Page 35 of The Rejected Wife

“Argh. Enough already. TMI.” He screws up his face like he's the one who caught a whiff of the bad smell.

“Yeah, this is what is in store for you, too, Bro.” I chuckle. “Wait until your spawn comes along.”

“Not a chance,” he says with confidence.

That’s what I thought, too.I was so sure that life would continue as it had been, with me at the center. Then, a curvy woman swept in, this little sprite on her heels, and suddenly, I went from wondering which woman I was going to take to a hotel that weekend to wondering if I could get through the rest of the day. My brother has a rude awakening coming. I want to tell him all that, but I stay quiet. Of course, there's a chance he’ll never settle down—but given Arthur’s machinations, I sincerely doubt that.

I wasn’t sure how my grandfather would react to Serene, but the old coot welcomed her with open arms. Apparently, confirmation that she shared my genes,and his, was enough.

Gramps was over the moon to welcome Serene into the family as his great-granddaughter. Every time he sees her, there's a new gift, whether it be a toy or a new dress. It's so out of character for him, I suspect he's allowing Imelda, his Harley-riding, shit-kickers-wearing girlfriend to make these purchases on his behalf. On the other hand, maybe he's just thrilled to have a girl in the family. He even set aside a bedroom just for her—which is really more of a playroom—filled with everything a little girl could want.

Bonus: I suddenly went up in his esteem for having fathered a child. An archaic attitude, for sure, but one I didn’t question.

I’m glad the family has accepted her. Becoming a father made me feel vulnerable. I’m conscious of all the ways my daughter could come to harm. The world is suddenly a place filled with people who could hurt her. I've vowed to keep her safe, no matter what. Which, in turn, made me all too conscious of my own mortality. Nothing like having a child to make you conscious of your age and everything you’ve lived through.

And just watching her grow and blossom in the last few months has made me realize, I, too, am growing older. I worried that, one day in the future, I might not be around.Then, what would happen to my child?It made me appreciate the old man and my family, knowing they’d step in if anything happened to me. I’ve never valued the presence of my brothers or my friends. I took them for granted. But now, I'm cognizant of the fact that my brothers will watch out for my daughter. It makes me feel more secure.

“I called to make sure you’re coming to the family lunch at Arthur’s.” Connor says.

I’m about to make an excuse and refuse, then remember:Family’s important.I owe the old man that much. And yes, I’m being more amenable to him because he accepted Serene so whole-heartedly. I nod. “I’ll be there. So will you, I assume. Or are you off on one of your trips again?”

Connor has his own biotech firm and is often away on research trips. “I would be, but the old man insisted I attend. He’s got his panties in a twist about something, I tell you.”

Serene wriggles around, then tugs on my shirt. “Papa, play. Now.”

“The princess has spoken.” Connor flashes her another big smile. “You have your Dad wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”

He has no idea.

Serene grabs hold of another handful of my shirt and pulls.

“I really do have to go.”

“Bye, Poppet” Connor blows her a kiss.

“Bah. Bye.” Serene blows him back a kiss.

I disconnect the call, place the phone on the table, then I place her against my chest and begin to pace. “You gotta sleep, baby.”

“Play. Sheep. Dog. Play.” She means her toys. My heart sinks. I really do need to get on that conference call. I’m a dad, and she comes first. But I also want to ensure I don’t neglect my company. I’m going to pull my weight as the CEO. I can do this.

“Plaaaay, Papa,” she screeches.

I can do this. I can do this. On my own.No, you can’t. You need childcare help.Though the experience I’ve had with hiring nannies has put me off them. The first one claimed a family emergency and quit in two days. The next one kept coming onto me, and that was very uncomfortable. So, I had to let her go. The third and fourth, Serene hated on sight and refused to let them near her.

The last nanny I hired, Serene seemed to tolerate, but she spent too much time on her phone instead of paying attention to my kid. I came home from a meeting one day to find Serene bawling her head off with a dirty nappy. I fired her right then.

I can do this. I have to do this. I’m a good father. I am.

I walk Serene to her room. I moved to this townhouse in Primrose, not far from my brothers and my friends. Serene now has an entire back garden with her own swing set and sandbox. I also have more space in the house, so I can work from home. I walk into her room and place her on the bed.

She sits up at once. “Papa, no. Play now.”

“Honey, you need to nap. Otherwise, you’ll be tired and cranky,Serene?—”

She slides down from the bed and crawls toward her toy bin. She picks up her stuffed dog in one hand, her toy sheep in the other. Then proceeds to bang them together, head-to-head.

“Way to go kid.” I sink back, defeated, then yawn again. I check my watch. Perhaps,Icould take a little nap? But no, I can’t. I need to keep an eye on her. I yawn again. Then freeze as Serene pushes up to standing. On her own. Without any support.

---