Page 6 of In the Lonely Hour

Layla shrugged. “As long as she’s comfortable with his absence, that’s all I care about. The details of his absence shouldn’t be something she has to worry about.”

“I understand your desire to shield Dior, but I’m concerned about you. We can help you with this transition for Dior, but what about you?”

Sighing, Layla looked around at all the pairs of eyes on her. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will be, with help. It’s tough accepting it, especially when it comes to our children, but with the right support system, Dior will soar. You’re actually doing the both of you a disservice trying to handle this by yourself.” Carolyn paused, giving Layla time to accept her words. “There are countless resources available to you here but all you take advantage of is this support group. It is a great start, but I want you to open yourself up for more. I think you should talk to Andres about an aide for Dior.” Layla’s head began to shake immediately, but Carolyn continued. “He will not only be able to help you prepare her for high school and making that new friend, but he can also help you and Dior make this transition from your husband as smooth as possible.”

“I agree,” Brittany added. “I be wanting to tell you to meet me and Richie up here for the activities and clubs and parties, but I get so tired of you saying no that I’ve stopped. I get the need to want to fiercely shelter and protect your child and not trust them with anyone else, but we don’t have to do this alone.”

“Andres is the absolute best at what he does,” Emery, another mother picked up. “When he helped me and Tamela as she started middle school, things took a complete 180 turn for us. Not only did he help Tamela adjust to her new normal, but my depression and anxiety got under control too. I needed help more than I was willing to admit, and he provided that along with his team.”

“What do you say?” Carolyn asked. “Will you at least talk to Andres and see what, if anything, he can do to make this easier for you and Dior?”

All eyes were on Layla as she took in everything they’d said. Truth—she didn’t want anyone’s help consistently with Dior because she didn’t trust them. Layla wanted to tell them that was easy to say. Brittany’s husband, though he worked, was active in both their lives when he was home. If Layla couldn’t trust Carlos, her child’s own father… who could she really trust?

It had taken all of Dior’s life for them to get a routine established that worked for the both of them. They had their own way of speaking and doing things that gave Dior the space to thrive. She was the brightest, most unique child Layla had ever known, and she was proud of the progress they had made. However, she was only one person, and she didn’t want to limit Dior’s growth. Could it be possible? Was there a team out there that she could trust to help her make her daughter’s life the best it could possibly be?

“Okay.” As she rubbed her hands down her legs, she nibbled her bottom lip. “I will, at least, talk to him. But I’m not promising anything.”

Carolyn stood with a wide smile. “Do it now before you change your mind.”

“He’s here?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

“But… I…” As the members of her support group cheered, Layla lagged behind as Carolyn led her away by her hand. “I can wait. There’s really no rush.”

“The bags under your eyes say otherwise. If you’re not sleeping, you’re probably not eating. Neither of those are acceptable.”

Not affirming or denying, Layla huffed and pulled her hand from Carolyn’s. Though they’d become a small family over the years, this was the first time in a long time that the attention had been solely on Layla, and she was starting to regret even opening her mouth.

Carolyn tapped on the light brown door softly.

“Come in.”

“Hey, nephew,” Carolyn greeted, sticking her head inside the door. “Can I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?”

“It’s no trouble at all. What’s up?”

Layla rubbed her chin, eyes narrowing as she listened a little deeper—unsure if she heard who she thought she was hearing.

“I have a mother out here who could use your help. She doesn’t think she needs it, but after talking to her, I’m sure you can convince her of otherwise.”

He chuckled. “I can’t force my help on her, you know that, but I’m willing to speak with her.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

Carolyn opened the door fully and stepped to the side so Layla could enter. When their eyes locked, they both shared a soft laugh. There was no way she could forget Tiny’s human. Not only was their meeting memorable but he was handsome as hell.

Removing his round, silver glasses, he stood. Him and those beautiful eyes. Those long, curly lashes.

“It’s good to see you,” he announced, voice lower than it had been when he was talking to Carolyn.

“You too. Where’s Tiny?”

His smile widened, showing off those pretty ass teeth. “Out back actually. I’ll take you out when we’re done here so y’all can share some ice cream.”

Layla laughed, realizing it was the first time she’d done so in days. For a few seconds, all they did was stand there, staring at each other, with comfortable smiles.

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