not true,” Mary Lynn said, inserting herself into the conversation. “Why do you have your jacket on?”

“My daughter is sick,” I said.

“Gosh darn it, Max!” Mary Lynn said, slapping the file she was holding down on the counter. “Two people didn’t show up today, did you know that?”

I scratched the side of my head. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”

“Double shift?” Mary Lynn asked.

“Um, you know I can’t do that,” I said.

“You can always find a babysitter,” Catrina suggested.

I shot a look that hopefully told her to mind her own business.

“We’ll figure something out,” Mary Lynn said, picking up the file. “Go. I’m not happy about it, but go.”

“Thanks,” I said as I started to walk backward away from the women. For the most part, they were good co-workers, but they sure weren’t easy on me.

“Oh, and women, love a single dad,” Mary Lynn called after me. “You should put it on a t-shirt.”

Catrina giggled. “The women would be knocking down your door.”

I ignored them and turned away. I didn’t care to hear their nonsense. All I wanted was to get to the school and pick up Lily.

* * *

At home, Lily was wrapped in a blanket, watching cartoons on the sofa. Even though I knew she just needed to fight it off, I hated seeing her cute little face pale and frowning.

She had a plate with three saltines, something I’d done since she was a toddler, and a glass of water with a straw. Her stuffed pink kitten was tucked in right in front of her… its blank eyes staring at the screen as if it were watching with her.

I obsessively checked her temperature until she finally fell asleep. Whenever Lily was sick, I was a nervous wreck. She was all I had left.

At dinnertime, I didn’t want to use the microwave for fear of disturbing her. Lily needed the rest so she could get better.

As I spread peanut butter on a piece of bread, I heard a car in Hope’s driveway. Her friend stepped out of the car, wearing a short deep green dress and black heels.

She waited at the door for a long moment. She hugged someone before entering the house. I couldn’t handle any noise… not tonight.

It didn’t matter that Hope was quite possibly the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. It didn’t matter that she was going through a rough patch. My daughter came first… she would always come first.

Lily woke up around seven, and I sat with her on the couch, watching whatever cartoon she had on. She didn’t want anything to eat, but I managed to help her drink half of a glass of water.

It was probably around nine when she fell asleep again. I carried her upstairs and tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead, and was greeted by loud, terrible music as I stepped out into the hallway.

No.

This was not going to happen.