From the way she’s glaring at the table, she definitely looks like she’d like to blame me for being upset.
“Coffee?” I offer.
“Do you have tea?” Polly asks. “I don’t drink coffee this early in the morning.”
Funny, because my memories of Polly paint her as a prolific coffee drinker, morning and night. I hold my tongue this time, however, and search for the tea bags I keep stocked for the few guests I have that prefer tea.
Once I’ve made the drinks, I hand over a cup and turn to wander into the living room. There are blankets and pillows everywhere, as well as an empty bowl for popcorn and a small stack of DVDs by the television. Lily, excited when I announced last night that today is a movie and pajamas day, had set it all up last night.
Though, I’m aware that she expects Georgia to be joining us, as she always does. I haven’t told her, yet, that Georgia won’t be coming around today. Maybe she’ll try to rope Polly in instead.
I glance at Polly, taking in her pressed, fancy clothes, and try to imagine her slumming it in the blanket and pillow pile Lily has built on the floor, eating popcorn with her perfectly manicured fingers. The image just won’t come.
“Looks like you weren’t joking about movie day,” Polly comments, following me.
“You thought I was lying?” I ask.
“I just couldn’t be sure if you were messing around,” Polly counters. “Or lying to get me to leave.”
I pause. Then, slowly, I turn to look at her.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” I say in a low voice. “It’s no fucking secret that I don’t want you here. But I’m toler
ating this, because Lily wants to know her mother. If I wanted you gone, I would have shut the door in your face. I’m not going to sit there and lie to you to get you to leave when telling you to leave is so much easier and more satisfying.”
We stare at each other, the air tense. I’m not sure who is going to snap first. Before anything else can be said or done, however, I hear Lily’s bedroom door open. Both Polly and I snap our heads up as our daughter shuffles through. She pauses in the doorway, staring with wide eyes.
“Mom?” she says. “Dad? Wait…Mom, why are you here?”
“We had a lovely day yesterday,” Polly says, turning away from me with a smile. “I wanted to visit you again. But your father says you already have plans, which is okay. So I’m just staying briefly to say hello.”
Lily opens her mouth and I know she’s about to ask Polly to stay and watch movies with us. But then my daughter looks at Polly’s clothes and she snaps her mouth shut, guessing the answer before she even asks.
“Thanks,” she says instead, smiling.
Polly smiles back, completely at ease now that she and I aren’t facing each other down. Suddenly, there’s a ringing sound from her purse, and she fishes out her phone.
“It’s my husband,” she says. “Sorry, do you have somewhere private that I can answer this?”
“We have a small yard out the back,” I offer, glad to be rid of her even for a few minutes.
Polly nods and strides away. I breathe a sigh of relief as all my tension decreases by a few notches.
“You alright, Dad?” Lily says, jumping onto the couch.
“Yeah,” I say, smiling at her. “Why?”
“You were in a bad mood yesterday, after you picked me up,” Lily says with a shrug. “Did something happen?”
“You can’t help being a fucking coward.”
“No, no, everything is fine,” I say, wincing at the lie. I make it a point not to lie to Lily, but I’m not about to tell her what happened between Georgia and me.
“Right,” Lily says, apparently unconvinced. “When’s Georgia getting here?”
“Er…she’s not coming today,” I say.
“Why not?” Lily asks, outraged.