by Renee Swann
He thought for a beat. “I had a baby with a woman I didn’t love even half as much as you. I wanted this for us.”
“I wanted it, also.”
“So, I’m guessing you’re okay with the me-having-a-daughter part?”
“Yeah. Being a single parent doesn’t make you a bad person.”
He nodded, his features grave.
“Hey.” My fingers tried to smooth out the lines on his brow. “Cheer up. It’s not all that bad,” I teased.
His face softened. “Thanks for being so understanding, Mon.” He gathered me into his arms.
“Always have been.”
He released me. “And I stand by my promise.” He scooped coffee beans into the grinder.
“Uh, what promise?” I wanted to hear him say it again.
The corners of his lips jerked into a smile. “That you’re stuck with me now.”
“I can live with that.” I’d never loved anyone more.
He handed me a mug. “Ruby’s dying to see you. She begged me not to take her to school.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “She even tried to bribe me.”
“Takes after her Dad.” I smirked.
“She sure does.” He tugged a bag from the top cupboard and offered me a cookie. “Don’t tell her I have these. Ruby’s a sugar addict.”
“Oh? Well, my lips are sealed.” I took two and dunked one into my coffee.
His eyes assessed me. “You seem in better spirits today.”
I tried to forget. “Your daughter kind of distracted me.”
“Yeah. And she’s so adorable.”
“Just like her Daddy.” I touched my lips to his.
He chuckled and brushed back my hair. “You’re one-of-a kind, Mon.”
“I get that a lot.”
That afternoon, Ruby bounced into the kitchen. “Hi, Moni!”
“Hey there.” I stirred cream and sugar into my coffee. “How was school?”
She climbed onto a barstool. “Tayla brought her pet rabbit to Show and Tell.”
“Is she your best friend?” I said.
She nodded. “My very best friend.”
Troy’s fingers twisted her pony tail. “You hungry, Kiddo?”
“Yes.”
“Moni made you an extra special snack,” he said.
Her eyes widened.
“You wanna know what it is?” I said.
“Tell me, tell me!” She clapped her palms together.
I skipped over to the fridge. “Hope you like apple pie.”
“I love it!” She leaned forward, watching me cut slices.
“Did you want it warmed up?” I said to her.
“Yes, please.” Ruby bounced in her seat.
“I like mine warm, too.” I passed a plate to Troy.
He slid it into the microwave.
“Are you Daddy’s new girlfriend?” she said.
“Uh.” We hadn’t had a chance to talk about it. What should I say? What was appropriate? I caught his eye.
He nodded once.
“Yes, I am.” I covered the remaining pie with plastic wrap.
Her face lit up. “Awesome!” She stretched across the counter and whispered, “I think Daddy’s a bit lonely.”
“Is he?”
She nodded. “I like you, Moni. More than Smelly Melly.” She rolled her eyes.
“You got all the goss, have you, Rubes?” I said, “What else can you tell me?”
“I’m standing right here,” said Troy, “And Melanie was always nice to you.”
Ruby picked at her pie and shrugged. “Moni bakes. She’s a keeper.”
Troy smiled. His arm curled around my waist. “I think so, too.”
* * *
The next evening, I returned to Troy’s with a bag each of books, clothes, shoes, food and half a dozen cupcakes.
Ruby bounced into the hallway. “Moni, Moni! Guess what?”
“What, Sweetie?” I said.
“Daddy says we’re going out for dinner!”
“Ooh, aren’t we lucky?” I let her carry one of the bags and followed her into the kitchen.
It was my birthday. I was thirty. It’s what I was trying to avoid all year. And yet, it feels no different than twenty-nine. Maybe it hadn’t kicked in yet. Or maybe I was too busy trying to distract myself to notice.
“What’s in the box?” she said.
I flipped open the lid.
“Cupcakes!” She clasped her hands under her chin. “Can I have one, pretty please?”
“Go ask Dad.”
She hopped off the barstool and sprinted into Troy’s office. A moment later, she returned, towing him behind her. “Can I Daddy, please?”
“Okay,” he said, “But just one.”
“Can I have the pink one?” She released his hand. “I love pink!”
“Sure.” I peeled off the wrapper then passed it to her. “Here you go.”
She took a bite. I offered the box to Troy. He smiled and selected one.
Ruby giggled. “These are awesome.”
They were the best cupcakes I’d tasted, too. The icing was just right and melted in my mouth.
“How ‘bout you go and wash that face of yours, Missy?” he said, swiping at a pink smudge on her lip.
“Okay.” She skipped out of the room.
Troy constricted his arms around my waist. “Are you having a good birthday? I can see you went shopping.” He eyed the bags.
“Yeah, shopping, sightseeing – all is good.”
“Did you bump into Kate?”
“Nope.”
“See? What’d I tell you? It’s a big city.” He brushed his lips across mine.
I heard Ruby giggle. We cut our eyes to her.
“Are you two getting married now?” she said, smiling.
Troy and I exchanged panicked glances.
While he explained to Ruby why we weren’t getting married - yet - I packed away my shopping then concentrated on picking an outfit for dinner. I extracted a slinky red dress from the shopping bag. Hmm, too sexy for a dinner with Troy and Ruby. My fingers grasped purple chiffon. Perfect.
“You girls ready yet?” Troy said through the bathroom door.
“Just a minute,” I said as I braided Ruby’s hair.
She passed me a butterfly clip.
“There we go.” I secured the braid.
“Thanks, Moni,” she said, “You’re better at this than Dad.”
I chuckled. “You’re welcome.” I opened the door.
Ruby pounced at Troy.
“Hey, Kitten,” he said, “Wow, you look pretty. Did you thank Moni?”
“Yes,” said Ruby.
His eyes appraised me. “You look good, too.”
“Thank you.” The bottom of my dress flared as I twirled.
He ushered us out. “C’mon, we’ll be late.”
“Were you always this bossy?” I said.
He smirked. “You bring it out in me.”
Ten minutes after, Troy pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot.
“Is this your idea of getting me to have fun while I’m here?” I said.
“Yep.” His head swivelled in my direction. “Is it working?”
“A little. Some bruschetta would help further.” I grinned.
“We’ll see what we can do, right Rubes?” he said.
“Yep!” she said as she skipped at his side, “And a big ice cream sundae!”
“Ooh!” I said, “Sounds yum.”
Troy pressed his lips to my cheek and held the restaurant’s door open. He let Ruby and I pass.
The hostess appeared in front of us. “Table for three?”
Troy nodded. “What do you want to eat, Rubes?” He pulled out my chair.
“Pizza!” she said.
He sat opposite me. “Okay, how does that sound, Mon? Split a pizza for dinner?”
“Sure,” I said, my eyes roaming over the drinks menu.
The waiter appeared in front of us. �
�You guys ready to order?”
“Yeah,” said Troy, “Mon, you go first.”
“Uh, I’ll have a beer and the bruschetta,” I said.
Ruby pointed to the drink she wanted.
“We’ll have the pepperoni pizza and I’ll have a beer also.” He grinned at me.
The waiter left.
I turned to Ruby. “How was school?”
“Boring as. Mrs Browne gave us a tonne of homework.”
“Which you’re going to do when we get home,” said Troy.
She rolled her eyes. “I know.”
I smiled. Troy was fitting into the father role well. This made me want to have his babies.
Our drinks arrived.
Troy raised his beer. “Mon, glad we’re together after all these years. Happy birthday!”
Eyes clouded with tears, my smile widened. I clinked my bottle against his then to Ruby’s milkshake. “Thank you, both of you. I couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate my birthday.” Definitely tops sharing a hotel room with Kate.
Ruby grabbed a slice as soon as the pizza hit the table.
“Manners, Rubes,” said Troy, his eyes on her. “It’s Monique’s birthday. She gets first choice.”
“Sorry.” Her face crumpled.
My hand combed through her silky strands. “That’s all right. I want you to have it.”
“So,” said Troy, “Do you have a birthday wish?”
I chewed a mouthful. “I might have.” My lips stretched into a grin.
“What is it?” he said.
“Yes, tell us, tell us!” said Ruby.
Troy chuckled at her enthusiasm.
“Well.” I curled a finger, motioning them to lean close. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to juggle.”
Ruby giggled. I shared a smile with Troy.
“Moni always had a sense of humour,” he said.
* * *
Ruby padded into the kitchen. “Can I have some lemonade?”
“Sure.” I abandoned the vegetables and opened the cupboard. “Which cup would you like?”
“The pink one, please.”
I should have known she would say that. I twisted the cap off the bottle then filled the cup with the clear liquid. “Here you go.”
She grasped it with both hands.
“How’s the homework going?” I said.
Ruby grimaced. “Math sucks.”
“Need any help?”
“No, thanks.” She carted the drink out.
Good. I wouldn’t know where to begin. My eyes darted to the clock. Hmm. Should I bring her a snack? Dinner was still an hour away.
I traipsed into the dining room with a plate of cookies.
But she wasn’t there.
“Rubes?” I stepped closer to the table, oblivious to the clear puddle that had formed on the light timber floorboards. “Ruby?” I set the plate down then swivelled.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion. My shoe slipped. My fingers reached out to grip the table. I missed it by a hair. The floor inched towards me. I thrust my hands out, but it was too late. I landed hard on my arm. “Shit.”
Ruby jogged into the room, a wad of paper towel in her grasp. Her blue eyes stared at me in shock. “Are you okay?” She dropped to her knees.
My arm throbbed beneath me. I tried to push myself up, but pain was shooting down it. A groan slipped through my clenched teeth. “I think it’s broken.” My right hand clamped onto the nearest chair. “Go get your dad.” I managed to pull myself up.
Ruby straightened then sprinted in the direction of his office.
* * *
“Need anything?” said Troy.
It’s been three days since I broke my arm. And Troy had been tiptoeing around me, bringing me hot meals and tea. I wasn’t used to this much attention.
“Nope,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Now, get back to work.” I pretended to shoo him. “Go and finish that novel you’ve been talking my ear off about. And stop worrying about me.”
He bent to press his lips to my temple. “Okay, but yell if you need anything.”
I wasn’t on my deathbed, he needn’t be anxious.
Troy disappeared into his office. I threw back the blanket and traipsed into the kitchen. I could relax and bake at the same time, couldn’t I?
Half an hour later, he wandered in. “I smell cake.” Troy’s eyes narrowed. “Thought I told you to rest?”
“You did. I disagreed,” I said.
“The doctor also told you to rest.”
The oven timer buzzed.
I bent to open the door. “Help me?”
He sighed, placed his mug on the counter and hauled out the cake. “At least rest as it cools.”
I hoisted myself onto a barstool. “I’m trying to be useful.”
He refilled his mug. “But you don’t need to.” He touched his lips to my hair.
“Sure I do. Plus Ruby would love some after school.” I examined my nails.
Troy rested his forearms on the counter, pensive for a moment. “Mon, what’s gonna happen, with us, when you leave?”
“Well, I figured-” I took a sip of his coffee. “I’d go home, give my boss my two weeks notice, sell my apartment and return to Cairns.” I studied his features for his reaction.
He lifted me off the barstool, into his arms, and kissed me. “That’s the best plan I’ve ever heard!” He dropped me on my feet.
I grinned. “Know any jobs available?”
Troy smirked. “I kinda need a publisher.”
The thought of opening my own publishing house entered my mind. Though terrified, I was intrigued. “Okay. Challenge accepted.”
“I’d better get back to writing that novel, then.” He winked.
“Good idea.”
Just after three, Ruby dashed down the hall, searching for me. “Moni?”
“I’m in the kitchen, Sweetie,” I said.
She skidded to stop in the doorway, eyeing the dessert. “CAKE!” Her eyes pleaded. “Can I have some Moni, please?”
“Only if you really want some.”
“I really, really do!” She clasped her hands in front of her chest.
“Okay.” I cut her a slice.
“What kind is it?”
“Caramel.” I slid the plate towards her.
“That’s my favourite.”
“So I heard.”
Troy wandered in. “Rubes. Your bag is still in the hall.”
“Sorry, Daddy.”
“Pick it up after, okay?” he said.
She nodded.
He sat next to her. “Does Daddy get cake, too?”
I smiled and cut two wedges. “How was school?”
She peeled off the icing and dropped it into her mouth. “It was okay. I got more homework.”
“That’s life,” I said.
“I can’t wait to finish school.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I said.
“A doctor.”
“Oh?”
“I already have some books.”
“That’s pretty cool,” I said.
Troy smiled and twisted her pony tail. “Doctor DeGaris.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Dad, don’t embarrass me in front of Moni.”
His smile drooped. “Sorry.”
* * *
The phone rang. Troy held it to his ear and listened for a moment. “Ruby, it’s Mum.”
She jumped up from her chair and stretched for the receiver.
Troy sat opposite me. “She couldn’t wait five more minutes for Ruby to finish her dinner?”
“I take it you two aren’t on such good terms?” I said.
“No.”
Ruby approached and held out the phone. “Mum wants to talk to you again.”
He grabbed it and marched into his bedroom, shutting the door.
Ruby finished her mashed potatoes then yawned. “G’night, Moni.” She constricted her arms around my wais
t.
“Good night, Sweetie.” I touched my lips to her cheek. “Sweet dreams.”
When Troy hadn’t returned within ten minutes, I knocked on his door. “It’s me.” I waited for an answer. There wasn’t one. I cracked it open.
Troy was perched on the corner of his bed. His eyes burned with irritation, his mouth in a hard line.
“Is something up?” The door clicked shut behind me.
He took a moment to answer. “It’s Lauren.”
“What about her?”
He was silent.
I bent to meet his eyes. “Come on, Troy, you can tell me anything.” My palm cupped his cheek.
He avoided my eyes.
“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to have to start guessing - and we both know how horrible that turns out.” I smirked then waited a beat. “Did she say something that upset you?”
He heaved a sigh. “Ruby was telling her all about you. Lauren didn’t like that. She accused me of leaving our daughter alone with a stranger.”
I gnawed on my lip. So this was my fault. And no doubt, he would have defended me. “Come on.” I pulled him up. “I’ll get us some dessert. Did you want to watch something stupid on-?”
He mashed his lips to mine, one hand trailing down my back, the other curling into my hair.
“I guess that’s a no?” I said.
“Shh.” He kissed down my neck.
* * *
I opened my eyes. Rays of sun blinded me. I clenched them shut. Hands glided over my bare stomach. My eyes flew open.
I’d fallen asleep in Troy’s bed. I’m such a whore.
“How’d you sleep?” he said, brushing hair from my face.
“Good.” I snuggled into him, resting my cast on his chest. “How are you?” I chewed on my lip.
Seconds passed as he formed an answer. “Okay.”
“Just okay?” I said, “I pulled out all the stops last night, Mister.”
He smiled. “Yeah, that was awesome.”
I stretched and yawned.
“What do you feel like for breakfast?” he said, “I was thinking of popping out to get some bagels and pastries.”
“Yum.”
He touched his lips to my nose. “I’ll be back in five. Can you make sure Ruby gets dressed?”
“Sure.” I tugged on yesterday’s clothes.
“And Mon?”
“Yes?”
“Love you.”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “Love you, too.”
He flashed me a smile then disappeared into the hallway.