“Yeah. I know, I know. I should have forgotten him by now.”
She cracks open her can and takes a swig, letting out a belch a moment later. “Better out than in,” she says with a grin. “Listen, you can’t help what you feel. Just remember you’re doing a great job of bringing Sophie up. She called me auntie Maddy this morning. Did you hear?”
“Sounded like bababa to me.”
“Yeah, but I can interpret baby talk. It was Auntie Maddy, you’re the best. So cool, and I love you more than anything in the world.”
“Wow, she really said that to you?”
“Yeah, not surprising though, is it? I am cool.”
“Well, cool girl, you want to explain why you’ve got a wad of tissue paper stuck to your shoe?”
“Shit, really?” She looks down and then scowls at me. “Seriously?”
“Made you look.”
“Right, for that, you can make dinner.”
“Only if you help me prep for my exam next week.”
“Fine, but I can’t promise I’ll stay awake during that Maslow’s hierarchy shit.”
“Just do your best.”
She touches my shoulder, her face turning serious. “You know, you could still call Jack.”
“Don’t start that. You know as well as I do that he would be a bad influence on her.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, I do. He stole a car. He ghosted me. For all I know, he killed that guy at the wedding. You know they never pinned it on anyone.”
“I’m just saying, the option is there.”
“I will not speak to him. I will not think about him. I will, however, eat this candy before Meghan gets back with Sophie.”
“Fine by me. I could do without the extra calories.”
She walks through to her bedroom, but I pause where I am. Could I call him? Should I call him?
I look at the message on my phone again.
He’s coming for you.
I type out a reply.
Who is this?
No reply.
The messages disappear off the screen like they were never there. I’m left certain I imagined them. Messages can’t just disappear, can they?
I want them to be about Jack but I must be daydreaming. I don’t want him to come back and if he does, I certainly won’t welcome him but I’m not running from that asshole.
It’s too late for that. The chance to let him know about Sophie is long gone. Even if I had his number, all I’d get is anger that he didn’t know. Or worse, he wouldn’t give a shit and would just hang up on me.
I’m doing just fine on my own, anyway. Got my life together. Got my daughter. Got a new job coming my way. What more do I need?