I wondered how they’d done visits before.
“Can Tessa come?”
“No, but I know you’ll have fun. Why don’t we get your bag packed so you’ll be ready when she gets here?” Dylan set her down.
“Is there something else you need from me?” I asked as Maisie skipped off to her room.
“I need to pay you.” His eyes watched her as she rounded the corner.
“We can take care of that later.” I moved to the door. I didn’t need to be here when Veronica arrived.
“Stay,” he said, his voice rough.
I stopped. A million questions ran through my mind mostly about what was upsetting him so much. “Yeah, sure. I can make some coffee or something.”
“Maybe you could pack a snack for Maisie. It’s nearly two hours drive to New York and I’m not sure Veronica would have considered that.”
“I’ll get on it.” I smiled wanting to reassure him, but he was still tense when he walked off toward Maisie’s bedroom.
I washed out Maisie’s lunch box and began to put in some of her favorite snack foods. Grapes. Peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Juice box.
I heard a knock at the door, but didn’t go to answer it. Instead, I handed Maisie’s lunch box to Dylan as he passed by the kitchen on his way to the door. Then I leaned against the kitchen entry to watch.
Dylan opened the door, and Veronica—a woman I’d only seen in magazines, on TV, and in a picture on Maisie’s bedside table—walked in followed by a distinguished-looking man, who had to be ten or fifteen years older than her.
Maisie wrapped her arms around Dylan’s leg as she looked up at Veronica.
“Oh! My little princess. You’ve grown up so much.” Veronica bent down in front of Maisie.
“I’m five now,” Maisie said with one hand still wrapped around Dylan’s leg and the other one holding up five fingers.
“So big,” Veronica smiled, and it looked genuine. “Can I have a hug?”
Tentatively, Maisie unwrapped herself from Dylan and went to Veronica. They hugged and then Veronica stood.
“Maisie, this is Leo. He’s your new stepdad.”
Dylan flinched, but didn’t say anything.
Leo held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Maisie.”
Maisie turned her head to look at Dylan who nodded, but had an expression like on the inside he was cracking.
Maisie took Leo’s hand for a little shake.
“We’re going to take you to our house in New York. We’ll go see a show and have so much fun Maisie,” Veronica said.
“What if I miss my Dad?” Maisie’s lip quivered.
“We’ll be having too much fun for you to miss him.”
Bitch.
Dylan’s eyes narrowed, and I saw the badass Mrs. Anderson had mentioned the last day of school.
“But if you do, you can call your dad,” Leo said, and I wondered if he understood how hard this was for Maisie and Dylan.
Dylan squatted down. “Maisie.”