Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection

by Gianna Gabriela

  Another nod and she moves around me to go see Lily. Looking back over my shoulder, I watch her pick up Lily and fold her into her arms. It must have been the anger in my voice, but I completely terrified my daughter.

  “Oh, Lily bug. I’m so sorry, baby girl.” Pulling her out of Emmy’s arms, I hold her to my chest, my large hand cradling her head to my chest.

  “Why are you so mad, Daddy?” she whispers, curling her little hand around my fingers.

  “I’m not mad, Lily. That man was being mean to Emmy, I wanted him to leave her alone. I’m sorry, baby.” Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I give her my biggest smile.

  “Okay,” she mumbles, turning to Emmy while still in my arms. “Let’s go pack, Miss Emmy.”

  Emmy holds out her arms and I hand Lily to her, shoving my hands into my front pockets while I let my head droop between my shoulders. I just scared my own daughter. I never raise my voice in front of her, not wanting her growing up around anger and bullshit.

  Motherfucker. Way to go, Jackson.

  Strolling in behind them, I watch Emmy take Lily over to the couch, sitting her down. Emmy grabs her a huge coloring book and a box of crayons. Clapping in excitement, Lily busies herself with a picture and Emmy comes over to me, taking my hand to pull me into the hallway.

  “Thank you,” she says quietly, her arms coming around my neck to hug me.

  Burying my face into her neck, I hold her tight, breathing in her sweet scent.

  “For what?”

  “That asshole. Dad went to get me a couple extra boxes, so I was on my own with him.”

  “It’s my job to take care of you, so don’t thank me for that, Em. I just wish my daughter didn’t have to see that.”

  “She’ll be okay, Levi. She’s little and doesn’t understand anger.”

  Nodding against her, I pull away to kiss her, resting my forehead on hers.

  “Em—”

  “Got you three more boxes, sweetheart.”

  Emmy pulls away and I turn around, finding myself face-to-face with her father. He’s tall, almost my height, with Emmy’s blue eyes and a smirk on his face.

  Dropping the cardboard he has under his arm, he holds out a hand to me.

  “You must be Levi. I’m Elliott Reese. It’s a pleasure to meet you, son.”

  Gripping tightly, we shake and I see Emmy beaming.

  “Levi Jackson. It’s great to meet you, sir.”

  Slapping me on the shoulder, Elliott bends down to pick up the flattened boxes, handing me one of them. With a wink over my shoulder, I follow him into the apartment, leaving Emmy behind with a smile on her beautiful face.

  Well, we got that out of the way real quick.

  "Knock it off, Levi. We still have work to get done," Emmy chastises me, bending over to grab another box off the floor.

  "God damn," I groan, watching her tight pants show off that toned ass I love so much.

  Looking up at me over her shoulder, she rolls her eyes and stands up, turning to face me.

  "What?"

  "Em, it's not my fault. Those pants are paper thin and look like they're made for you. I'm a guy, baby. It's what I do. My girlfriend has a fucking perfect ass. Sue me."

  "Jesus, Levi. My dad is in the other room. You've seen me in leggings, what’s wrong with you?"

  Swaggering forward, I pull the box from her arms and place it on the kitchen counter.

  "True, but now I've seen what you have underneath them. It's like having a perfect fucking steak for the first time. You make my mouth water, Em, and I'll never get enough of you."

  Slapping her hard on the ass, I kiss her reddening cheek and grab the box from where I placed it, whistling as I walk out to my truck.

  I'll pay for that later, I'm sure.

  And fuck, am I looking forward to it.

  It took almost all day, but all of Emmy’s stuff is in her new place. I was stoked to find that she only lives about five blocks from me, in a small rancher on a good street. I will definitely sleep better at night knowing she’s safe.

  I sit on the couch, Lily sharing the recliner with Emmy’s dad, and I have to say my daughter’s charm is growing on him. Elliott and Lily have been inseparable today, and she certainly enjoyed helping him move boxes.

  The couch shifts and Emmy sits next to me, a huge smile on her face.

  “Is there any way I could persuade you and Lily to stay for dinner with me and Dad?”

  Smiling, I lean over to her. “Give me a kiss and I’ll think about it.

  She laughs and presses her lips to mine, eyes closed. Her hand runs over my shoulders, pulling me closer to her.

  “You better stay, mister,” she mumbles against my mouth.

  “You know I will, Em.”

  Pulling away, I notice Lily watching us out of the corner of my eye.

  “Daddy and Miss Emmy, sittin in a tree!”

  Laughing, she runs over and hurls herself at us. Seeing Elliot take it all in, I lock eyes with him and note the slight nod of his head.

  He approves. Thank fuck.

  10

  EMERSON

  How on earth have almost three months gone by? Maybe it’s the amount of fun I’ve been having. Levi and I have barely spent any time apart. My classes have started up again, so it’s been hectic, but it’s been no challenge fitting him and Lily into my free time. Every single day just has me falling harder and deeper for him. Being with Levi has changed me.

  No, he doesn’t know quite yet, but I’m hoping to get up the courage soon. It’s not so much the fear of being rejected that I’m worried about, it’s how much it will change things for us. I love Lily, and I love Levi. But what if he’s not in love yet? I know how much he cares about me, but if Levi isn’t ready for the next step, what would that mean for us? I don’t want to lose them, so until Levi makes that first move, I’m staying right where I am. It’s not just me I have to think about; I need to make sure that Lily is okay. I can cast my feelings aside for a little bit longer, so long as Lily doesn’t get hurt.

  That’s all I care about.

  Stepping from my bedroom, hair still wet from my shower, I look around my house to make sure it doesn’t need to be kidproofed. Tonight I’m having a sleepover with Lily, just us girls. It was my idea and Levi seemed excited for us. Lily though? That girl almost went through the roof. She started screaming about watching Trolls and painting our nails. I’m even gonna pull out my old air mattress and set it up in front of the television so we can camp out. Hell, I even made a stop at Target and got some new Barbies, and a huge princess blanket for us to sleep under. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited.

  Pulling my wet hair up into a bun, I hear my cell phone ring from the counter. Glancing over at it, I see it’s my mom.

  “Hey, Mom, what’s going on?”

  “Sweetheart, hi. I was calling to see if you and Levi had any plans this weekend.”

  “Nope, as far as I know we don’t. I have to pull a night shift at the hospital Friday night, a girl needed her shift covered. But we’re free other than that.”

  “Oh good. Dad and I were hoping to have you all over for dinner.”

  “Yeah, sounds good to me. I’ll double-check with Levi, but we should be fine.”

  “Awesome.”

  Smiling, I tuck my phone against my shoulder, reaching into the fridge for a water.

  “Can I make a request?”

  Mom chuckles. “Shoot, baby.”

  “Make your chicken parm. Please. I’m dying for it.”

  “You got it, Em. I gotta run to yoga, but we’ll chat later, okay? Have fun with Lily tonight. Give her a kiss for me.”

  “Okay, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you more.”

  Ending the call, I put my phone back down and head down the small hallway, needing to get some laundry done. Levi is bringing Lily by around eleven, so I want to be ready.

  This is going to be an amazing day.

  “Levi, don’t worry about it. She’s four,
my house can handle it.”

  They got here about twenty minutes ago and in her excitement, Lily knocked a glass off the table and spilled milk all over the floor. Grabbing the paper towels, I get the mess cleaned up while Levi paces next to me.

  “Emmy….”

  “Seriously, Levi. Chill. We’re gonna be fine. I can handle this, you know.”

  “Babe, I know. That’s not what I mean. I just don’t want her overwhelming you.”

  Standing from the now-clean floor, I make my way to the trash can to throw the dirty paper towels away. We’re alone in the kitchen, Lily looking over her new toys.

  “Levi, I want to have this time with her. I’ve been looking forward to it. I know you’re worried, but I got this, okay? Now really. Go home, relax, have a beer.”

  “Okay. But seriously, Em, any problems, call me. I’m more than happy to come slumber with my girls.”

  Shaking my head, I reach up to hug him, arms tight around his neck.

  “You smell good, baby,” he mumbles into my neck, breathing in deep.

  “You’re a weirdo.”

  “But I’m your weirdo.”

  With a soft kiss, and a huge hug to Lily, Levi is out the door, leaving us girls alone.

  Lily is in the center of my couch, surrounded by Barbies and their tiny clothes, using her brush to fix their hair.

  “All right, sweetie pie, it’s just you and me. You excited for the most super-fun sleepover ever?”

  Shrieking, she starts bouncing up and down.

  “Yes, Miss Emmy, yes!”

  “All right. So, we’re going to go to my favorite restaurant ever for lunch. Then I was thinking we could go to the park and play for a little while. How’s that sound?”

  “Will you go on the swings wiff me?”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Yay!”

  Laughing, I move around the back of the couch and plop down next to her, grabbing one of her dolls.

  “Miss Emmy?” Her voice is quiet and I look down at her sweet face.

  “Yes, sweetheart? And you don’t have to call me Miss Emmy. You can just call me Emmy. Or Em. Whichever you like best.”

  “Okay. Emmy. Can I ask you a question?”

  “You can ask me anything, Lily.”

  “Are you and my daddy gonna get married?”

  Oh hell.

  “Why do you ask?” I question, fidgeting with the Barbie in my hands.

  “Well, ’cause you and Daddy see each other all the time. And he likes you. And well, I don’t have a mommy, didja know? Maybe one day I’ll have a mommy.”

  “Well, Lily, I don’t know. I really like your daddy. And I also really like you too. But we’ll see. Who knows what can happen, okay? Just know that no matter what, I’m your friend. And I love you like crazy, okay?”

  “Okay.” Lily gives me a bright smile and turns back to her toys.

  Sitting on the couch next to her, I swallow down the lump in my throat. Such a sweet girl, and so young. No child should have to ask if they can have a parent. But this little girl was blessed with the most amazing father, who is more than enough for her. And one day, when she’s old enough to understand, she’ll know that. Lily may have been dealt a shitty hand when it came to her mother, but her father?

  Thank God for Levi is all I can say.

  “All right, Lily. You ready to swing, baby girl?”

  After grabbing some grilled cheeses for lunch at the diner, we’re heading across the street to the park. I promised Levi we’d call him after to fill him in on our day so far. He’s at the shop, working on a client’s outline, whatever that means.

  “Yes! Let’s go!”

  I hold tight to her hand as we cross the street, Lily laughing loudly the whole time. Once we safely reach the playground, she takes off running. I settle myself on a park bench, tucking my legs under me to get comfortable. There are only a couple other children playing, the weather cooler than I had planned for. I know she’s having fun and will hate having to leave in a bit, but I can just let slip that I have special ice cream in my freezer for us.

  Bribery. Always a good plan.

  Watching her play, blonde hair flowing everywhere, her sweet words run through my head. I need to talk to Levi. The past almost three months have been amazing, and I know if we work hard and continue down this road, we could have a beautiful future together. My earlier thoughts about waiting are gone, as there’s no reason to worry about Lily. She’s a tough kid, and I know Levi involving her in us wasn’t a decision he made lightly.

  Levi consumes me at every moment. We never go more than a few hours without talking, unless we’re asleep or at work. Or when I’m in class, but even then, I try and sneak a couple texts in here and there. Levi Jackson and his beautiful girl have completely thrown my world onto its side, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

  Hearing Lily yell to me, I get up from the bench and go over to the swing set, helping her climb onto one of the swings. When she’s comfy, I start pushing her gently, laughing at her excitement. When she has some momentum going, I step back and pull out my phone, taking a quick video of her that I can send to Levi in a little while.

  “Daddy is gonna love that video, Lily,” I tell her, shoving my phone into my back pocket.

  “I hope so.”

  “Oh, he will. I promise.”

  Sitting on the swing next to her, I swing back and forth gently. Only a few minutes pass and Lily grows bored, hopping from her swing and racing across the playground to the monkey bars.

  Standing up, I brush my jeans off. Ducking around the jungle gym, I come face-to-face with the worst nightmare of my life. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my heart is racing.

  Lily’s not there.

  I take a deep breath and tell myself to calm down, she just ran to another spot. But after doing a full circle of the playground, I don’t see her.

  “Lily! This isn’t funny, baby!”

  Running back to the monkey bars, I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Holy shit, she’s gone. What the fuck?Pulling my phone from my pocket, my fingers hover over the screen, hysterics setting in.

  “Emmy!”

  It’s the most earth-shattering scream, and I whip around, frantic eyes searching everywhere.

  Nothing. She’s nowhere.

  Where is she?

  Stumbling around the jungle gym, I look around in terror. And then I see her. Just on the edge of the playground is a man dressed in all black, baseball hat pulled down low. He has a grip on Lily’s arm, but she’s struggling against him, crying and yelling.

  “Lily!”

  Taking off at a dead sprint, my legs take me as fast as I can to them. This man could have a gun, he could be a danger to her life, and yet I don’t care. Nothing is stopping me from getting to her. When the man notices me, he tries harder to get control of Lily, but she fights him even more, screaming at the top of her lungs.

  “Let her go! Lily! Stop! Please, no!”

  One of the families takes notice, and the father rushes over to help. Mere feet from them, the man shoves Lily, taking off at a run when he realizes so many people have seen him. Tears start running down my face when I get to Lily, who immediately hurls herself into my arms, shaking like a leaf.

  “Oh, Lily! Oh my God, baby girl. Are you okay? Does anything hurt? I’m so sorry.” Holding her in front of me, I look her over, chest heaving up and down with my cries. “Let me see you. Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Oh, Lily.”

  “Ma’am, my wife called the police. Are you both okay?” The father who came to our aid is crouched next to me, concern all over his face.

  Nodding, I swipe at the tears and stand up, carrying Lily over to a bench, trying to calm her down. She’s hysterical, and my shirt is soaked from her tears.

  In minutes, the area is filled with the sound of wailing sirens, and I try to gain control of myself before dealing with cops. My stomach turns when I realize I need to call Levi. He’s going to be s
o angry at me. Screw maybe being in love with me, he’s not going to want anything to do with me after today. I have completely fucked up.

  Holding Lily tight, I pull out my phone, hands shaking. Shushing Lily, I hold the phone to my ear and brace myself, tears burning.

  “Hey, baby,” Levi answers, his voice loud and cheerful.

  “Levi.” I can’t bring myself to say the words.

  “Em, you okay?”

  “No,” I whisper, a soft sob breaking from my chest.

  “What is it, baby? You’re scaring me.”

  “We need you, Levi. Please.”

  “I’m coming now, Em. Where are you? Is Lily okay? Fuck, baby, what happened?”

  “We’re at the park downtown. Levi, I….”

  “I’m coming, baby. Just hold on, okay?”

  The call ends and I cry, the screen going dark again.

  “I love you,” I whisper, knowing this is the end of us.

  It has to be.

  11

  LEVI

  “Cade!” I shout, ripping my latex gloves off. Muttering a half-assed apology to my client, I shove my cell into my pocket and rush out to the main room. Grabbing my keys, I’m pulling on my sweatshirt when he comes flying out of his own room, holding an unopened package with a fresh needle in it.

  “What? Everything okay, man?”

  “No. No, everything is not okay. Emmy called and something happened.”

  Cade’s eyes widen in shock and he pulls off his glasses.

  “Lily?”

  Shaking my head, I rein in my anxiety and pinch the bridge of my nose.

  “I don’t know. Emmy called me crying, said they needed me. I don’t know, they’re at the park downtown. Can you have Syd reschedule the guy when she gets back from lunch? I’ll call you.”

  Without waiting for an answer, I run out to my truck, turning the key and flooring it out of there. Our shop is only about five miles from where they are, but I hit every red light. Every stop sign has a wait. When I get about a mile from the park, I watch cruisers go racing past me, sirens blaring. My stomach begins to roll, nausea threatening to erupt.