"She's at the age now where she sees kids with their dads and asks about hers. I've been telling her that her father is a hero and that he'd had to go off to help people. It wasn't the truth, but better than her knowing that he didn't care about us. Sorry, that is unfair; you just didn't care about me. Maybe if I’d found out I was pregnant before you left, you'd have stayed."
I knew the day I walked away from Zoey, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life alone, but thinking that she was happy had made me believe that I'd done the right thing. Learning the truth was a punch to the gut. I hadn't made her life better, just harder. I'd done all that for nothing. I wasn't able to save my brother, and I'd just made Zoey's life harder. All I had managed to do was fuck everything up.
I stepped up to her, closing the gap between us. There had never been anyone for me but Zoey. "Walking away from you was the biggest mistake of my life. If you think I didn't think about you every day, you're wrong."
"Then why didn't you find me?"
"I was a coward. I didn't want to find you and then have you reject me. God knows I would have deserved it."
She put her phone in her purse before placing it on her shoulder. "You still fuckin' deserve it. Tell your dad I quit."
"What, you're just leaving?" I asked. I grabbed her wrist. If her eyes could have killed me on the spot, I am sure they would have with that one look she gave me.
"Get..your..hands..off...me."
"You aren't walking out of my life again."
"Again? I wasn't the one who walked off the first time."
"It was a mistake. The biggest mistake of my life."
"What do you want me to do, River? Turn into a puddle on the floor by your feet? I'm not the love-sick puppy anymore. I'm not that naive, heartbroken girl anymore. Just you saying you want me back doesn't mean shit to me. Not anymore. I killed that part of me a long time ago."
"I never wanted to leave you. What part of that don't you understand?"
"The part where you left me and never contacted me again." She flung my arm off her and walked to the door.
"Well, I want a second chance."
As she turned the door handle and opened the door, she turned around to face me. "Well then, earn it."
Just like that, Zoey Baker came back into my life like a tornado and set everything on its axis.
I went to my phone and called my dad.
"River? Everything okay?"
"I need Zoey's address and everything you can tell me about Violet, her daughter."
"Zoey has a daughter? I didn't know she was with anyone."
"Congrats, Dad, you're a grandpa."
Chapter 4
ZOEY
"Mommy, look. Ariel is swimming," Violet called to me, her small hands frantically moving a plastic Ariel doll in a bowl of water.
"That looks like so much fun, baby." I smiled while inwardly cringing at the mess she had accumulated around her. I watched as she smiled and played, envying her jubilance and carefree life. Still, I was also happy that I was able to provide her with stability and joy. Being alone had never been easy, but somehow my Vi and I had done it. I was happy with our little life. It wasn't anything in a grand scale, but we had a cozy apartment, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and most importantly, she was happy.
"Momma, you think I can get an Eric? I don't have an Eric, and I think Ariel needs one for when she becomes a human with legs. Mermaids don't need a prince, but princesses do."
"We can look at getting you one for your birthday. It's coming up."
"Okay." She beamed at me before putting her head down and immersing herself in her play again.
I started busying myself, getting dinner ready for the two of us. The apartment buzzer went off, causing me to jump.
"Yes," I answered
"It's me. Buzz me up."
I would have recognized that voice anywhere. I nervously looked at Violet.
"Violet’s here. It’s not good time."
"Buzz me up, Zoey. You can't keep me from you or her. I have a right to be with my family."
I panicked. I wasn't sure what River would do. I didn't want him upsetting Violet's life, but he was right that no matter what, he was her father and I couldn't keep her from him, but I didn't trust that he wouldn't come into her life and then storm out of it again.
"I will buzz you up, but you need to follow my lead. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, deal."
When I disconnected, I walked over to Violet and crouched down on the floor in front of her. "Violet, sweetie, an old friend of mine is coming over."